The SBIR program provides funding for small businesses to engage in federal research and development that has potential for commercialization. It aims to stimulate innovation, meet federal R&D needs, increase commercialization of innovations, and foster participation from socially disadvantaged businesses. The program awards contracts in three phases to allow for feasibility research, full R&D, and commercialization efforts. The similar STTR program focuses on cooperative R&D between small businesses and nonprofit research institutes like universities.

1. “Twin Project”
At Fairfax, VA DC Hub
Community ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Topic : The SBIR Program (from intro at www.sbir.gov)
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is a highly competitive program that encourages
domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) that has
the potential for commercialization. Through a competitive awards-based program, SBIR enables small
businesses to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its
commercialization. By including qualified small businesses in the nation's R&D arena, high-tech
innovation is stimulated and the United States gains entrepreneurial spirit as it meets its specific
research and development needs.
Because in my previous career I worked for a large company in the financial service industry for many
years, and started a small technology business network as part of a technical society here in my own
Northern Virginia Washington DC metro area as a community service activity in the 90’s.
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I got involved with helping to write several SBIR grant when a technical entrepreneur in our network, a
sponsor of our small business network, sold his first small technology business to a larger corporation
that he started with several subsequent SBIR grants. Then decided to start a second small business in a
different field using his technical skills and a small team to start a second company using SBIR.
“The Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) was established by Congress in 1982 to provide
increased opportunities for small businesses to participate in R&D, to increase employment, and to
improve U.S. competitiveness. The program’s specific objectives are to stimulate U.S. technological
innovation, use small business to meet federal research and development needs, increase private sector
commercialization of innovation derived from federal R&D, and foster and encourage participation by
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2. socially disadvantaged businesses. Legislation enacted in 2000 extended and strengthened the SBIR
program and increased its emphasis on pursuing commercial applications of SBIR project results.
The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program awards contracts to small business concerns for
cooperative research and development with a non-profit research institute (RI) such as a university. The
goal of Congress in establishing the STTR program is to facilitate the transfer of technology development
by a RI through the entrepreneurship of small business. The small business and its partnering institution
are required to sign an agreement on how intellectual property will be shared between them. Modeled
after the SBIR Program with same basic requirements and phased funding structure described above,
STTR is nevertheless a separate activity and is separately funded. It defers from SBIR in several important
aspects.
SBIR Website:
www.sbir.gov/
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Contact: Avi Dey
Virtual Team PI (Principal
Investigator)
www.twin.waldenthree.net