Professional Service Providers

From the very earliest days of SBIR engagement in NSF and then across all participating agencies, the emphasis has been to encourage focus on 'real-life' problems and, as appropriate, in timely manner to move developed technology(ies)

• from the preliminary lab-based efforts of Phases I and II
• to some level of "in-use condition" (Phase III). 

WIth the background and experience of senior management of most SBIR-involved firms being primarily in science or engineering, invariably this Program Structure requires engagement of the types of business development and professional support that rarely - if ever - will small firms have on-staff.  The need is - sometimes quite early inthe porcess - to engage the skills of external players.  The fact that some 30% of Awardees each year are new to the program -- with the major percentage also being very young firms -- speaks volumes to the outreach efforts of agencies and the states but exacerbates the issue of Professional Service access
     In areas of the country with a tradition of technology-based start-ups, though the range of professional competency may be considerable, for most Awardees there is some reasonable level of access to appropriately experienced, professional service providers.  In those states where small, technology-based endeavor is a newer experience