Technology Advancement Program

Technical Plan

Technical Plans should be no longer than 10 pages in length, including exhibits, attachments, and diagrams. Technical Plans are designed to explain the technology and the proposed product and/or service, as well as to illustrate technical uniqueness that can be the basis for competitive differentiation. Technical Plans should cover the following topics:

• Thorough explanation of the underlying technology, including technical principles, theories, and unique attributes.

• Proposed product(s) and/or service(s) resulting (or to result) from the underlying technology; expected competitive differentiation of such products and/or services.

• Synopsis of customer types for the proposed product and/or service; scope and size of proposed market(s).

• Timelines for (1) advancing technology to commercialization stage, with details about steps and milestones to reach such point; and (2) rolling out products and/or services once commercialization is reached.

• Summary of technical milestones reached to date, including descriptions of any tests with potential or actual customers.

• Summary of key technical risks and obstacles that must be overcome; commentary about approaches to address such issues.

• Description of existing intellectual property and potential intellectual property; discussion of IP protection strategy and options.

• Description of external funding needed to reach commercialization and plan(s) for obtaining such funds, including synopses of grant solicitations (pending or planned), funds awarded to date, venture funding sought (or obtained), and potential or existing joint development arrangements with other firms.

• In-depth biographies for the key technical persons in the company; references to relevant publications and other credentials for key technical personnel.

• Description of technical assistance sought from the University of Maryland, including faculty assistance, student labor, and specialized labs/facilities.

After receipt of written Technical Plans, they are distributed to TAP's Technical Review panel.

 

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Download the TAP program sheet in pdf format