The SBIR (The Small Business Innovation Research) program is a competitive grant program that provides over $1 billion per year to small businesses for early stage and development projects in specific areas. Each year, 11 U.S. departments and agencies are required by the SBIR to reserve a portion of their research and development funds for awards to small businesses. Guidelines for how to apply for the grants are provided on each agency’s Web site, along with a description of the types of projects the agencies are interested in supporting. The SBIR is a three-phase program, meaning that firms that qualify have the potential to receive more than one grant to fund a particular proposal.
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