47 



CONCLUSION 



The SBIR program has the special benefit of enabling the 

 Department to obtain effective, innovative solutions to important 

 problems by the private sector, which has a commercial incentive 

 to pursue the resulting technology and bring it to the 

 marketplace. The growing number of grantees, many of whom 

 started in business in response to SBIR solicitations, has become 

 a significant resource for the solution of future high risk, high 

 technology problems for the Department. 



SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PILOT PROGRAM 



The DOE STTR pilot program has been in operation for just over 

 one year. During this time, the Department has issued two Phase 

 I solicitations. In response to the first solicitation for FY 

 1994, 487 proposals were received; 21 were chosen for awards at a 

 maximum of $100,000 each for projects to be conducted over a 

 nine-month period. The DOE STTR budget was $2.1 million in FY 

 1994 and is $3.5 million in FY 1995. 



The results of the evaluation of the proposals indicate that the 

 scientific/technical quality of the funded projects is high. 

 About two-thirds of the non-profit research institutions 

 participating with the small businesses in these projects are DOE 

 national laboratories, and about one-third are universities. 



