Key lessons learned from proposals that didn't get funded

 

 

Cultivating government support takes time.  It’s rare to win an award on your first try, but the impression your first proposal makes is important!  By submitting a solid proposal, you will raise awareness of your technology and build credibility with funders, which are important first steps in the process. 

 

Set realistic technical objectives.  If reviewers think it’s impossible to achieve the efficiency, energy density, etc. that you propose, they will refuse to fund it. Likewise, continued funding of multi-year awards depends on meeting interim technical milestones, so it's important to be ambitious but realistic in setting them.

 

Always ask for a debrief.  On request, you can receive copies of the peer reviewers’ comments and better understand the weaknesses of your proposal. This is critical to improving your odds of success next time around. If your market plan is weak, invest some time in fleshing it out before the next round. If your technical team is weak, consider hiring or partnering next time.

 

It’s not over till it’s over. One of our clients noticed that the peer reviewers’ comments on a Phase II proposal demonstrated a lack of technical understanding, and submitted detailed responses to each point. This effort and initiative resulted in a $500,000 award.