The USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) has opened it's FY-2010 SBIR solicitation (funding No. USDA-CSREES-SBIR-002363), that opened on June 10, 2009 and closes on September 3, 2009. The USDA SBIR program is grants based and utilizes grants.gov for the submission process. Grants.gov is still a complex process and takes time to get registered, so it is advisable to start the registration process early.

Depending upon the availability of funds, USDA expects to make approximately 85 Phase I awards not to exceed $90,000 each to small businesses in FY 2010. Awards are anticipated to be made on or after May 1, 2010. USDA will announce the names of those concerns receiving awards and successful applicants will then typically have eight months after awards are made to carry out their proposed Phase I effort.  Special consideration will be given to applications that address Agriculturally-related Manufacturing Technology and Energy Efficiency and Alternative and Renewable Energy as two cross-cutting priorities with relevance to all topic areas.

USDA Topics Areas Are:
8.1 Forests and Related Resources
8.2 Plant Production and Protection - Biology
8.3 Animal Production and Protection
8.4 Air, Water and Soils
8.5 Food Science and Nutrition
8.6 Rural Development
8.7 Aquaculture
8.8 Biofuels and Biobased Products
8.9 Marketing and Trade
8.11 Animal Manure Management
8.12 Small and Mid-Size Farms
8.13 Plant Production and Protection - Engineering

The solicitation is available from the USDA SBIR web site at www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/sbir.cfm