Serving the SBIR Community since 1993



What's Being Said About The
How To Win SBIR AwardsSM
Workshop
(formerly the SBIR Bidder's Course and WorkshopSM
-- the event where your satisfaction is guaranteed.)

(presented to appreciateive audiences more than 120 times in 27 states & US territories)

The SBIR Resource Center(R) has presented this course approximately ten (10) times a year since 1997 under universtiy, professional/industry association and small business outreach oganization sponsorship in states all across the country. The comments below are mostly from persons who attended to learn SBIR/STTR "business development, but a few are from our sponsors in reference to their perceived success/value of these events. Where names are provided, the quotes are generally from additional communications offered voluntarily beyond the anonymous course evaluation forms. Since 1998 these anonymous evaluation forms have averaged a satisfaction score of 4.8 out of a possible 5.0 (SCORING: 0 = waste of time, 1 = poor, 2 = fair, 3 = good, 4 = very good and 5 = excellent).

Included on these evaluation forms is the item "This event was a GOOD___ FAIR___ POOR___ use of my time and resources." The reply received on this item has always been "GOOD" (100% of the time -- everyone who attends is satisfied -- guaranteed).

NOTE: Two universities have evaluated and estimated the value of this workshop to be more than $500.

Past Participants and Event Sponsors Said:

"I never thought it [the workshop] could be this valuable; nothing compares at this time and I have been to two other SBIR training programs . . . I wish I had known about this [workshop] earlier."
                                                      -- Suzanne Sincavage, Ph.D. Pacific Intelligence Intl., Inc.


" Outstanding . . . I spent 3 days at a National Conference, but I felt I received more information in your one day seminar.” I was concerned that it would be the same things that I had heard at many seminars I had attended over the last several years. SURPRISE!! The information I received took me to a level not spoken at any previous seminar. It gave me tools not attained at any other seminar. It gave me an edge not attained at any other seminar and it came in your one day workshop."
                                                      -- Jacqueline Bjerke,|Bjerke, LLC


"Thank you for the awsome workshop last week. I have rave reviews documented in the evaluation forms."
                                                      -- Robert Jaffe, Innovation Philadelphia (workshop sponsor)


"BEST information presentation in my three years attending SBIR programs and meetings."
                                                    -- Margaret E. Molloy, Vista Partners, LLC

"This was wonderful! There is no way I could pursue a grant without knowing what was presented. And, trying to understand this absent a structured program is foolish. . . . amazingly comprehensive . . . would recommend to anyone considering an SBIR/STTR and I would tell them to not start down that path before taking this course!!"
                                                      -- Dr. Phyllis Thompson, Somatic Digital, Inc.


"Despite an abundance of SBIR web-based information and conferences, there is very little focused on How to Win these contracts and grants. What distinguishes the winners from the losers? Some say that winning requires preparation of a superior proposal, but what does that mean and how do you go about doing it? Sponsoring organization member surveys have confirmed that these are the key questions confronting potential SBIR participants (and former losers). Accordingly, we have selected the best professional SBIR Business Development Instructor that we could find in the United States and are bringing his Workshop to Orange County. The Workshop provides solid business rationale for bidding on specific SBIR offerings, both pros and cons."
                                                      -- IEEE sponsor's announcement for 11/18/06 workshop at UC Irvine.


" In one day with you, I learned more about sales and marketing than I did in a semester at Harvard Business School. I will be delighted to write a check to you for your additional support "
                                                      -- George Devaux, Blue Shift, LLC


"After taking your May 18 How To Win SBIR Awards Workshop in Annapolis, I also decided to attended the July 15th SBIR Competitive Checklist Workshop. I just wanted to tell you that the Competitive Checklist Workshop was excellent and right on target. I used to be a teacher, and I know a good presentation (and presenter!) when I see one. Since the May 18th workshop, I had already written two SBIR proposals, but the July 15th one really illustrated to me exact sections that I need to improve. I believe that attending your classes is helping me to make my proposals more competitive. It really IS in the details. Looking forward to more classes."
                                                      -- Karen Panker, Integrated Support Associates, Inc.


"Best Conference I've attended. Good speaker, intelligent, engaging and enjoyable. I couldn't imagine gaining this much knowledge on my own in a piecemeal fashion. Very useful and I'm actually looking forward to applying what I've learned. Thanks!!! Money well spent! "
                                                      -- Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)


"Having won several SBIR awards in the past, I was amazed at how much I learned. This course was, in a word, EXCELLENT!"
                                                      -- Dr. Jeffery B. Mechem, Polymer Solutions Incorporated


"Very good techniques and materials. I will be using some of these techniques in our next submission. Instructor shows he cares about me winning SBIRs. This material was excellent"
                                                      -- Nancy Lilly, CEO, JEM Engineering, LLC


"Excellent materials -- very useful, well organized and of high value. Obvious that Mr, Davis is extremely knowledgeable in the subject matter ... very good instructor. Every bit worth the time, effort and expense of being here. Did not want to miss a single minute of the presentation."
                                                      -- SBDC Director who traveled across several states to be in class.

"I expected to have a productive day yesterday, but never really thought I'd get as much out of it (How To Win SBIR AwardsSM Workshop) as I did. You do a fine job of presenting, and the material is well thought out and beautifully organized. I would recommend the course without reservation to anyone interested in SBIR."
                                                       -- Fred Lehrer, JANUS Associates

"Would recommend to anyone serious about SBIR Program . . . Having had 5 of 5 bids accepted, I still found the course extremely helpful and informative."
                                                        -- Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"I have been interested in responding to SBIR solicitations for the last six years. I have attended national conferences and reviewed prospective agencies and their Websites in detail. I learned more about the program today than in the last 6 years combined.”
                                                        -- James DeBardelaben, Ivysys Technologies, LLC

“I gained a new and different perspective on SBIR . . . will be sending our staff to future workshops”
                                                        -- Elaine Steele, The Grant People (a grant writing consultants firm)

"Thanks again for your efforts on this [workshop] event -- it was a huge success, and I hope to have another Checklist Workshop and a How To Win Workshop again before June".
                                                       -- Robert Brooke, Virginia Center for Innovative Technologies (CIT)

"A newcomer to SBIR would be reckless if he avoided this session."
                                                       -- Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"Excellent course. I was particularly glad it was condensed into one day instead of two. While I could spare a long day, I could not have spared two shorter days and would not have attended. I am glad you chose to deliver it as such and would heartily recommend it to anyone interested in learning about the SBIR program from the standpoint of making a decision on where it can fit strategically within one's business plan and goals."
                                                       -- Jim Bersani, Synergent Technologies, Inc.

"GREAT Material -- Really kicks NIH workshop's butt."
                                                       -- Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"I really got a lot out of your SBIR/STTR conference in Oak Ridge this past Friday . . . it covers a lot of material that other conferences don't cover. I am very glad I went and believe I am in a much better position to write strong proposals as a result of what I learned."
                                                       -- Andrew Stephan, Material Innovations

"My already written proposal now requires significant change . . . had already decided to submit proposal, but relied on published guidance; this workshop gave the information I needed. Superb Job! You get the Malcom Baldridge Award for SBIR excellence."
                                                    -- Bruce Coletti, SeiCorp, Inc.

"Very good workshop. It was not a rehash of material already provided [in other SBIR events], but consisted of new strategies and insights about how to obtain SBIR money."
                                                    -- Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"Gave me a far more complete picture of SBIR than I have seen anywhere else. Instructor was clear, powerful and informative. I am SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER PREPARED to work on SBIR proposals and projects than before I walked into the class."
                                                    -- Jim Weingart, Avineon, Inc. (from workshop evaluation sheet)

" ... I was a government evaluator of SBIR proposals for 5 years and I still found your course to be most worthwhile ... submitted 2 proposals and they looked pretty good ... your software (SBIR-ToolKit(R)) was lots of help - I looked at it many times in the last hours. "
                                                    --Richard J. Feldmann, Genome Dynamics, Inc.

"As a prior winner of several SBIRs, I almost did not attend (the SBIR workshop) today. That would have been a mistake, a VERY BIG MISTAKE!"
                                                    -- Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"There were many hints and facts which are not readily apparent from direct SBIR literature . . ."
                                                    -- Nicolas Bloom, Frontier Geosciences, Inc.

"In summarizing attendee evaluations of our SBIR course: They were overwhelmingly pleased with the course."
                                                    -- Margret R. Ridgell, Economic & Community Development Institute
                                                         (the workshop sponsor)

"The seminar provided many good tips and insights. . . . With this information, I feel I could present an above average package. . . . instructor covered a large quantity of information in just a few hours . . . workbook was loaded with facts . . ."
                                                    -- Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"The instructor's deep insight on the subject matter has given me a different perspective on how to approach SBIR and STTR. Hopefully, this would help me to prevail and be successful . . . this will profoundly help us to package and differentiate our proposal and skew the evaluator's decision towards us, in a highly competitive procurement like the SBIR and STTR."
                                                    -- Dr. ThomasVarghese, Cybioms Corporation

"I want to say how much I enjoyed your recent workshop in SBIR know-how. It was right on. We want to co-sponsor a workshop here on campus . . . for our own incubator companies and selected members from our campus to attend. . ."
                                                    -- Dr. James Key, Director, Technology Initiatives Program, Univ. of MD

"I would like to inform you that our first SBIR proposal was a winner! Many thanks for the tips and software you gave us. We were told by the US Air Force that 15 proposals were submitted to them for this topic and we were the winners. Roger H..., who attended your course with me, sends his best as well. Thanks for your help."
                                                    -- David Tyler, TYX Corporation

". . . a well paced, logically structured, information-intensive presentation"
                                                    -- Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"First, let me thank you for an excellent seminar. I know we all came away very "pumped" and "ready to rock." I was involved in a previous successful SBIR, so I feel I have some experience, but [based on new course info] am treating this as a new day and a new approach."
                                                    -- Alfred Rordame, Frontier Geosciences, Inc.

"Excellent, covered an impressibve amount of info . . . was able to respond to all questions . . . can't think of a weakness"                                    -- Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"I know I can speak for xxxxxx in thanking you for allowing us to attend your class. You perform a valuable service and do a fine job."
                                                    -- Sonny Kreitman, NIH SBIR Coordinator (Ret.)

"Well organized - lots of good content . . . worth the $325.  Good Job!!"
                                                    -- Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"Thanks for all the help (Workshop, ToolKit, BidData & Review). The search and info provided helped tremendously. For August my hope is to develop 2 more quality proposals. I will call you before the end of the month so we can do [it] again."
                                                    -- Dr. Jeffery Jensen, MedEfficiency, Inc.

"Good illustrations and great special tips that aren't imparted in other printed materials. Especially liked the being taught how to "evoke desired responses" (in reviewers). Workbook with all slides was an excellent resource . . . presenter's knowledge base was helpful . . . great DETAILED information.
                                                   -- Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"Thank you for coming to Madison and sharing your expertise in SBIR with our Wisconsin businesses. The event was a huge success!"                -- Beth Eggemeier, Business Procurement Assistance Center (workshop sponsor)

"I truly enjoyed the show . . . It was very helpful to see and hear this material presented in a different manner, and I'm sure that the class attendees were happy with the content of the training material."
                                                    -- a promanent Government SBIR official

"1) Thoroughly enjoyed the class; 2) Very informative; 3) Excellent! Enjoyed it!; 4) Material made a lot of sense and should be very useful to us in bidding SBIRs . . . Instructor seemed very competent and very good at presenting the information, especially stressing the important parts; 5) Well organized and to the point; 6) The value/usefulness of the material presented was excellent."
                                                    -- Anonymous (from an attachment to workshop evaluation sheet)

"This seminar will JUMP START my personal efforts to become involved in SBIR.. Instructor’s knowledge was extensive and current. was enthusiastic - not judgmental; built confidence of attendees."
                                                    -- Le Sun, ANG Pharmaceutical, Inc.

"Very useful and essential to our gaining an award . . . instructor demonstrated much expertise in the subject matter. . . was good speaker, delivers well. . . kept our attention thru and thru ; no dull moments, very professional. OVERALL: Well pleased, good investment of my time and company’s money to fly me in."
                                                    -- Randy Hoover, Texican Turbines, Inc."

"Excellent! Will definitely save me time and $$$ . . . more than worthwhile, will recommend highly."
                                                    -- Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"Feedback from the SBIR Workshop participants was very positive and they found all knowledge received to be very useful for them."
                                                    -- Nora Campos, University of Puerto Rico (workshop sponsor) 

"We submitted an SBIR proposal and were turned down -- this information has been rather enlightening. Very excited to try again and 'write for the reviewer' with this info."
                                                    -- Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"This is a great starting point . . . instructors knowledge was impressive; the presentation held my attention all day."
                                                    -- Max Maddox, CSN, Inc.

"GREAT! I had a handle on the tech stuff, but I didn't know what I didn't know about the other stuff the reviewers are looking for . . . obviously an expert at SBIR proposals . . . was a dynamic speaker and instructor . . . This was very helpful to me and should be to anyone with an interest in SBIR proposals.
                                                    --Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"Thank you for a great presentation. The evaluations speak for themselves. They were all very positive."
                                                    -- Lisa Carter, Long Island Forum for Technology (the workshop sponsor)

"This course was very beneficial for me and will really help me with the process. . . . I really understand the entire process now. . . The slides were easy to read and it was very helpful to have the workbook to take notes in."
                                                    -- Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"Very valuable stuff!  Very well done and very engaging.  Excellent materials covering significant topics.  Great Course -- essential for those submitting SBIR proposals."
                                                    -- Guy Billips

"What I really appreciate about his workshops are that they help break the process down into parts, explain how the parts fit together and what type of strategies a writer needs to consider before writing. I’ve gone to other SBIR proposal writing workshops and have come away knowing that John’s gives the most practical information."
                                                   -- Morgan Allyn, Director Maryland FAST & Minority SBIR Initiative                                                        (sponsor of many workshops)

"Material was right on target . . . obvious that instructor understood world of proposals and offers unique expertise in SBIR/STTR process . . . very good presenter, did a great job of teaching and avoided selling his company’s products/services."
                                                    -- Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"It was an absolute pleasure to participate in a seminar presented by a master of his subject matter. John Davis was interesting, informative and insightful - an SBIR expert possessing the rare combination of practical experience and a flair for effective delivery. Thank you for a day well spent."
                                                    -- Lorraine Broache, SoNoted Technology Consultants

"The perceived value/usefulness of the material presented was excellent."
                                                    -- Andre Gudger, Solvern Corporation (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"Great value . . . excellent knowledge of subject; obviously experienced . . . Great seminar! Thanks."
                                                    -- Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"The workshop was terrific. I'm still absorbing the information and transcribing the multitude of notes I took."
                                                    -- Murem Sharpe, RapidPulse, Inc.

"Clearly had very specific, up to date info -- when he didn't , he said so . . . (instructor's ability) a brutally long workshop but I never even started to fall asleep . . . (media and workbooks) were detailed – made taking notes easy . . . really got me excited and motivated about SBIR as a viable business strategy."
                                                    --Wendy Bauers Northrup

" Very useful for my proposal preparation. . .instructor was well prepared, gave good advice and good concrete examples ... overall an excellent value."
                                                    -- Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"I found the seminar to be extremely useful in helping me to understand SBIR funding . . . instructor obviously prepared and knew the subject matter 'inside out' . . . I had no trouble following and understanding the info . . . Great Course! It would have been OK with me if your software had been discussed in the body of the course (instead of waiting ‘til the workshop was over)."
                                                    -- Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"Thanks for an excellent job presenting the SBIR overview during the February briefings and for the wonderful full day SBIR workshops you conducted for us in March. Additionally, your flexibility and cooperation make working with you always a pleasure."
                                                    -- Linda Herring, Program Manager, Mountain Maryland SBIR Initiative.

#1: "Thanks so much for your help! The information is of great value to me as I am now starting to write the body of the proposal. . . Thanks for your quick response!"
                                                   
then, from a follow up e-mail 7 months later:         

#2: "I'm amazed that we won our first one; we could not have done it without your tools and support . . ."
                                                    -- Bill Golladay, Yaros Communications

"Excellent . . . although was familiar with most of the material, still many helpful hints. Extensive first hand experience with subject matter was obvious. Material was thorough and well ordered."
                                                    -- from a local SBIR proposal consultant.

"I got more out of the course than I expected and exactly what I needed. I (now) have the information to go out and advise my clients."
                                                    -- A. D'Ambrosia, Marketing Consultant  

"Thank you for the SBIR Workshop . . . this was probably the first time I've ever learned something worthwhile from any seminar that I have ever attended. The materials were well constructed. Your response to the questions were very direct and concise. In addition, you volunteered helpful information to add to your points."
                                                    -- Kyle Boone, Marlo Industries, Inc.

From attendee at a National SBIR conference held a few days earlier: "Excellent. Cleared up a lot of confusion."
                                                    -- Anonymous (from workshop evaluation sheet)

"I highly recommend this seminar, especially if you want to use the limited funds you have in the most effective way to pursue a grant. Do yourself a favor – save time, money and energy – attend this seminar first! I can promise you from my own first hand experience, you will be miles ahead of the rest of the grant seeking pack! "
                                                    -- Jacqueline Bjerke,|Bjerke, LLC



And, as if we needed any more, others have said:

-- An independant, professional, third-party analysis said:

"During June 2002, Battelle conducted interviews with 11 small business in Maryland who attended a Minority SBIR Initiative sponsored workshop (How To Win SBIR AwardsSM) or who had received counseling by the Minority SBIR Initiative Program Manager. Nine of the companies had attended a full day workshop and unanimously reported that the workshop had been very helpful. Participants reported that the workshops helped them understand what is needed to compete in the SBIR/STTR program successfully."
                                                    -- Exerpted from a Battelle Memorial Research Institute document reporting the
                                                        results of a state-commissioned study to evaluate local SBIR outreach efforts.


-- After doing much due dilligence, our sponsor's promotion announcement for the workshop said:

"What distinguishes the winners from the losers? The experts all say that winning requires that you prepare a superior proposal, but what does that mean, and, how do you go about doing this? A survey of members from our sponsoring organizations has substantiated that these are the key questions confronting potential participants (and former losers). Accordingly, we have selected the best professional SBIR Business Development Instructor that we could find in the United States . . . "
                                                    -- IEEE announcement to Region 6 members for 3 June 2006 event

-- and the cover e-mail for that public announcement said:

"Its the best SBIR presentation we could find (we looked)."
                                                    -- Don Black, Orange County IEEE Consultants Network

Then, when asked after the event if the above expectations were met, the response was

"Oh yes, it more than met our expectations; in fact, so much so that we would like to sponsor a series of them over the next year."             -- Ron Ogelvie, Orange County IEEE Consultants Network


“We have been applying for SBIR grants for several years (funded only once) . . . workshop opened my eyes to what the reviewers really look for in the proposal. True, the SBIR application instruction outlines items to include in the proposal, but there is much that is left unsaid concerning both emphasis and perspective. This workshop opened a window into the entire process that allowed me to write the application with confidence . . . Its value is unbeatable.”                                 -- Devon McIntosh, Sonsight Inc.

There are hundreds more, but we think you can get the idea from this limited set.

And, if you don't agree with these fine folks, then your satisfaction with this event is money-back guaranteed.

(NOTE: where used, the font emphasis was applied by the SBIR Center)

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