SBIR Phase IIB Bridge Awards to Accelerate the Development of Cancer-Relevant Technologies Toward Commercialization (R44 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA CA 24 022

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA CA 24 022

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is offering an SBIR Phase IIB Bridge Award funding opportunity designed to help small businesses push promising, cancer-relevant technologies from late-stage R&D into real-world commercialization. This program targets projects that already have a foundation of federal support, specifically those that were previously funded under an SBIR or STTR Phase II award from any federal agency. The central aim is to provide the additional time and resources often needed after Phase II to complete the expensive, high-effort steps required to get a product or service ready for market entry, broader deployment, or a pivotal commercialization milestone.

A defining feature of this NOFO is its strong emphasis on pairing federal dollars with outside capital. NCI is explicitly trying to catalyze partnerships between Phase II-funded small businesses and independent third-party investors and/or strategic partners, such as venture investors, corporate partners, or other private financing sources that can help carry a technology through capital-intensive development. As part of the application, companies must submit a detailed Commercialization Plan that lays out how the technology will move toward market readiness. That plan must also describe third-party investor funding that has already been secured or that is realistically anticipated during the Phase IIB project period. Importantly, the expectation is that this independent third-party support will be at least equal to, and ideally greater than, the amount of NCI funding requested over the course of the Phase IIB Bridge Award. In practice, this means applicants need to show credible evidence of investor interest, partner engagement, or financing commitments, rather than relying solely on federal funds to reach commercialization.

From a technical and translational standpoint, the NOFO is flexible in terms of the stage of development it can support, as long as the work remains clearly cancer-relevant and represents the next logical step beyond the prior Phase II effort. Proposed projects may focus on preclinical development (for example, optimization, validation, scale-up, manufacturing readiness, or preclinical testing strategies) and/or clinical development. Clinical trials are allowed under this announcement when appropriate, but they are not required, which makes the opportunity suitable both for companies preparing for clinical entry and for those advancing enabling work that de-risks or accelerates future clinical or market steps. The funding instrument is a grant under the R44 mechanism (SBIR), and the clinical trial designation is optional, meaning applicants can propose either a trial or non-trial development activities depending on the maturity and needs of the technology.

Eligibility is limited to U.S. small business concerns, consistent with SBIR rules. Foreign organizations are not eligible to apply, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply under this opportunity. However, foreign components, as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement, may be allowed in certain circumstances, which typically means discrete elements of the project could potentially be performed abroad if well-justified and compliant with NIH policy. The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and aligned with education and health funding activities, with CFDA numbers 93.394 and 93.395. The opportunity number is RFA-CA-24-022, it was created on April 23, 2024, and the listed original closing date is August 21, 2024.

Overall, this Phase IIB Bridge Award is best understood as an NCI-supported commercialization accelerator for small businesses that already demonstrated feasibility and progress under Phase II, but still need substantial follow-on development and investment to reach a market-facing endpoint. The program is structured to reward applicants that can pair a strong technical development plan with a credible commercialization strategy and real third-party financial participation, reflecting NCI's intent to move cancer technologies out of the lab and into practical use as products and services.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "SBIR Phase IIB Bridge Awards to Accelerate the Development of Cancer-Relevant Technologies Toward Commercialization (R44 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.394, 93.395.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-04-23.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-08-21. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Small businesses.

Apply for RFA CA 24 022

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