National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program

2000 SBIR PHASE 1 Press Release

December 22, 2000
Michael Braukus
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(Phone: 202/358-1979)

RELEASE: 00-200

NASA SELECTS INNOVATIVE SMALL BUSINESS PROJECTS

Developing a new class of deep sea vehicles for sample collection is just one of the 280 research proposals NASA has selected for Phase 1 contract awards as part of its Small Business Innovation Research Program. The combined total of the awards is expected to be more than $19 million.

The goals of the Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) are to stimulate technological innovation, increase the use of small business, including women-owned and disadvantaged firms in meeting federal research and development needs, and increase private sector commercialization of federally funded research results.

NASA received 1847 proposals submitted by small, high technology businesses from across the United States. The proposals were reviewed for technical merit and feasibility and relevance to NASA research and technology requirements. The selected firms will be awarded fixed-price contracts valued up to $70,000 each to perform a six-month Phase 1 feasibility study.

Companies which successfully complete the phase 1 activities are eligible to compete for Phase 2 selection the following year. The phase 2 award allows for a two-year, fixed-price contract in the amount up to $600,000.

The NASA SBIR Program Management Office is located at the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, with executive oversight by NASA's Office of Aerospace Technology, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC. Individual SBIR projects are managed by NASA's ten field centers.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: A listing of the selected companies can be accessed on the internet at URL: http://sbir.nasa.gov after 4 p.m., December 22.