AI Prompt Templates for SBIR/STTR Proposal Writing: The Ultimate Guide
If you’re a small business or startup aiming to win SBIR or STTR funding, you know the proposal process can be overwhelming. At Intrepid Gov Proposals, we believe in making government contracting accessible—no gatekeeping, just actionable resources. That’s why we’ve created this comprehensive guide to using AI prompt templates for SBIR/STTR proposal writing.
Whether you’re leveraging ChatGPT, Gemini, or another AI tool, these prompts will help you draft, refine, and optimize every section of your proposal—saving you time and increasing your odds of success.
Before You Start: General Prompts
Prompt:
“Summarize the main objectives and requirements of this solicitation using the uploaded documents.”
Why it works: Focuses the AI on key requirements, ensuring you understand exactly what the agency wants.
How to use: Always upload the full solicitation PDF or relevant sections—never rely on a generic prompt alone.
Prompt:
“Extract key deadlines, eligibility criteria, and evaluation priorities from these solicitation materials.”
Why it works: Helps you avoid missing critical administrative details.
How to use: Upload the RFP/solicitation before you start writing.
Volume 1: Cover Sheet & Abstract
Prompt:
“Using the following technical summary and solicitation topic, draft a compelling, public-facing abstract for this SBIR proposal. Keep it under 3,000 characters and exclude proprietary or personal information.”
Why it works: Ensures clarity, compliance, and reviewer engagement.
How to use: Upload your technical summary and solicitation topic. Edit for tone and specifics.
Prompt:
“Summarize the technical solution in plain language for a non-expert reviewer, highlighting its novelty and relevance to the solicitation.”
Why it works: Makes your abstract accessible and persuasive.
How to use: Provide your technical summary or bullet points. Review for jargon.
Prompt:
“List the benefits to the military customer and potential commercial applications as bullet points, each with a 1–2 sentence description.”
Why it works: Showcases dual-use value, a key reviewer focus.
How to use: Share your technical summary and intended applications.
Volume 2: Technical Summary
Prompt:
“Define the specific technical problem identified in this topic and explain its importance to the Air Force, using the attached solicitation and agency strategy documents. Write in two concise paragraphs.”
Why it works: Grounds your proposal in agency priorities.
How to use: Upload the solicitation and relevant strategy docs.
Prompt:
“Find and quote relevant statements from these agency strategy documents about the significance of the problem.”
Why it works: Adds credibility and mission alignment.
Prompt:
“Summarize the key findings of these research papers in the context of the proposal topic.”
Why it works: Distills complex research into actionable insights.
Prompt:
“Draft the ‘Identification and Significance of the Problem’ section using the uploaded solicitation and supporting documents.”
Volume 2: Work Plan
Prompt:
“Compare these proposed scope of work objectives to the solicitation. Are any agency priorities missing or underemphasized?”
Why it works: Helps you catch gaps that could cost you points.
Prompt:
“Analyze this work plan against the SBIR evaluation criteria. Highlight any gaps or areas needing improvement.”
Prompt:
“Frame these technical objectives and milestones into a clear, reviewer-friendly narrative for the work plan section.”
Volume 2: Commercialization Plan
Prompt:
“Identify and describe potential commercial market opportunities for this technology, referencing the technical summary and solicitation.”
Prompt:
“Find recent, credible market reports or data about [insert market/technology]. Summarize key points and list your sources.”
Prompt:
“List probable customers, major competitors, and key differentiators for this technology in both government and commercial markets. Here are some examples {}”
Prompt:
“Draft a commercialization strategy section that addresses go-to-market approach, customer discovery, and potential revenue streams.”
Volume 2: Key Personnel
Prompt:
“Write a bio for [Name] that emphasizes experience most relevant to this SBIR topic, using the attached resume and background information.”
Prompt:
“Highlight [Name]’s expertise in [technical/business area] and previous successes with similar projects.”
Prompt:
“Draft a short, reviewer-friendly biography for [Name], focusing on skills and achievements that support the proposal’s objectives.”
Volume 2: Related Work
Prompt:
“Write a related work section referencing the attached company documents and current solicitation topic. Emphasize relevance to the proposed solution.”
Prompt:
“Summarize past projects or case studies that demonstrate our capability to deliver on this proposal.”
Prompt:
“Organize the related work section for clarity, grouping projects by technical area or application.”
Volume 5: Attachments & Feasibility Studies
Prompt:
“Draft a feasibility study using the attached documents and following the BAA instructions. Include project description, period of performance, and government contacts as required.”
Prompt:
“Organize supporting materials and attachments to align with the solicitation checklist.”
Bonus: Feedback & Iteration
Prompt:
“Summarize reviewer feedback from previous proposals and suggest specific improvements for this draft.”
Prompt:
“List actionable steps to address weaknesses identified in past proposal feedback letters.”
Why Use AI for SBIR/STTR Proposals?
AI tools can save you hours on proposal writing, help you avoid common mistakes, and ensure your submission is clear, compliant, and competitive. By using targeted prompts, you can direct the AI to focus on what matters most—boosting your chances of winning non-dilutive government funding.
Ready to streamline your SBIR/STTR proposal process?
Explore our SBIR/STTR winning templates and free resources to get started.
Final Tips for Success
Always review and edit AI-generated content for accuracy and tone.
Upload the most relevant, up-to-date documents for best results.
Use these prompts as a starting point, but customize for your specific technology and agency needs.
Need help with your next proposal?
Check out our winning templates, strategy guides, and free resources below.
FAQ
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An AI prompt template is a pre-written instruction you give to AI tools like NotebookLM to help draft or review sections of your SBIR or STTR proposal. These templates guide the AI to focus on the most important requirements, structure your content, and save you time during proposal preparation.
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AI can streamline your proposal writing process, help you avoid common mistakes, and ensure your submission is clear and compliant. While AI can’t guarantee a win, it can make your proposal more competitive by acting as a research assistant and evaluator.
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Use closed systems that do not train off of your data, or remove proprietary, classified, or personal information. Use AI for drafting and structuring, but review and edit the final content to ensure accuracy and compliance with agency guidelines.
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Key sections include the abstract, technical summary, work plan, commercialization plan, and key personnel bios. Using targeted prompts for each section can help you address agency priorities and evaluation criteria.
