MISSION
The Army SBIR program is designed to provide small, high-tech
businesses the opportunity to propose innovative research and
development solutions in response to critical Army needs.
VISION
To be the Army’s premier source of innovative technology
solutions, providing direct access to America’s high-tech small
business research and development community, enabling our
Soldiers deployed around the world.
Army SBIR Overview
12 Jun 2013
Dawn Gratz, SBIR/STTR Prog Coord
dawn.m.gratz.civ@mail.mil
Chris Willison, Tech Asst Advocate
christopher.t.willisson.ctr@mail.mil
What is SBIR?
A congressionally mandated program…
• Across Federal Government (DoD, DoE, DHS,
•
•
•
DoT, etc…) Title 15 USC, Sec 638
2.6% of Army’s FY12 RDT&E budget ($182M)
Increase small business participation in federally
funded R&D
Transition Federal R&D into:
– Government Programs
– Industry Initiatives
Army wide:
AMC, Research Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM)
Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC)
CoE, Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)
MEDCOM, Medical Research and Materiel Command (MRMC)
Space & Missile Defense Command (SMDC)
DA G1, Army Research Institute (ARI)
Army Program Executive Offices (PEOs)
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DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
2
SBIR Program Requirements
for Participating Small Businesses
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Business Size
Partnering
Budget
Must be a U.S. for-profit small business of 500 or
fewer employees
Not required, but all work must be performed in
the United States; including subcontractors
~$180M
Work Effort
In Phase I, a minimum of 2/3 of the effort must be
performed by the proposing small business; a
minimum of ½ of the effort in Phase II
Principal
Investigator
The Principal Investigator must spend more than ½
of the time employed by the proposing small
business
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ARMY SBIR Life Cycle
• Transition is program maturation from SBIR investment to Non-SBIR
government and/or commercial investment
Phase II
Phase I
Topics
A Technology
Requirement
Written by Army
Scientists across the
Labs, Centers and PEOs
in response to Soldier’s
Needs
Feasibility Study
A short term effort to
determine viability of a
topic solution
(6 months, $100K)
3000 proposals, 400 PhI
awards (13%)
Phase I Option
$50K when
selected for
PhII
Prototype Development
Creation of a prototype
to validate & mature the
topic solution
(2 years, $1.0M)
200 PhIs Awarded
Contracts (6%)
Army SBIR
Small Business Innovation Research
Soldier Needs
R&D / Innovation / New Capability
SID-TFT Capability Gaps
PEO Roadmaps/T2 Initiatives
DoD Cross-Pollination Opportunities
~3000 Proposals per FY
~630 Awards per FY
3 DoD Topic Solicitations
Soldier Solutions
Increased
Operational Capabilities
Output to Field
Input from Field
Commercialization Readiness
Program (CRP, $500K)
Phase II Enhancements
(PhII-E, $500K)
Phase III
Transition
Non-SBIR Funds
• Government
• Industry
Recent History
2005
2006
2007 2008
2009
2010
2011
2012*
Budget ($M)
$233
$243
$243 $270
$265
$244
$207
$182
# Topics
246
238
216
204
176
138
119
# Phase I Proposals
Received
4,503
3,794
# Phase I Contracts
371
321
361
409
427
336
363
132
# Phase II Contracts
259
218
185
255
204
177
200
41
10
$5
32
$19
34
$16
52
$33
33
$21
25
$15
25
$15
25
$15
9
$8
3,142 3,110 3,449 3,241 2,853
# Phase II
Enhancements
Funds Invested ($M)
# CRP Projects
Funds Invested ($M)
213
25
$15
2,140
* In Progress
Topic Author Organizations
Organization
2011 Topics
ARI
ARL
AMRDEC (A)
AMRDEC (M)
ARDEC
ATEC
CERDEC
ECBC
ERDC
MRMC
NSRDEC
SMDC
STTC
TARDEC
PEO AMMO
PEO AVIATION
PEO C3T
JPEO-CBD
PEO CS&CSS
PEO EIS
PEO GCS
PEO IEW&S
PEO M&S
PEO SOLDIER
PEO STRI
PEO Integration
Total
N/A
16
8
9
14
3
25
2
3
13
8
8
1
12
1
2
1
2
2
N/A
2
1
3
2
1
N/A
139
TARDEC, PEOCS&CSS, PEO-GCS
Warren, MI
NSRDEC
Natick, MA
ARDEC. PEO-Ammo
Picatinny, NJ
CERDEC, PEO-C3T, PEO-EIS,
PEO-IEW&S APG, MD
ATEC, AMSAA
APG, MD
ARO (ARL)
Raleigh, NC
ERDC
Vicksburg, MS
AMRDEC - Missiles,
SMDC,PEO-Aviation,
PEO-Missiles&Space
Huntsville, AL
STTC (ARL), PEO-STRI
Orlando, FL
Headquarters RDECOM – Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD
AMRDEC – Aviation & Missile Research, Development & Engineering Center
ARDEC – Armaments Research, Development & Engineering Center
ARL – Army Research Lab
ARO – Army Research Office
CERDEC – Communication-Electronics Research, Development & Engineering Center
ECBC – Edgewood Chemical Biological Center
NSRDEC – Natick Soldier Research, Development & Engineering Center
STTC – Simulation and Training Technology Center
TARDEC – Tank Automotive Research, Development & Engineering Center
HQ RDECOM
(APG, MD)
ECBC
APG, MD
ARL Adelphi , MD
MRMC
Ft Detrick,
MD
AMRDEC - Aviation
Fort Eustis, VA
ARI Arlington, VA
PEO-Soldier, Fort Belvoir, VA
SBIR Program Coordinators
SBIR Program Office
RDECOM
AMRDEC
Dawn Gratz - Lead
Linda Taylor - Aviation
Buddy Thomas - Missile
ARDEC
Carol L’ Hommedieu- Lead
Ben Call
ARL
Christopher Little
CERDEC
Pat Thomas- Lead
ECBC
Dhirajlal Parekh- Lead
Martha Weeks
NSRDEC-Natick
Cathy Polito-Lead
TARDEC
Martin Novak- Lead
Headquarters RDECOM
John Smith – Program Manager
John Pucci – Operations Manager
Wanda Deans – Business Manager
PEOs
PEOs
PEO Ammunition
Vince Matrisciano
PEO CS &CSS
Matt Raubinger
PEO Aviation
Dave Weller
PEO EIS
Michael Muller
Dirk Robinson
PEO C3T
Thomas Brutosfsky
Richard Lo
PEO IEW&S
Todd Simkins
PEO GCS
Michelle Link
PEO Soldier
Kristen McKenna
PEO Missiles & Space
Myron Chenault
George Burruss
PEO STRI
Robert Forbis
TRADOC*
Albert Crane
ATEC
Nancy WeinbrennerSavage
SMDC
Gary Mayes
LIA*
Dale Houck
ERDC
Theresa Salls
* LIA and TRADOC
are Stakeholders but do
not award any SBIR
contracts
MRMC
JR Myers
Army SBIR Source
Selection Process
• The Army conducts a two-tier evaluation of proposals.
• Tier 1 consists of the Technical Evaluation Teams (TET) comprised of
multiple Technical Evaluators and a Team Chief for each SBIR topic.
Included is the review and endorsement of proposals by various Army
stakeholders. The TET forwards the best proposals to the second review tier.
• Tier 2 consists of the Technology Area Chiefs who review the forwarded
proposals from an Army-wide perspective and together as the Source
Selection Evaluation Board (SSEB) recommends those that merit
consideration for funding.
• Based on the SSEB recommendations, the Source Selection Authority (SSA)
selects proposals that best satisfy Army needs.
Proposals are evaluated using the following criteria (published in the Solicitation):
1. Technical feasibility
2.
Strength of the personnel & facilities
3.
Transition potential
Phase II Enhancements
•
Purpose: To accelerate the transition to a useable technology.
•
Army SBIR Phase II Enhancement provides Phase II SBIR funding to firms that
require additional funding during their open Phase II contract.
•
How?
– Enhancement candidates are initially identified by the project’s COR.
– COR has commitment from the customer to participate in the transition
– The COR, in conjunction with the TAA and the organization’s PC will compile
the documentation needed for PM, SBIR to make a determination.
– Generally SBIR Phase II Enhancement funding will not exceed $500,000 per
request and funding is subject to availability and a deliberate approval process.
– Matching funds strongly encouraged.
•
Activities funded:
– Further R&D
– Modifying or building prototypes; delivering multiple copies
– Other activities that facilitate the transition of the project to Phase III
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Commercialization
Readiness Program (CRP)
• Assess Phase II projects’ commercial and transition potential
against program objectives and recommend CRP participants
to the Army (~25)
– Commercialization and Transition Assessment (CTA) Forms
– Once a year – May - June
• Assist selected CRP participants with commercialization and
transition
– Marketing and business plan development
– Facilitate customer collaboration
– Co-develop technology transition plans and agreements
– Support identification of 3rd party funding/investment
opportunities
• Recommend CRP participant funding levels to the Army
($500K) Ideally, funded as an extension to existing Phase II contract
**** Projected plan
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Transition Support
• SBIR Transition Programs Available to Small Businesses:
1.Transition Assistance
-- Collaboration/Networking with Army technologists and Transition Agents, such as PEOs/PMs
-- Technology Transition Planning and Development
-- Phase III Planning Assistance (Help formulate Strategies and Resource Requirements)
2. Phase II-Enhancement and Commercialization Readiness Program (CRP)
-- Both initiatives are complementary; Each authorized by Congress or SBA Policy
(Guidance reaffirmed in FY12 NDAA, 31 Dec 2011)
-- Purpose: To accelerate the transition to a useable technology
-- Provide < $500K Additional Funds To Active PhII firms during their open Phase II contract
(Contract Modification)
-- Candidates are identified by local SBIR PC Team, who assesses all Ph2 projects during 1 st year
of contract performance
• Promising technologies that will require activities after Year 2 prototype is delivered, are further
evaluated for transition funds
• Activities Funded: Further R&D, TRL Maturation, Prototype T&E, etc to facilitate transition to Phase
III
-- Funding is subject to availability and a deliberate approval process
-- Funding commitments from transition partners is STRONGLY encouraged
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SBIR Reauthorization Act
(FY12 NDAA)
•
Extends Program Thru 30 Sep 2017
•
Except For Annual Budget 0.1 % Increase, all other guidance dependent on SBA Policy Directive,
~30 Jun 12
•
PhII contract size will be limited to < $1.5M (limits Ph2-E/CRP funds < $500K)
•
Annual 0.1% Budget Increases Until 3.2% Cap…Increases Are For Transition Only
–
–
–
FY12 Budget (2.6% of Army Extramural RDT&E): $182M (FY11 Budget: $204M, FY10 Budget: $244M)
Less Projects…But Selected Projects will have greater opportunities for transition funds
Future SBIR Topic Focus: 24 S&T Challenge Areas and PEO Tech Needs
•
Selections within 90 calendar days from the closing date of the solicitation. Award within 180 calendar
days of the closing date of the solicitation (Army announces selections now in less than 90 days)
•
No Phase II Invitations; reauthorization also allows agencies the option to bypass the Phase I process
(DoD will not implement bypassing Phase I)
•
DoD Optional: Provide funds to Venture Capital-backed Firms (DoD will not implement)
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www.armysbir.army.mil
7 May 2009
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Assistance
1. DoD SBIR Helpdesk (1-866-724-7457)
2. Army SBIR Helpdesk (703-399-2049)
3. During Pre-Solicitation Period, Topic Authors are
available to answer questions put directly to them
(www.dodsbir.net/solicitation/)
4. Once the Solicitation opens, firms may contact
Topic Authors via SITIS:
(http://www.dodsbir.net/sitis/)
5. Army AMRDEC, PEO AV, PEO MS Program
Coordinator, and Technical Assistance Advocate
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