$2B of Funding Available to Support Research Led by Small Businesses
For release: August 3, 2004
For press information, contact Dr. Terry Payne, PAYNETL@ORNL.GOV, or, 865-574-0008

Washington, D.C. - September 9-16 (including September 10 in Memphis), Program Managers from over ten federal agencies travel by bus across the Midwest to participate in the eight-day six-state SWIFT V (SBIR/STTR Where Innovation Focuses Technology) outreach tour, to discuss Federal SBIR and STTR funds available to small businesses for their innovative research. The Small Business Innovative Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs are federal initiatives that offer more than $2.0 billion annually to U.S. small businesses and research institutions.

During the conferences, Program Managers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Science Foundation, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense (Army, Navy, Air Force, and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency), Department of Transportation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Energy, and Environmental Protection Agency discuss opportunities to receive funding from their agencies and meet one-on-one with business owners, entrepreneurs, scientists, and engineers to offer insight on how to tap into SBIR and STTR funding.

The goal of the SWIFT Tour is to raise awareness about the SBIR and STTR Programs among small technology companies. "With technology advancing at a rapid rate and uncertain economic conditions, it is essential that we promote Federal funding opportunities to small businesses across the country to help them stay competitive," said Jo Anne Goodnight, SBIR/STTR Program Coordinator at NIH. Through its outreach and awareness campaign SWIFT V hopes to increase the number of applications and proposals from small businesses in the Midwest states.

This year, the SWIFT Tour travels to six US cities including Louisville, Memphis, St. Louis, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Detroit. The SWIFT Tour will be in Memphis on September 10 at the FedEx Institute of Technology on the University of Memphis campus.

Conference attendees in each city have an opportunity to participate in one-on-one meetings and informative seminars with research and development (R&D) program managers. "Small technology firms throughout the United States represent a unique national resource for economic growth and technological innovation. While we participate in a variety of outreach endeavors, this multi-venue tour allows for maximal exposure at a minimal expense providing an opportunity for Americans to see the 'faces' of what might have otherwise been perceived as a faceless bureaucracy," said Jo Anne Goodnight.

The SBIR and STTR Programs issue awards to U.S. companies with 500 or fewer employees for conducting R&D projects that have commercialization potential in the private and/or public sector. The program has three phases. Phase I awards up to $100,000 to test the feasibility of a concept. Phase II supports funding up to $750,000 that awardees use to expand first-phase results into a prototype. Phase III, encourages small business awardees to seek third-party funding sources from investors and venture capitalists to transfer the new technology into the commercial marketplace. Specific information about eligibility criteria can be found at http://www.sba.gov/sbir.

"SBIR and STTR are extremely competitive programs. That "little something" attendees learn at these state sponsored conferences can make a big difference in helping them win their first Phase I award" says Steve Guilfoos, US Air Force SBIR/STTR Program Manager.

Since 1982, SBIR and STTR have funded high-risk projects awarding more than $10 billion to small businesses, researchers, universities and research institutions across the nation. The program has fostered innovation, helped create new jobs and improved the quality of life and standard of living at the state and local level.

For more information on the SWIFT Tour event in Memphis, please contact Terry Payne at PAYNETL@ornl.gov, or, 865-574-0008.

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