Understand your funding
Find out whether your award includes Technical and Business Assistance (TABA), what your agency allows, and which provider options apply.
See funding optionsFOR SBIR & STTR AWARDEES
You earned the award.
Now protect
the breakthrough.
Patent strategy and application support for companies turning federally funded research into real-world opportunity.
We help you understand your options—and walk you through the process.
FROM RESEARCH TO PROTECTIONA clearer path
Protect what makes your work valuable.
A patent plan built around your business.
INVENTOR ASSISTANCE FOUNDATIONBusiness-led patent strategyClear scope. Practical guidance.
A GOOD PLACE TO START
An award opens doors.
A patent plan helps you move forward.
You don’t need to figure out assistance programs, patent priorities, and next steps on your own. We start with your award and your invention, then help you build a practical plan.
How we guide you →Choose the right patent work
Connect your technical advantage to a focused strategy: what to protect, what to investigate, and what to prepare for filing.
Explore our servicesMove ahead with guidance
We help define the scope, prepare the supporting information, and coordinate the next steps with you.
See the processFUNDING & YOUR AWARD
There may be support
for the work ahead.
TABA can support intellectual property protection and commercialization activities. Your agency and award terms determine what is available to you.
Already received your award?
Start by checking what was approved. A company-selected provider may have needed to be named in your original proposal. Other assistance routes may still be available.
Understand the routes →THE IAF APPROACH
Patent protection with
a business purpose.
Your patent strategy should reflect the product you’re building, the market you’re entering, and the relationships you want to create.
IAF connects patent preparation with commercial priorities. We help you ask the right questions before investing in a filing—and keep those priorities in view as the work develops.
Meet IAF →YOUR NEXT STEP
Let’s make your
options clear.
Bring your award details. We’ll walk you through the funding questions and the patent work ahead.