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First, I would like to share with the Committee some of our 

 experiences in implementing the SBIR program. 



ASSISTANCE IN COMMERCIALIZATION EFFORTS 



A large majority of SBIR awardees have excellent skills in 

 science and engineering research but are relatively new to the 

 business world and lack experience in product development, 

 financing business growth, raising venture capital, and 

 marketing. To meet the primary goal of the SBIR legislation, 

 increasing private sector commercialization of SBIR research, the 

 Department has provided non-SBIR funds to support a 

 Commercialization Assistance Project for the last six years. For 

 the past five years, this three-stage project for Phase II 

 awardees has been conducted by Dawnbreaker, a private 

 organization from Rochester, New York, selected by and under a 

 grant from DOE. 



In the first stage, the companies were provided with weekly 

 instructions and individual advice and counsel, over a four-month 

 period, in the preparation of a business plan to potential 

 sponsors. The primary emphasis was on the marketing and 

 financial aspects of the business plan, which was critiqued in 

 detail. Very few of the companies had prepared a business plan 

 before. 



