PROGRAM UPDATEPDATE. Has anyone heard any good rumors lately? Steve Guilfoos AF SBIR/STTR Program Manager Spring 2007

Transcription

1 PROGRAM UPDATEPDATE Has anyone heard any good rumors lately? Steve Guilfoos AF SBIR/STTR Program Manager Spring 2007

2 Too busy to deal in Rumors Yes ma am the facts... Just the facts... Nothing but the facts We deal only in the facts and not the rumors of what may or may not be

3 Air Force Mission Air Force SBIR/STTR is $360 + M per year

4 SBIR Program Background Designed to foster technological innovation by small businesses with 500 or fewer employees Congressional Goals Stimulate technological innovation Increase small business participation in federally funded R&D Foster and encourage participation by minority and disadvantaged firms in technological innovation Increase private sector commercialization of federally supported R&D The Air Force Research Laboratory is the executive agent for the Air Force SBIR Program

5 Air Force SBIR Phase I Concept Feasibility $100K 9 Months Phase II Enhancement $500K matching 1 Year Fast Track Phase II Concept Development $750K 2 Years Phase III Products ready for insertion Not SBIR

6 Air Force STTR Process overview Phase I Concept Feasibility $100K 9 Months STTR requires teaming between Small Business and Research Institutions Phase II Concept Development $750K 2 Years Phase III Products ready for insertion Not STTR

7 Types of Topics

8 The Inside Story

9 Latest Program Improvements Stronger strategic tie to program executive offices Shorter topic development cycle Multiple Solicitations Proposal page limits New types of topics Funding

10 Strategic Topic Development More in-depth process of working with the acquisition community to develop topics Acquisition Community Product Centers Program Executive Offices Topics SBIR Technologies Higher quality topics with a shorter internal cycle Laboratory Manages for Acquisition Community

11 Types of Topics These will be identified in the Solicitations Core Similar to regular old topics Example an innovative eddy current NDI technique for hole inspection Minimum of 2 phase I and 1 phase II award ($750K) Broad Usually a general technology area without limitations Example innovative NDI techniques Multiple phase I and II awards ($750K each) Critical Recognized need for more phase II development work to increase TRL Example an innovative NDI technique for advanced ceramics used in satellites Minimum of 2 phase I awards and 1 phase II award (up to $5M)

12 Multiple Solicitations The AF will participate in all four DOD solicitations SBIR Pre-solicitation opens mid-jul and closes mid-aug Solicitation opens mid-aug and closes mid-sep SBIR Pre-solicitation opens mid-nov and closes mid-dec Solicitation opens mid-dec and closes mid-jan 2008 STTR Pre-solicitation opens mid-jan and closes mid-feb Solicitation opens mid-feb and closes mid-mar SBIR manufacturing technology only Pre-solicitation opens mid-apr and closes mid-may Solicitation opens mid-may and closes mid-jun

13 Program Reality Competitive NOT a set aside Phase I criteria Phase II criteria Technical Technical Qualifications of team Commercialization plan Commercialization plan Qualifications of team Good is not good enough We already receive too many superior and excellent proposals

14 Foot Stomper Shoulda followed the rules...

15 The Big Change Page limits Phase I proposals are limited to 20 pages Phase II proposals are limited to 50 pages We will evaluate page 1 through the end of page 20 (50 for phase II) - Pages 1 and 2 count as the cover sheet - Anything after page 20 will not be evaluated - You may have other info in addendums, but they will not count in the evaluation of the proposal - The cost proposal is NOT considered part of the technical proposal, but if you bury inside those 20 pages, we will still not evaluate past page 20

16 But Don t Propose More Than You Can Deliver

17 Electronic Submission

18 Participating In SBIR Know your AF customer check web pages Use pre-solicitation to start homework contact local technical POC Focus on the technology and innovation Read the solicitation carefully don t guess Don t try to work around the rules

19 Awards Phase I prefer to have multiple winners to provide alternatives for phase II Phase II prefer to have at least one award per topic Can t turn a core phase II into a critical phase II Extensions are possible based on available funds Up to $1M (extenuating circumstances only) Up to $500K Enhancements (matching money 1:1) Conundrum Fewer Phase II awards with more dollars mean greater tech maturity which increases potential for commercialization but reduces the number of phase II awards Would you rather have a greater potential for getting a phase II award or would you prefer greater potential for commercialization?

20 Where We Are Now - SBIR Sol 01.1 Sol 02.1 Sol 03.1 Sol 04.1 Sol 5.1 Sol 6.1 # of Topics Ph I Prop s Ph I Awards Ph II Prop s Ph II Awards so far Ph II : Topics 95% 110% 130% 130% 126% pending Data as of 20 Mar 2007

21 Where We Are Now - Ratio of awards to topics SBIR Ratio of Phase IIs to Phase Is Topics 100 Ph I Awards Ph II Awards 0 Sol 01.1 Sol 02.2 Sol 03.1 Sol 04.1 Sol 5.1 Sol 6.1 Proposals Data as of 20 Mar 2007 P E N D I N G

22 Where We Are Now- STTR Sol 01 Sol 02 Sol 03 Sol 04 Sol 05 Sol 06 # of Topics Ph I Prop s Ph I Awards Ph II Prop s Ph II Awards pending Ph II : Topics 87% 153% 141% 119% 104% Data as of 20 Mar 2007

23 Topics Ph I Awards Ph II Awards Where We Are Now - STTR Focus = basic research Executed exclusively by AFOSR Ratio of Phase IIs to Phase Is Ratio of awards to topics Sol 01 Sol 02 Sol 03 Sol 04 Sol 05 Sol 06 Proposals Phase II data from Sol 06 is pending P E N D I N G Data as of 20 Mar 2007

24 Budget SBIR/STTR increased by almost $20M in FY2007 Set asides for Special Manufacturing Technology Topics Quick reaction efforts to meet war fighter needs Commercialization Pilot Program administration We continue to limit the number of topics to approximately 240 per year Allows more flexibility to award more phase I and II contracts Allows more flexibility for Phase II extensions Entire SBIR/STTR program budget is distributed out to the field

25 Commercialization Pilot Program The Congressionally-mandated, DoD SBIR Commercialization Pilot Program will result in hundreds of millions of dollars in new Phase III awards to SBIR companies each year The Congressionally-mandated, DoD SBIR Commercialization Pilot Program does NOT add any money and does NOT identify any funding source What it does do is allow the Air Force to hire a support contractor to help facilitate the transition of technology

26 Commercialization Successful commercialization is much more than just designing a better mousetrap!

27 So What is Commercialization If not a better mousetrap... Is it technology transition From one TRL to the next Or to a specific TRL of 6 Is it technology insertion Into a weapon system Into a civilian application Who does it To whom do they do it to How do we know they did it NOTE TRL is transition readiness level (maturity) 1 = an idea on paper 2 = typical SBIR start 6 = minimum for engineering application 10 = well established and used in everyday life

28 Commercialization Variables Management Expertise Marketing Marketing Research Design for Manufacturing Established Infrastructure Capital Profitability Standards Industry Association Industry Roadmap Source: R&D Executive, Mar 2006, ppe15-16 As well as: Technical maturity Supportability Reliability Understandability

29 Technology Transition One View Program Suppliers Tier 2 Small Businesses How do we get this to happen... Who s gonna make sure it happens?? Tier 1 Prime

30 Keep Informed Air Force DOD Overall info

31 Virtual Shopping Mall The ONE place to find any and all of the Air Force SBIR or STTR technologies Intended for prime contractors and their chain of suppliers

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34 For Small Businesses Who Have Existing Technologies --- contact --- The Air Force Small Business Office

35 Success for the Air Force and the Small Business

36 Continue To Do Your Homework Everyone has a role to play Focus on the facts Then We should be able to read about YOUR SBIR Success Stories