SBIR -- Small Business Innovation Research
Proposal Consulting and Training

Cohen International provides expert SBIR proposal consulting services.
All work is done on a confidential basis, and is performed by Roger S. Cohen.

If you have a question about your SBIR proposal...
Just pick up the phone...
and give me a call for an instant consultation. (845) 358-8936.

Described below are three typical consulting arrangements.
Emergency or short-notice service may be available, depending on time and scheduling.

1. SBIR Proposal Review Service
2. SBIR Coaching Service
3. SBIR Full Proposal Production Service
   

We also provide SBIR Training for companies and to the public.
Partner Organizations: Download a Sample SBIR Training Flyer for an SBIR/STTR training program.
 

SBIR Proposal Review Service | SBIR Coaching Service | Full Proposal Production Service | SBIR Topic Search | SBIR Training | Qualifications

SBIR Proposal Review Service                                                        [Top]

This service is intended for clients who are writing, or who have already written, a draft of their SBIR proposal and want a rapid review and critique. 

Cohen's SBIR Proposal Review Service is usually offered at a set price. This is a great service for entrepreneurs and early stage companies.  It affords you access to a professional consultant at a fee that you can afford.

1) Initial counseling and guidance, helping you to understand how to be responsive to the SBIR solicitation and Topic, and helping you to organize your proposal.

2) While you are writing, we will answer your questions by telephone and email.

3) Cohen will then review your SBIR proposal and other submission documents (for example, budget pages and other forms), and then provide you with the following:

• A written critique of the draft proposal.
  
  
• Does the proposal make sense?
• Are you responsive to the government's Topic?
• Have you adequately addressed the government's concerns?
  
• Does your proposed solution solve the government's problem?
  
• Does the proposal satisfy the requirements of the solicitation?
• Does the work plan/research plan make sense?
• Is the proposed staffing and expertise persuasive?
  
• Does the budget match the work plan?
  
  
• A telephone debriefing.
  
  
• A second review and written critique of your revised proposal draft.

Work may be accomplished on an emergency or short-notice basis, subject to scheduling and availability - but call early.  Time runs short close to deadlines.

Note: The SBIR Proposal Review Service is not intended to be an editing service. Our focus is on content, organization and proposal responsiveness, but not on grammar and spelling. Proper grammar and spelling are important for a successful proposal. Additional editing service, which consumes more time, is also available.

SBIR Coaching Service                                                        [Top]

This service is intended for clients who need assistance with the entire SBIR process. Cohen will visit your office and review with you the SBIR solicitation and related materials. Cohen can provide services ranging from a review of the SBIR program, initial proposal strategizing, reviewing and critiquing your previous proposals, and reviewing and critiquing your draft proposal.

Cohen will answer your questions and review any draft written materials you may have already prepared. If you wish, Cohen can also review your business plan. This service may be provided on a fixed budget basis. This service should generally be utilized before the SBIR Proposal Review Service.

Full Proposal Production Service                                                        [Top]

This service is intended for clients who need substantial assistance with the proposal development process. Cohen is available to prepare, write and produce your entire SBIR proposal or other government contract proposal together with you and your staff. Cohen will need to work closely, and nearly full-time, with your staff. We do not write the proposal without being with you.

This service may take many days, and is dependent upon the ready availability of your staff and information.

Clients often ask: "We have all the boilerplate ready. We don't have time to write the proposal.  All we need is for you to write the proposal."

Cohen responds, respectfully:

• If the proposal is all boilerplate, then it doesn't sound quite innovative -- the "Innovative" component being the "I" in SBIR.
  
• If your proposal is so easy to write, can we really expect the government to be fascinated by your proposed innovation?
  
• If the proposal is so easy that "anyone can write it," are you really proposing something special? 
  
• If your proposal reads as if someone else wrote it, won't the government realize that you are not interested enough to write your own proposal?

SBIR Topic Search and Review                                                        [Top]

This service is intended for clients who want assistance in locating and monitoring SBIR and STTR Topics that may be on-target for your company. We can limit Topic Search and Review to particular agencies, but we suggest that clients broaden their horizons, and look for Topics of interest that may be available in a wide array of the eleven SBIR agencies. You might be surprised what the non-obvious agencies seek.

SBIR Training                                                        [Top]

This service is intended for clients who want to have on-site training regarding any aspect of the SBIR process. A typical training program is shown on the SBIR Training page.

Roger S. Cohen's Qualifications and Experience in SBIR and Government Contracting

Roger S. Cohen has been an independent consultant engaged in business development since 1991. He has been working internationally and domestically, with a strong focus on technological business, for over twenty five years. Cohen has been produced, written, edited and published hundreds of government contract and SBIR proposals.

You already know some of the government contracts on which Cohen has worked: the US paper currency and the US self-sticking postage stamps. (See Bio for more information.)

The SBIR proposal writing and review process has changed substantially in the last few years. Roger not only teaches SBIR writing technicques, but Roger also continues to take formal training on SBIR proposal writing, review and evaluation, to stay on top of trends in the SBIR world. This keeps Cohen's skills fresh and sharp.

All work is done on a confidential basis, and is performed personally by Roger S. Cohen. When the client and Cohen agree to begin work, we draft a plainly-written letter of engagement specifying the scope of work to be accomplished, the fee, confidentiality requirements, and other pertinent issues.