Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center

Defense dominates experiment in streamlined bidding for innovation

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Streamlined solicitations for innovative commercial products and services, known as commercial solutions openings are beginning to take off in the Defense Department. Even the General Services Administration’s CSO service, which is open to all agencies for a fee, so far has been dominated by Defense users.

CSOs aren’t as well known or broadly used as their procurement-innovation cousin, other transaction authority, which gives agencies the ability to strike contracts outside the Federal Acquisition Regulation for research, prototypes and production to obtain technology from nontraditional defense contractors. Eleven agencies including Defense have OT authority.

GSA’s CSO holds the potential to bring civilian agencies, most of which don’t have OT authority, the ability to reach out to and select suppliers unencumbered by the Federal Acquisition Regulation. So far, civilian agencies haven’t been biting, but Pentagon organizations are, even though they have their own CSO provider.

The very first GSA CSO customer was none other than the Defense Innovation Unit, a once-experimental buying organization that invented CSOs. Originally designed to lure emerging companies to work for the Pentagon by easing the pain of federal procurement processes, the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental, or DIUx, lost the X last summer, when it was designated a permanent outpost for testing defense buying boundaries.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.govexec.com/excellence/management-matters/2019/03/defense-dominates-experiment-streamlined-bidding-innovation/155373/

March 28th webinar to address how small businesses can support US DOT’s research needs

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The United States Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) is inviting small businesses to participate in a webinar on the Department’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program.  The webinar will be held on Thursday, March 28, 2019 at 2:00 pm (EDT).

Here’s what participants will learn:

  • How you can apply your expertise and support U.S. DOT’s research goals through SBIR.
  • Updates on the Department’s FY19 SBIR solicitation.
  • How the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) participate in the SBIR program.

U.S. DOT’s SBIR program has awarded $50 million during the past five years to small businesses. Webinar participants will be able to hear from U.S. DOT SBIR program managers about their agency’s research needs and how they use the SBIR program.

Please confirm your participation by registering clicking this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QGFYB9Q no later than COB Monday, March 25, 2019.   By close of business Tuesday, March 26, 2019 registrants will receive an email communication with instructions on how to join the webinar.

U.S. DOT’s SBIR Program Director Rachael Sack, along with the FHWA R&T Program Development & Partnership Team Director Jack Jernigan, and FRA SBIR Program Manager Jeffrey Gordon, will be in attendance.  Please make your reservation through the link above as space is very limited.

If you have any questions, or concerns, please call Mr. Duphresne at 202-366-9507. You can also reach the Office of Small Disadvantaged Business Utilization at 202-366-1930.

DARPA’s pilot project aims to increase funding opportunities in SBIR and STTR programs

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Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) are the principal set-aside programs for small business participation in federal research and development funding, yet the requirements for administering and managing these programs have not changed significantly in decades.

To keep pace with discovery in science and technology worldwide, DARPA now intends to release SBIR/STTR opportunities on an out-of-cycle basis, separate from the three pre-determined announcements traditionally issued directly through the Department of Defense (DoD). The change is expected to reduce the overall time from opportunity announcement to contract award.

Prior to the change, the timeline for SBIR/STTR funding opportunities was managed independently of DARPA’s primary technology programs, which resulted in small businesses being isolated from the benefits associated with integration into established program communities. Under the terms of the pilot program, however, DARPA will institute timesaving measures to speed program integration, such as Direct to Phase II authority, which allows the agency to bypass Phase I research requirements once performers provide satisfactory documentation of feasibility, and/or proof of scientific merit, technical merit, and commercialization potential.

DARPA will also seek to identify SBIR/STTR Phase II awardees with a compelling go-to-market strategy for participation in a newly created commercialization accelerator. The DARPA accelerator will provide additional funding to employ one entrepreneur-in-residence or business development lead who will offer the awardee direct support for activities including, but not limited to, customer engagement planning, market analysis and mapping, competitive analysis, techno-economic analysis, IP securement strategy development, and financial plan creation.

“It’s essential to change our acquisition practices to mirror the commercial marketplace if we hope to attract revolutionary companies that normally avoid working with the federal government,” said Dr. Steven Walker, director of DARPA. “This move will provide DARPA the flexibility to operate at a much faster pace than traditional SBIR/STTR contracting cycles have historically allowed.”

Congress established the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program in 1982 to provide opportunities for small businesses to participate in federal government-sponsored research and development. Since that time, DARPA has leveraged SBIR awards to promote and sustain small business innovation as well as foster the development and transition of critical national security capabilities.

Full details regarding DARPA’s SBIR/STTR programs and associated Broad Agency Announcements are available at: https://www.darpa.mil/work-with-us/for-small-businesses.

Source: https://www.darpa.mil/news-events/2019-03-01

See DARPA’s 10 focus areas for small businesses here: https://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2019/03/darpa-highlights-10-focus-areas-innovative-small-businesses/155279/

USDOT is on the hunt for automation, blockchain and more

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The U.S. Department of Transportation is looking to fund a new slate of emerging technology applications, including automation and blockchain.

USDOT opened the fiscal 2019 solicitation for its Small Business Innovation Research program Tuesday, calling on small businesses to provide solutions focused in 12 topic areas:

  • Automated Detection of Broken Spike Fasteners in Wood Tie Railroad Track
  • Automated Driving Systems Test Data Interface
  • Automated, Drone-Based Grade Crossing Inspection
  • Cost Allocation Technology for Non-Emergency Medical Transportation
  • Improved Condition Monitoring of Traction Motors
  • Inline-Inspection Tool for Detecting Coating Defects/Disbondment of Coating
  • Innovative, Low-Cost Methods for Concrete Bridge Deck Assessment
  • In-Vehicle Highway Rail Grade Crossing Alert System
  • Portable Stiffness/Elastic Modulus Measurement System
  • Secure Motor Carrier Safety Data Information Exchange Using Blockchain
  • Vehicle Communication via Induction Paint
  • Wireless Pore Water Pressure Sensor

The SBIR program is administered by the Small Business Administration and includes 11 federal agencies that award R&D contracts to fund and mature new potential technology applications.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.fedscoop.com/dot-opens-solicitation-new-innovative-technologies/

How to Apply
  • Read the 2019 Solicitation for information about the 2019 topics and about proposal requirements.
  • Review the 19 Technical and Administrative Questions
  • If you do not see the answer to your question(s), submit additional technical or administrative questions to the U.S. DOT SBIR Program Office at dotsbir@dot.gov.
  • All questions and answers will be posted as soon as they are received and answered by DOT SBIR program experts.

Submit a proposal through DOT’s SBIR secure site.

2019 NDAA analysis: Changes affecting small businesses and the SBIR program

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The 2019 NDAA contains significant changes that will impact many facets of government contracting.

In this post, we discuss the Sections of the 2019 NDAA that affect small businesses.

As discussed here, these changes include:

1) the codification and reauthorization of defense research and development rapid innovation program;

2) the establishment a Department of Defense small business strategy;

3) the improvement of prompt payment of small business contractors;

4) the increased participation in the SBA microloan program;

5) the extension and amendment of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/ Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs;

6) the funding for procurement technical assistance program;

7) the creation of a commercialization assistance pilot program; and

8) the increasing of opportunities for employee-owned business concerns through SBA loan programs.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=775556

Air Force to host first small business pitch day, with $40 million up for grabs

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Like departments and agencies throughout government, the Air Force is tuning its acquisition methods to get closer the speed of technology, and will be holding its first live pitch day in March, with an available funding pool of $40 million.

The Air Force’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program has issued a call to start-ups and small businesses—those with fewer than 500 employees—to offer pitches on innovative technologies for secure communications, down-range battlefield operations and digital technologies.

“Mind-blowing ideas are being birthed in U.S. start-up companies, but the Pentagon largely misses out on them,” Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, said in a release announcing the pitch day. “We have to do business at the speed of ideas so we can both inspire and accelerate start-up creativity towards national security challenges. The only way we’re going to do that is by making sure partnering with the Air Force is easy and energizing.”

Keep reading this article at: https://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2019/01/air-force-host-first-small-business-pitch-day-40-million-grabs/154114/

Tech Square to host 2019 Association of University Research Parks international conference

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Georgia Tech’s Technology Square – one of the nation’s premier innovation districts and a leader in research and economic development – will host the Association of University Research Parks (AURP) 2019 International Conference.

AURP’s mission is to foster innovation, commercialization and economic growth through university, industry and government partnerships. Each year, AURP’s international conference attracts a diverse group, including science and research park directors, economic developers, and intellectual property and venture capital firms.

“Georgia Tech is proud to host AURP’s 2019 International Conference,” said Chaouki Abdallah, executive vice president for research. “Tech Square is a testament to what is possible when higher education, government, business and the community work together. As the Southeast’s premier innovation district, Tech Square promotes a community of innovation, education and intelligent exchange.”

In 2014, the group named Tech Square its “Outstanding Research Park Award” winner.

Tech Square opened in 2003 in Midtown Atlanta with the goal of strengthening the connection between the Institute and the business community. Today the area is a thriving innovation ecosystem thanks to a network of students, faculty, researchers, startup entrepreneurs and global corporations.

“Tech Square is a globally recognized destination for innovation,” said AURP President Mason Ailstock. “Through Georgia Tech’s leadership, Tech Square creates intentional collisions between industry partners, entrepreneurs and the university. AURP is thrilled to showcase the breadth and depth of Atlanta and Georgia Tech to the 2019 conference attendees.”

Tech Square is comprised of more than 2 million square feet of office, research, retail, residential and hotel space, including the Technology Square Research Building, the Biltmore, Global Learning Center, the Scheller College of Business and the new Coda building, which will open in 2019.

More than 100 companies, employing 15,000, people are located in the 10-block area of Midtown Atlanta. Nearly 30 major companies run corporate design, innovation, technology development and research centers in or near the area, including Anthem, AT&T, Delta Air Lines, Home Depot, NCR, Southern Company and UCB.

While these corporate operations represent a wide range of industries, they all seek to tap into the area’s culture of collaboration — and its talent pool.

Tech Square is one reason why Atlanta is among the top cities for corporate innovation, said Greg King, associate vice president for economic development at Georgia Tech and an AURP board member.

“With a density that helps to accelerate innovation and development, Tech Square brings together education, research and corporate partnerships,” King said. “Georgia Tech has also fostered an environment where corporate innovators can learn from each other and experienced entrepreneurs mentor younger startups. We’re excited to be able to showcase Tech Square, Georgia Tech and the community of innovation represented here.”

Source: https://www.news.gatech.edu/2018/11/02/tech-square-host-2019-association-university-research-parks-international-conference

GSA launches pilot for small business research program

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The General Services Administration (GSA) has announced that it would be moving forward with a new pilot program to manage and grant awards under the third phase of the Small Business Innovation Research program, which encourages small businesses to explore research and development with federal partners.

Phases one and two of the program focus on the actual research and development, while the third phase is designed to help small businesses pursue the commercialization of the products they developed in the first two phases.

“Helping small businesses commercialize new solutions developed with assistance from the SBIR program increases the return on investment from federal research and development funding and supports private sector job growth,” said Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon in a news release.

“The SBA looks forward to working with GSA to encourage the entrepreneurship and innovation associated with the SBIR program and continuing SBA’s efforts to impact the growth of our nation’s small businesses.”

Keep reading this article at: https://www.federaltimes.com/acquisition/2018/07/30/gsa-launches-pilot-for-small-business-research-program/

Ports Authority, Georgia Tech, and Center for Innovation sign MOU to tap into advanced logistics planning

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The Georgia Ports Authority, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Georgia Center of Innovation for Logistics signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on July 31 at the Port of Savannah that creates a new relationship aimed at supporting the state’s logistics industry in economic development, research, and education.

“For years, Georgia Tech has been honored to work together with the Ports Authority, Governor Nathan Deal’s office, and business and government throughout the state in logistics, transportation, manufacturing, and education to strengthen our State economy and create jobs,” said Georgia Tech President G.P. “Bud” Peterson. “We are pleased to further solidify this partnership to benefit Georgia’s transportation and logistics industry.”

The Georgia Ports Authority, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Georgia Center of Innovation for Logistics signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Tuesday (July 31) at the Port of Savannah that creates a new relationship aimed at supporting the state’s logistics industry in economic development, research and education. Pictured are from left, Griff Lynch, executive director, Georgia Ports Authority; U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Georgia; G.P. “Bud” Peterson, Georgia Tech president; Jimmy Allgood, Georgia Ports Authority chairman; and Matt Markham, director of the Center of Innovation for Logistics.

The goal of the MOU is to bring advanced research, evolving global logistics trends, and analysis from the world to Savannah. By tapping into the hands-on expertise at GPA and the Center of Innovation for Logistics — as well as the high-tech analysis and research at Georgia Tech’s Supply Chain and Logistics Institute — cargo owners and third-party logistics providers will gain superior insight into everything from when and where to build infrastructure to improved efficiency in cargo routing.

“Georgia Tech’s Supply Chain & Logistics Institute has established logistics improvement partnerships in global trade hubs such as Rotterdam, Singapore, Shenzhen, and Panama,” said GPA Board Chairman Jimmy Allgood.   “I am delighted to announce that for their first such agreement with a port authority in the Western Hemisphere, they have chosen an organization that is in their own state of Georgia.”

Georgia Tech’s Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering has been ranked No. 1 in the country for the past 28 years, and Georgia Tech is recognized as one of the leading research universities in the world.

Matt Markham, director of the Georgia Center of Innovation for Logistics, said the collaborative effort further strengthens the state’s position as an economic development leader.

“Most companies that choose Georgia as their home depend on its world-class logistics for their success,” Markham said. “Our new relationship builds on our center’s goal of providing company-specific analyses and facilitating connections between logistics providers and potential clients.”

The multi-modal network is designed to combine ocean, truck, rail, and air transportation to create optimal conditions for an easier and faster network. GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch said the initiative will allow the Georgia Ports Authority to continue growing its service area across the U.S. Southeast and beyond.

“We are excited to enter into this agreement between our organizations,” Lynch said. “The MOU leverages the Institute’s predictive analytics and supply chain optimization, the Center of Innovation for Logistics’ network of connections, and the GPA’s experience in the field as an industry leader.”

ABOUT THE GEORIA PORTS AUTHORITY:

Since 1945, Georgia’s ports have served as magnets for international trade and investment, enriching the state’s economy to benefit all Georgians. The Georgia Ports Authority is dedicated to providing customers with the most efficient, productive port facilities in the nation, and to creating jobs and business opportunities to benefit more than 9.7 million Georgians. The GPA is committed to maintaining its competitive edge through development of leading-edge technology, marketing and operations to move cargo faster. And, the Authority is working hard to identify what must be done today to sustain growth, performance and security for tomorrow.

ABOUT THE GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY:

The Georgia Institute of Technology, also known as Georgia Tech, is one of the nation’s leading research universities — a university that embraces change while continually creating the next. The next generation of leaders. The next breakthrough startup company. The next life-saving medical treatment. Georgia Tech provides a focused, technologically based education to more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Georgia Tech has many nationally recognized programs, all top-ranked by peers and publications alike, and is ranked in the nation’s top 10 public universities by U.S. News and World Report. It offers degrees through the Colleges of Computing, Design, Engineering, Sciences, the Scheller College of Business, and the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. As a leading technological university, Georgia Tech has more than 100 centers focused on interdisciplinary research that consistently contribute vital research and innovation to American government, industry, and business.

ABOUT THE CENTER OF INNOVATION FOR LOGISTICS:

The Center of Innovation for Logistics facilitates innovative logistics solutions that leverage Georgia’s superior business climate and enhance cargo-owing companies’ competitiveness. Exclusive to Georgia, the Center collaborates with companies that currently ship to or from Georgia, as well as those looking to locate in Georgia to deploy the world’s best multi-modal logistics for supply chain success. With targeted efforts to engage its unique position in state government with partnerships in the logistics industry, the Center provides impactful forums for companies to network, address industry issues, and share knowledge.

Source: http://www.news.gatech.edu/2018/07/31/gpa-georgia-tech-center-innovation-sign-mou 

DoD’s R&D fund sponsors free online training

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The Department of Defense’s SBIR/STTR Program Office has put together an on-line training program catalogue for small businesses for the year.

Small businesses — who are pursuing projects with potential for commercialization and which match-up with specific U.S. Government research and development (R&D) needs — should look into the SBIR/STTR program.

Upcoming SBIR/STTR webinar topics are listed below, along with dates and training registration links.  All are offered free of charge.

  1. How to Use the DOD SBIR/STTR Submission Site / Important Proposal Considerations / Using SITIS – May 24, 2018 – http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4302495/Registration-Site
  2. Managing Intellectual Property – Important Business Considerations for Commercialization – June 5, 2018 – http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4302495/Registration-Site
  3. Understanding the Evaluation Process / What to Do with a Debrief – June 26, 2018 – http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4302495/Registration-Site 
  4. Working with Prime Contractors – July 17, 2018 – http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4302495/Registration-Site 
  5. The DOD Acquisition Process / Contracting – August 1, 2018 – http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4302495/Registration-Site
  6. Commercialization Assistance Programs and Beyond Phase II Considerations – September 4, 2018 – http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4302495/Registration-Site
  7. Manufacturing / Working with MIBP – September 18, 2018 – http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4302495/Registration-Site
  8. Testing and Evaluation – October 9, 2018 – http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4302495/Registration-Site 
  9. Phase III Process – How to Identify Non-SBIR – October 30, 2018 – http://bit.ly/PIIIprocess 

For more information about the SBIR/STTR programs, visit https://www.sbir.gov/about/about-sttr.

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