1.0 GAO Issues Alarming NIH & DoD SBIR Award Data

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report titled “SBIR - Information on Awards Made by NIH and DoD in Fiscal Years 2001 through 2004”. The GAO looked at the number and characteristics of awards; the number and characteristics of awards above the guidelines; changes in award characteristics after 2002; and factors agencies consider, and data they collect on, SBIR awards. The full report including the scope and methodology is available at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06565.pdf. A 'highlights' page that summarizes the full report is available at http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d06565high.pdf.

Most noteworthy is the revelation that the NIH consistently exceeds the SBIR dollar award guidelines, often by millions of dollars, thereby greatly reducing the number of awards that could be made. For example, a nine million dollar Phase II award eliminated the possibility of eleven $750,000 Phase II awards being made to otherwise eligible applicants. This practice is especially devastating to small start-up businesses, particularly those in the nation’s rural areas.

return to CONTENTS

3.0  WYOMING ON FEDERAL SBIR AGENCY "SWIFT" TOUR - SEPT 13

The Federal SBIR agencies annually participate in a ”SWIFT” bus tour, an outreach program to bring the SBIR story to the nation’s rural areas. Sponsored by the Navy’s SBIR/STTR program, this year’s tour will begin in Bozeman on Tuesday September 12, will stop in Casper on Wednesday September 13 and end on Friday September 14 in Denver. The Casper event will be hosted by the WSSI and will consist of a full morning of federal agency presentations, a luncheon and a full afternoon of WSSI presentations. This major SBIR event will provide a rare opportunity for one-on-one interactions with all of the SBIR sponsoring agency experts. Mark you calendar – details to follow.

WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT BLONDES - A blonde said, "I was worried that my mechanic might try to rip me off. I was relieved when he told me all I needed was turn signal fluid."

return to CONTENTS

5.0 TIBBETTS AWARD NOMINATIONS OPEN ON MAY 15

The Tibbetts Awards Program has been revived after a three year hiatus. The awards ceremony will be held September 26, 2006 at the Wyndham Hotel, Washington, DC. Due to SBA woes, the Tibbetts Awards are being reorganized by the Small Business Technology Council (SBTC) with sponsorship including DoD, DARPA, Navy SBIR, NASA, NSF, Boeing, The Association for Manufacturing Technology, Gregg Olson, ATF, Homeland Ventures, RDM, and Physical Sciences Inc.

Named for Roland Tibbetts, the person acknowledged as the father of the SBIR program, these prestigious, national awards are made annually to those small firms, projects, organizations and individuals judged to exemplify the very best in SBIR achievement. The emphasis is on recognizing those accomplishments where, in the judgment of those closely involved and often most immediately affected, the stimulus of SBIR funding has made an important and definable difference. The Awards Committee will start accepting award nominations on May 15, 2006. Anyone is eligible to submit nominations, including self-nominations. Nomination packages and complete information will be available on the web site at www.tibbettsawards.org

It used to be only death and taxes were inevitable. Now, of course, there's shipping and handling, too

return to CONTENTS

7.0 WSSI 2006 CHAMPION AWARD WINNERS

Tucker Fagan, CEO Wyoming Business Council presented the WSSI Champion Award to four individuals at the 5th Annual WSSI Awards Banquet April 19 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The WSSI Champion award is given in recognition of continuing dedicated support and service to the furtherance of the goals of the WSSI.

The 2006 Champion Award recipients are: Jill Kline, Gillette; Zachary Gray, Sheridan; Steven Turner, Guernsey; and Robert Viola, Jackson.

Tucker Fagan, CEO Wyoming Business Council present the 2006 WSSI Champion Award to Zackary Gray, founder, of Wyoming Silicon LLC, Sheridan.

Zackary Gray was born and raised in Buffalo Wyoming and graduated from the University of Wyoming. He went to work for Hewlett-Packard in California after graduation but returned to Wyoming in 1998. He was introduced to the SBIR program in 2000 and has been active ever since. He has been the project coordinator on nine WSSI Phase 0 projects with three different companies. He has worked on project submissions to NIH, DOD, EPA, and NASA bringing in over $1.4 million in SBIR awards. He is currently completing two NASA Phase II projects and one NASA Phase I project with Big Horn Valve of Sheridan. All of these contributions along with his expert SBIR Phase I mentoring skills make Zachary Gray a great WSSI Champion.

Most of us know Jill Kline by the total professionalism she unfailingly exhibited in the performance, for the past seven years, of her responsibilities as WSSI Outreach Coordinator. She is the first person to hold that position and, with no established model to guide her, quickly established the high standards of performance that we have come to admire and respect. And, most especially, much of the success of the widely recognized and acclaimed WSSI Phase 0 program is the result, as many can attest, of Jill’s unfailing good humor, patience and expert guidance. Jill has set the bar very high indeed and we know she will continue to do so in meeting her new challenges. Thank you Jill, for being a great WSSI Champion – you are missed.

Jill Kline, Region V Director, Wyoming Small Business Development Center receives her 2006 WSSI Champion Award from Tucker Fagan.

Tucker Fagan congratulates Steven Turner, founder of Analogic Engineering, Guernsey, for his enthusiastic and constant support of the WSSI program.

Steven Turner was introduced to the SBIR program in 2000 by attending a workshop that Chris Busch and Jill Kline presented in Cheyenne and has been involved in one facet or another ever since. Steven has been awarded four WSSI Phase 0 awards and two SBIR Phase I awards, one with the USDA and one with the NSF. Steven has also contributed to Phase 0 and Phase I proposal submissions outside of his own company. He has received rave reviews on his mentoring activities and is always willing to assist the WSSI in achieving its goals. His pleasant personality and constant willingness to assist or participate whenever requested makes Steven Turner an outstanding WSSI champion

Robert Viola, the founder of Square One Systems Design, Jackson was nominated for his outstanding performance in the WSSI and SBIR competitions over the past two years. In just two years, 2004 and 2005, Bob authored six WSSI Phase 0 proposals - and all six received awards!! Subsequently, five of the resulting Phase I SBIR/STTR proposals received awards from the DoD, DOE and NIH. A $750,000 DoD Phase II award was also received in 2005, bringing the two year total awards to nearly $1.4 million. This seed capital has put Square One Systems Design well onto the road to product commercialization and Bob and his four employees are preparing to move into larger facilities in Jackson. By quickly putting the WSSI and SBIR programs to use in creating high paying jobs in the Jackson area, Bob is a true WSSI Champion.

Robert Viola accepts the 2006 WSSI Champion Award from Tucker Fagan.

return to CONTENTS