New agreement allows Air Force to leverage GSA contracting expertise for accelerating technology integration

The Air Force has a new tool in its ongoing effort to accelerate Small Business Innovation Research-developed technologies to the warfighter.

Air Force SBIR/STTR Program Director David Shahady recently signed an interagency agreement with the General Services Administration to perform Phase III contracting. This allows organizations throughout the Air Force, as an alternative, to obtain Phase III assisted acquisition services support from GSA on a fee-for-service basis.

“We’re striving to find innovative ways to get the best new technology from our small business partners into the hands of our warfighters,” Shahady said. “GSA offers significant contracting expertise to assist with that mission.”

A key feature of SBIR/STTR Phase III is the ability to award a sole-source contract to a small business for technology it has already developed under the program. By law, competition requirements are satisfied when a business receives a Phase I and/or Phase II contract award.

“GSA is honored to assist the Air Force in meeting its mission by providing additional contracting options for SBIR Phase III contracts,” said Kim Brown, GSA Great Lakes Region Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner. “We understand the importance of the SBIR program to our warfighters and to our nation’s economy and we are glad to have the opportunity to assist.”

Phase III funding, which comes from sources outside of SBIR/STTR, can go toward accelerated development and integration of SBIR/STTR technologies.  Under this new interagency agreement, Air Force organizations may  obtain GSA assistance to award and administer a Phase III contract with any eligible small business regardless of which agency sponsored the Phase I and/or Phase II efforts. 

It is not applicable to STTR topics.

The Air Force SBIR/STTR Program and its small business partners strive for advancements that support Air Force Major Commands, system program offices and many others to meet near-term critical needs while filling the pipeline with potential game-changing technologies. In stressing innovation over invention, the program works to drive down costs, get the best new technology to the warfighter and boost the economy through small business growth.