The DoD SBIR 2004.3 solicitation is open for proposal submission from July 1 to August 12, 2004. Five DoD components -- the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM), and the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) -- have R&D topics in this solicitation under which Phase I proposals are sought. You can access the solicitation, which contains detailed information on the parameters of the SBIR program and how to submit a proposal, and topic files at www.dodsbir.net/solicitation. You may also search the topics by going to www.dodsbir.com/Topics. In addition, a list of modifications to the solicitation since it was originally posted is available at www.dodsbir.net/solicitation/sbir043/modlist.htm. Please check this list before submitting to make sure that there have not been changes to the topic(s) you're submitting to that would affect your submission. As of this email the most significant change is the cancellation of Army topic # A04-137.

Proposals must be submitted via the DOD SBIR Submission website at www.dodsbir.net/submission following the instructions contained in the solicitation, including the instructions specified in the topic files for the DoD component to which you are applying. Submissions must include the proposal cover sheets, technical proposal, Company Commercialization Report, and cost proposal to be considered a complete proposal. Small businesses submitting proposals through the Submission website may modify their proposals at any time until the solicitation closing on August 12, 2004 at 6am EST. Offerors bear the risk of website inaccessibility due to heavy usage in the final hours before the solicitation closing time, so plan ahead and submit early. If you have any questions please contact the DoD SBIR help desk at 866-724-7457 or by email at sbirhelp@brtrc.com.

The Air Force announces the availability of a new informational feature that publicizes the corporate identity of SBIR/STTR firms within its Virtual Shopping Mall (http://www.sbirsttrmall.com). The goal of the Shopping Mall, which initially opened for business in January 2004, is to increase the commercialization potential of technologies developed under SBIR/STTR programs.

The Air Force invites SBIR/STTR firms to submit a mission summary and company logo to be added to their Firm/Small Business Profile. Air Force SBIR/STTR award winners’ profile information is displayed in the Tech Mall portion of the site. Whenever a Shopping Mall customer views a firm’s SBIR/STTR award abstracts and summary reports, additional company profile information can be found by selecting the company name hyperlink (i.e., address, URL, summary, and logo). All firms registered on the DoD SBIR/STTR Submission website (including non-Air Force awardees) can opt to have their mission summary and company logo included in the "Small Business Listing" on the site.

Your firm’s mission summary should consist of a brief synopsis, with key words, that reflects your core competencies and major product categories. A well-written summary can effectively highlight your firm’s proficiencies to DoD acquisition offices, prime contractors, major subcontractors, and prospective partners. An example of a Firm Profile mission summary and logo may be found within the Report Submittals section of the Air Force Shopping Mall.

How to Submit a Mission Summary and Logo
Submission of a corporate mission and logo is an optional opportunity, not a requirement. If your firm is registered on the DoD SBIR/STTR Submission website (http://www.dodsbir.net/submission), you may participate in this opportunity through a simple electronic form on the Shopping Mall website. The following steps apply:

Go to the Air Force SBIR/STTR Virtual Shopping Mall at www.sbirsttrmall.com. Click on "tech mall". (Second choice from the list on the left side of the screen.) Click on "Firm Log-in" displayed in the upper right of the Tech Mall section. Enter the first few letters of your firm name to locate and select your company from the list of registered firm. Then use the same password you use for the DoD SBIR/STTR Submission website. The Firm Profile form displays your firm-related information that resides on the DoD SBIR/STTR Submission site. To add your mission summary and logo, click the "Edit" hyperlink. Then, type your 2-4-sentence mission summary in the text box provided. The text narrative is limited to 650 characters/spaces (or approximately 100 words). To attach your company logo, use the browse attachment feature to locate the jpg, gif, or tif file on your computer to upload. Select the appropriate option to indicate if your firm's mission summary and company logo will be included in the Small Business Listing. After clicking the "Save" hyperlink, your mission summary and logo will be displayed. You may return to the Firm Profile form for subsequent review/editing or Log Out (in upper right) to return to the Virtual Shopping Mall main page. To see the corporate mission and logo of firms like you who have provided one, select "Small Business Listing" from the "N" navigate menu in the lower left of the main page. Firms are listed in alphabetical order.

Questions/Further Information
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Larry Mortsolf, Shopping Mall Manager, at (937) 258-0217 x326 or Info@sbirsttrmall.com.

Presentations from the 6th Annual NIH SBIR/STTR Conference are now available on the NIH Small Business Funding Website - http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir.htm Look in the list under News Flashes.

8.1 National Small Business Conference - SBIR Field Hearing - Our Views and Yours


As part of NDIA's National Small Business Conference, July 19-21, 2004 in San Diego, CA, there will be an SBIR Field Hearing entitled: Our Views and Yours.

Congress has directed the National Research Council to undertake a review of the SBIR programs of the DoD, NIH, DOE, NASA and the NSF. This is your chance to hear the status of the review and provide direct feedback regarding your concerns and suggestions with members of the review team.

Topics to be discussed include restrictions on venture capital, benefits of the program to government and private sector, program execution issues, and potential changes for consideration by Congress.

The session will be moderated by Dr.Charles W. Wessner of the National Academies and include the Honorable Jacques Gansler, Ph.D., Former Under Secretary of Defense (AT&L), OSD, as a Candidate Speaker.

The overall goal of the NDIA National Small Business Conference is to increase small business access to government contracts. Targeted primarily at an audience of small businesses already established in the federal marketplace, the conference will feature plenary session speakers focusing on the important role of small business in the defense industrial base, concurrent breakouts on a variety of specific related topics and one-on- one "matchmaking" sessions.

Details are available from the NDIA web site at: http://register.ndia.o rg/interview/register.ndia? PID=Brochure&SID=_19T16MEQ6&MID=4140

For addional information contact: Veronica Allen at: 703-247-2570 or vallen@ndia.org

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8.2 NATIONAL FALL SBIR/STTR CONFERENCE IN BOISE, IDAHO, NOV 1-4


Monday, November 1 through Thursday, November 4!

Description: The National Science Foundation, in association with the Department of Defense and the Small Business Administration, and all 11 SBIR agencies is sponsoring this 2004 National Fall SBIR/STTR Conference.

Program Managers and representatives from all participating agencies will provide insight into how to work with their respective agencies and answer your own special questions during the one-on- one opportunities.

Who Should Attend: Sales and Marketing Professionals, Small Business Owners, Entrepreneurs, University Researchers with a business/entrepreneurial streak, Scientist seeking commercialization strategies, all small businesses in need of securing federal funding resources.

Extra Bonus: Conference participationguarantees enty into the co-located Small Business Tech Expo (SBTE) sponsored in part by NASA. The expo will showcase new technologies, support services avialable to small business and technology development, and commercialization opportunities.

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8.3 AG TECHNOLOGY SHOW SEEKS AG INVENTORS


BILLINGS, MT -- Ag Inventors can now sign up for the 3rd Annual Ag Inventors Contest to be held during the Ag Technology Show January 13 - 15, 2005 in Billings, Montana at the Holiday Inn Trade Center. The contest is open to inventors who have an idea, an innovation or an invention that has a farm and or ranch application, and is commercially viable and original.

There is no cost to enter and the deadline for entry to the contest is December 3, 2004. "A jury committee will select 7 finalists out of all of the entries submitted to the show organizers. The inventor finalists will be invited to display their idea or invention at the three day tradeshow free of charge," said Cynthia Berst, tradeshow producer. "A panel of 5 judges will select the $1,000 Top Inventor Award and show attendees can vote for their favorite inventor for the People's Choice Award."

Berst is hosting the Ag Inventors Contest during the Ag Technology Show, a regional farm & ranch tradeshow, because of the valuable exposure for the inventors. "The contest finalists gain tremendous access to manufacturing and marketing companies and to the various government agencies that assist them how to turn their innovation into a viable business." said Berst.

The winners of the Ag Inventors Contest 2004 were Fred Davison of Highwood, MT who won the $1,000 Top Inventor Award for his E-Z Reach Gate Winch. The People's Choice Award was given to Kent Granmoe of Glendive, MT for his Hydraulic Pressure Relief Tool. "The contestants came from all over Montana and Wyoming and all of them received great exposure with an article about the Ag Inventors Contest and their idea in their hometown newspapers," explained Berst about the benefits of contestants entering the contest.

A complete set of inventor rules and entry forms can be obtained by interested inventors by writing to Cynthia Berst, Bright Cat Productions, PO Box 20044, Billings, MT 59104-0044 or by calling (406) 855-5765 or by email brightcatproductions@yahoo.com.

"This is going to be another fantastic tradeshow and inventor's contest," said Berst. "Farmers, ranchers, exhibitors, attendees - everyone will have an opportunity to see the newest, latest and greatest innovations that are up and coming or already in the marketplace today at the tradeshow."

The Ag Technology Show 2005 is the place to be if you're in the farming and ranching community for both Ag buyer and seller. The show will be opening at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 13, 2005 and closing at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 15, 2005. Exhibitors and attendees come from a large regional area and both admission and parking are free.

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This competition tip first appeared in the May 5, 2000 issue of the Wyoming SBIR Newsletter. Follow this link to a complete set of Competition Tips.

TO BE ADDED TO OR REMOVED FROM THE DISTRIBUTION LIST FOR THIS NEWSLETTER, SEND NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, AND EMAIL ADDRESS TO jillkline@vcn.com.

Prepared by: Jill Kline, WSSI Outreach Coordinator, 307.682.2660 or toll free in Wyoming, 866.703.3280, jillkline@vcn.com, and Gene Watson, WSSI Program Manager, 307.742.7162, ewatson@wyoming.com.