AFRL Small Business Revenue and Competitors

The mission of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Small Business Office (AFRL/SB) is to increase the use of small businesses as a valued source of skills for innovative, cost-effective, customer-focused solutions to warfighter requirements and Air Force missions, both now and in the future. AFRL/SB encompasses the Air Force Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Program, the AFRL Small Business Programs and the Air Force Technology Transfer Program (T2). The integration of these programs ensures the seamless development of innovative solutions by small businesses, help small businesses find AFRL opportunities, provide guidance and support both to AFRL acquisition teams and small businesses, and assist in the transfer or transition of the technology to the warfighter or the commercial market. AFRL is very small-business friendly, spending approximately $1 billion per year with small businesses. Most of the awards are made through Broad Area Announcements (BAAs) with full and open competition, but the organization also exercises small business set-aside contracts and uses the small business aspects of central contracting sourcing tools, such as OASIS or NetCents II. In addition, AFRL executes a large portion of the Air Force SBIR/STTR program. Using a competitive award process, the Air Force SBIR/STTR Program enables small businesses to explore their technological potential and provides incentive to profit from commercialization of technology. Additionally, the STTR program expands funding opportunities in the innovation arena, encouraging public/private sector partnership to include joint venture opportunities between small businesses and nonprofit research institutions.