DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO FUND $500 MILLION IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AT SMALL COMPANIES

The Department of Defense today announced that the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is offering $500 million in contract funds to small technology companies to conduct R&D projects that serve a DoD need and have the potential for commercialization in private sector and/or military markets. This week, DoD publicly released the first SBIR solicitation (98.1) of fiscal year 1998 on the DoD SBIR Home Page (http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir). The solicitation opens to proposals on October 1, 1997 and closes on January 14, 1998. Proposal evaluation processes have been streamlined, and awards are expected to be announced around May 1, 1998.

Small companies are invited to apply for a six month phase I award of $60,000 to $100,000 to test the scientific, technical, and commercial merit and feasibility of a particular concept. If phase I is successful, the company may apply for a two-year phase II award of $500,000 to $750,000 to further develop the concept, usually to the prototype stage. Details of the DoD SBIR program, including eligibility requirements, proposal preparation instructions, and sample proposals, are provided on the SBIR Home Page (http://www.acq.osd.mil/sadbu/sbir).

Recently, DoD has significantly improved access to SBIR program information and assistance. In addition to the SBIR Home Page, the SBIR Help Desk (telephone: 1-800-382-4634 or Email: SBIRHELP@us.teltech.com) now offers expanded information and services. Hard copies of the 98.1 solicitation are available from the Help Desk upon request.

To help small companies develop proposals responsive to the solicitation topics, topic authors are available to answer technical questions. Questions may be asked by telephone until October 1. Written questions may also be submitted anonymously on the SBIR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS) up to 30 days before the solicitation closes. Procedures for submitting questions are discussed on the DoD SBIR Home Page.