SBIR and the Phase III Challenge of Commercialization

In response to a Congressional mandate, the National Research Council conducted a review of the Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) at the five federal agencies with SBIR programs with budgets in excess of $100 million (DOD, NIH, NASA, DOE, and NSF). The project was designed to answer questions of program operation and effectiveness, including the quality of the research projects being conducted under the SBIR program, the commercialization of the research, and the program's contribution to accomplishing agency missions. This report summarizes the presentations at a symposium exploring the effectiveness of Phase III of the SBIR program (the commercialization phase), during which innovations funded by Phase II awards move from the laboratory into the marketplace. No SBIR funds support Phase III; instead, to commercialize their products, small businesses are expected to garner additional funds from private investors, the capital markets, or from the agency that made the initial award.Table of ContentsFront MatterI. IntroductionII. Proceedings, Opening RemarksIntroductionMeeting Mission NeedsPanel I: The SBIR Program: Different Needs, Common ChallengesPanel II: Transitioning SBIR: What Are the Issues for PrimeContractors?Panel III: Challenges of Phase III: SBIR Award WinnersPanel IV: Best Practice for Agency Programs: Program ExecutiveOffices and Program OfficesPanel V: Lessons LearnedConcluding RemarksAppendix A. Biographies of SpeakersAppendix B. Participants ListAppendix C. Bibliography