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Learning Center
Free public guides for forming a company, SAM.gov, Defense SBIR/STTR, export control, teaming and NDAs, and more. No login required. Search anything — there is no required order beyond a few pinned starters.
Pinned starters
Suggested starting points if you are new — open any guide in any order.
Form your business entity — LLC, corp, or other (any state)
Turn a scratch idea into a real company the federal government can pay: choose a structure, file with your state, get a free EIN, and open a business bank account — before SAM.gov.
Skip if: You already have formation docs, an EIN, and a business bank account in the legal name.
Register on SAM.gov — get your UEI and CAGE code
Create a free SAM.gov registration so you receive a Unique Entity ID (UEI) and a CAGE code — the federal passport for bidding and getting paid as a prime.
Skip if: SAM status is already Active with a UEI (and CAGE for U.S. entities).
Small Business Start Point — SBA, SBIR/STTR, DSIP & Army xTech
Turn an active SAM.gov registration, UEI, and CAGE code into a proposal-ready small business for federal set-asides and Defense SBIR/STTR opportunities.
Skip if: You only needed SAM for now — come back before your first Defense SBIR/STTR.
All guides
Browse or search — SBIR/STTR, DSIP, export control, and more. No required sequence.
Army xTech
Valid Eval white papers, competition phases, and the gated DSIP follow-on for selected firms.
B2B Teaming Agreements, NDAs & SBIR Letters of Commitment
What NDAs, teaming agreements, Exhibit A, and letters of commitment are; the paper teams normally use; why the documents look the way they do; how large-company proposal shops work (and where the PropShop name comes from); and how SBIR letters of commitment fit the picture.
Build a DSIP Proposal
The seven volumes, CCR vs commercialization strategy, certification, and true Submitted status.
DSIP Setup
Login.gov, firm record, Firm Admin, Firm PIN, user roles, and firm-level forms before proposal day.
ITAR, EAR & Export Control for Defense Work
From an Active SAM.gov registration to a truthful JCP / DD Form 2345 application and DSIP Volume V upload — including NIST SP 800-171 in SPRS, Proper Handling training, Data Custodian rules, and what JCP does not replace.
Preaward Readiness
Accounting and SF 1408 prep, Foreign Risk Evaluation, cyber, export, IP, and negotiation.
Read a Defense Topic
BAA/CSO hierarchy, component instructions, amendments, Topic Q&A, and the prerelease TPOC rule.
SBIR vs STTR
Eligibility, principal investigator rules, workshare, research partners, and when each program fits.
SBIR.gov Company Registry
Obtain your SBC Control ID, download proof of registration, and keep the Company Commercialization Report current.
Small Business Status & SBA Certifications
Size standards, affiliation, MySBA certifications, and Small Business Search — without confusing them with SBIR eligibility.
Award Negotiation & Kickoff
Cost questions, statement of work alignment, kickoff readiness, and first invoicing controls after the award lands.
Capture & Pipeline Basics
Topic scouting cadence, go/no-go criteria, prerelease calendars, and keeping a reusable pursuit library inside PSAI.
Cost Volume & Indirect Rates
Labor categories, fringe / overhead / G&A, fee, TABA, and making Volume 3 tell the same story as your technical plan.
Cyber & CUI Basics for SBIR
When FCI/CUI, NIST SP 800-171, SPRS, and CMMC actually apply — and how to avoid claiming a level you cannot support.
IP & Data Rights
Background IP, developed technology, assertions, and STTR allocation agreements — without over-claiming rights you do not control.
Phase III & Transition
Non-SBIR funding, sole-source Phase III pathways, transition partners, and how to talk about Phase III without inventing a third competitive SBIR round.
Proposal Writing Craft
Evaluation-factor mapping, risk writing, transition language, and page-limit discipline for Volume 2.