Guide Helps Companies Win Government Money
December 1, 2003

By Ketaki Sood, Larta Research Economist and Greg Kho, Larta Research Assistant

Larta's Federal Technology Funding Guide is recognized as the nation's leading survey of federal technology R&D programs and procedures. This year's guide includes an in-depth look at SBIR and STTR programs, and a detailed review of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The Federal Technology Funding Guide 2004 will be available on www.old.larta.org on January 5th, 2004.

Recognizing the growing trend of the government's funding of technologies, Larta published the first edition of the Federal Technology Funding Guide in 1998. The Guide has since emerged as Larta's most popular and eminent publication. This does not come as a surprise. The once exuberant venture capital industry, although gradually crawling back to normalcy, is far from the lofty heights it reached during the dotcom boom. More importantly, the scarcity of venture capital for new and emerging technologies (55% of venture capital dollars invested in the third quarter of 2003 went towards expansion stage companies while early stage companies received 20% of total venture capital dollars during the same period, down from 22% in the previous quarter) has forced companies to look for alternative sources of funding, including government grants. This is where the Federal Technology Funding Guide comes in, serving as critical tool for winning federal R&D money.

Your Chance to Win Government Money

President Bush proposed a record level of federal funding for R&D in his FY 2004 budget request. Under the FY 2004 budget request, total federal funding for R&D in FY 2004 would rise to $122.5 billion; an increase of $5.2 billion or 4.4 percent from FY 2003 levels. Federal funding of R&D continues to grow. The Federal Technology Funding Guide provides you with the necessary tools to tap into the increasing levels of government money for R&D. The Guide is the nation's leading survey on technology funding by the federal government, providing a comprehensive overview of the federal funding process, and information on how to apply for and win government R&D money.

SBIR and STTR Programs: Critical Sources of Funds

Small businesses can receive R&D funds through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs. Established as a part of the Small Business Innovation Development Act in 1982, the SBIR program enables small high technology businesses to compete on the same level as larger businesses by providing them competitively awarded grants for product innovation. The SBIR Program helps small high technology companies by funding the critical start-up and R&D stages, often the riskiest and most expensive stages of product development. SBIR grants help federal agencies meet agency research needs while enabling small companies to conduct R&D programs aimed at product commercialization. Currently, ten federal departments and agencies participate in this program.

Businesses can also receive federal funding from the STTR Program, which focuses on developing collaborations between small businesses and universities (or other non-profit institutions) in joint research projects. The purpose of the STTR Program is to stimulate technical innovation, transfer technology from the public sector to the private sector, and to encourage commercialization. Moving ideas from the research institutions into the marketplace, while addressing the needs of the federal government, is the key goal of the program.

This year's Guide includes an increased emphasis on SBIR and STTR programs. For instance, detailed information on SBIR programs classified by department, solicitation details, and research topics are provided in the Guide. Subscribers to the Guide will be able to scan numerous SBIR research topics, get a strong idea of what is required in an SBIR proposal and, get familiar with the program's evaluation criteria. In addition, direct links to the SBIR solicitation within each department are included in the Guide.

The Department of Homeland Security: In the Spotlight

Along with the above additions, the Guide includes a review and update of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has changed considerably since its inception in 2002. The DHS has been in the spotlight since the 9/11 attacks and with an R&D portfolio of $1.05 billion in 2004 (up 57 percent from 2003), one can expect the emergence of several new programs funding technologies related to homeland security. New and continuing programs within the DHS that fund technologies are listed in the Guide.

Find the Right Program for Your Technology

Finally, the Guide categorizes, catalogs, and comments on over 90 regularly scheduled programs by government agencies that fund technologies. Find programs that match your technology area or proposed project.

The Federal Technology Funding Guide brings you one step closer to winning government R&D money. Don't miss this opportunity to take your technology to the next level.

Go to the Government Technology Funding section of Larta's Research Archive