Latest news with #STTR
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Base Operations selected by the US Air Force to provide AI-driven security intelligence for mission resilience and force protection
The Direct-to-Phase II contract was awarded to identify, assess, predict and counter emerging threats, including Small Unarmed Aerial Systems incursions, when operating in dynamic environments with limited intelligence and evolving adversary tactics. WASHINGTON, May 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Base Operations has been selected by AFWERX for a Direct-to-Phase II contract focused on decoding local threats and providing actionable insights to safeguard the global operations of the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now on May 27th 2025, Base Operations will take the next step in its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America. "In an era of evolving threats and rapid transformation in federal procurement, sourcing cutting-edge solutions from U.S. startups is essential to maintaining operational readiness and protecting the warfighter. Base Operations is proud to be selected by the Air Mobility Command of the Department of Air Force to deliver advanced, AI-powered threat intelligence. Our platform enhances force protection by anticipating and mitigating risks around critical installations, safeguarding personnel, and effectively countering adversarial foreign espionage. By equipping decision-makers with AI-driven insights, we help strengthen operational resilience and ensure mission success in complex and dynamic environments." Cory Siskind, Founder & CEO at Base Operations The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government. About Base OperationsBase Operations decodes the world's threat landscape into actionable security insights that enable organizations to protect their people, assets, and operations. Identify and assess threats, manage risk across your footprint, and make data-driven decisions using granular, street-level intelligence at global scale. Learn more at About AFRLThe Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit About AFWERXAs the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at four hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has awarded over 10,400 contracts worth more than $7.24 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: For press enquiries contact ben@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Base Operations Sign in to access your portfolio
Boston Globe
05-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Innovation at risk: Congress must make vital small-business programs permanent
Advertisement But the innovation economy is under threat. The Trump administration is slashing federal research funds to public universities and cutting experienced research staff across agencies, including at the National Institutes of Health. These reckless cuts will jeopardize future breakthroughs and sacrifice US competitiveness. We cannot cede next-generation technologies to other countries. To support and grow the innovation economy, the federal government must bolster the successful initiatives that help keep the United States at the front of the pack. Since 1982 and 1992, respectively, the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs have delivered federal research and development funding exclusively for innovative small businesses and the research institutions they partner with — without forcing entrepreneurs to give up ownership in their companies. For every dollar spent, these programs have produced Advertisement Since the creation of SBIR and STTR, Massachusetts small businesses have become some of the best innovation partners for the federal government and have benefited significantly, receiving In the biotechnology sector, private early-stage funding can be especially hard to secure because it is capital intensive and requires years of trials and research before products reach patients. Yet, some Republicans in Congress are demanding major reforms that would hamstring these programs and stifle innovation — all to benefit private interests and private profits. Republican proposals to reform the SBIR and STTR programs would force innovative small businesses to rely on hard-to-secure private investment, which would require entrepreneurs to give up partial ownership in their companies. There is even a proposal to cap the amount of funding available to a single company within the programs, which would end the more than 40 years of a merit-based system. These federal programs were created by Congress, on a bipartisan basis, with the belief that the government has a responsibility to invest in innovative small businesses to further foster innovation in America. Advertisement Thanks in part to the SBIR and STTR programs, the United States has experienced a golden age of innovation over the past several decades. To build on this success and fuel a robust innovation economy, Congress must ensure SBIR and STTR can meet the growing needs of entrepreneurs and small businesses for years to come. It can do this by
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Beacon's CEO Delivers Congressional Testimony on Fostering U.S. Innovation
WASHINGTON, April 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ML Mackey, CEO of Beacon, recently provided testimony to the House Small Business Committee on the importance of galvanizing the SBIR/STTR Programs which provide a continuous pathway to Federal R&D funds for the smaller high-tech innovators across the country. Mackey's testimony was informed by her leadership role as CEO and Co-founder of Beacon, a digital innovator in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). Her thought leadership is also informed by her experience on the Executive Committee of the National Defense Industrial Association's (NDIA) Board, as well as serving as a member of both the SBA's Invention, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee and the National Academies of Sciences Army Science & Technology Roundtable. Her expertise lends critical industry insight into the technology development process and provides actionable recommendations for supporting the efforts of these programs. Mackey's recommendations largely focused on cementing the reauthorization of the SBIR/STTR programs, increasing support for participants to transition technologies developed in the programs to commercialization, and the diligence necessary to oversee program implementation and increase agency accountability. Beacon has transitioned SBIR investment into digital products deployed across the DoD, including on 200+ U.S. Navy ships and multiple shore-based locations worldwide. Given this success with Federal innovation funding, Mackey spoke to the importance of deliberate and efficient inclusion of contributions from smaller high-tech innovators' to national security. Speaking to the Committee members, Mackey said, "Attracting and retaining new entrants that can rapidly deliver innovative technologies and capabilities to the warfighter is a critical element to building a modern, diverse, and resilient U.S. DIB. These technologies can also provide the decisive advantage needed to deter or win a fight. Your work to defend deliberate and efficient approaches to include small business high-tech innovators in the U.S. DIB is a valuable proposition for the government and a direct enabler of innovation and growth." The hearing, titled "Fostering American Innovation: Insights into SBIR/STTR Programs" was held in Washington, D.C. on February 26, 2025, at 10 am EST. The aim of the hearing was to assess how the SBIR/STTR Programs enable commercial innovators while protecting national security interests. CONTACT: marketing@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Beacon Interactive Systems
Associated Press
30-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Valid Eval Receives Interim Authority to Operate
DENVER, April 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Valid Eval, a provider of secure SaaS platform solutions that manage complex group evaluations, has been granted an Interim Authority to Operate (ATO) by NASA in support of the SBIR/STTR program. This milestone builds upon the company's recent FedRAMP readiness assessment and enables NASA to leverage the platform for Phase One SBIR and STTR application evaluations. 'This interim ATO represents a critical step in our commitment to providing innovative, secure technology solutions for government innovation programs,' says Adam Rentschler, CEO and co-founder of Valid Eval. 'This is the first of many ATOs and opens the door for faster adoption across federal agencies, allowing mission-driven teams to leverage our platform with confidence.' The interim ATO provides Valid Eval with a 270-day window to complete a comprehensive security assessment process. During this period, the company will work to achieve full FedRAMP authorization, which would streamline adoption across civilian federal agencies. With security and performance top of mind, Valid Eval continues to evolve its platform based on customer feedback in order to deliver the best user experience. The latest release, version 8.24, integrates customer feedback that delivers enhanced process efficiency. About Valid Eval Valid Eval is an online evaluation system for organizations that make and defend tough decisions. Its secure SaaS platform works efficiently at virtually any scale to allow customers in the private and government sectors to involve a wide range of applicants, subjects, domain experts, and judges in evaluation and decision-making processes —all with an unprecedented degree of transparency, efficiency and accountability that builds trust in the process. Combining best practices from the learning sciences and systems engineering, Valid Eval delivers defensible, data driven results and provides robust reporting tools that help measure and monitor performance and demonstrate mission alignment. Learn more at: Media Inquiries Sandra Perez: [email protected] View original content: SOURCE Valid Eval
Technical.ly
28-04-2025
- Business
- Technical.ly
Startups often struggle with grant applications. A new group wants to change that.
A new coalition wants to make sure Pittsburgh companies don't leave federal money on the table. The Pittsburgh Technology Council and Keystone Space Collaborative have teamed up to launch the Data, Robotics, Energy, AI, Manufacturing and Security (DREAMS) Coalition, an initiative designed to help local companies in that industry cluster better apply for federal grant funding. The application to be considered for the coalition, announced last week, is open to companies at all stages to apply — and it comes at just the right time. Local companies need help applying for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding, especially in the current 'uncertain federal funding environment,' said Justine Kasznica, founder and board chair of Keystone Space Collaborative. Bringing businesses together in a coworking space and connecting them with government agencies and investment stakeholders provides the foundation to score more grants. 'There [are] a number of these companies that really need support,' Kasznica said, 'identifying what opportunities exist and then sitting down and figuring out what they need to do to maximize their chances of getting critical early-stage [research and development] dollars.' From startups that are first-time applicants to seasoned businesses, the DREAMS coalition is seeking companies with expertise in data, robotics, energy, AI, manufacturing and security that can apply their skills to solve problems identified by federal agencies. Along with offering federal funding assistance, the coalition will provide a collaborative workspace in Bakery Square and facilitate connections to industry stakeholders and investors to propel advanced technology startups in aerospace, robotics, AI and manufacturing. 'If you take the assets we have in this region, both historical and recent, there's not one industry that's going to take us to the next iteration of Pittsburgh,' Audrey Russo, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Technology Council, told 'The diversity of the [coalition's] industries are only going to make us stronger.' As applications roll in, companies could begin receiving support at the coalition's coworking space as early as next month, according to Kasznica and Russo. The coalition is currently in a six-month pilot phase, but if it proves successful, the Pittsburgh Technology Council and Keystone Space Collaborative plan to extend the initiative and establish a more permanent location. 'We're calling it a pilot because we want to test out this broader industry cluster,' Kasznica said. 'How we evaluate ourselves is based on how many new projects and funding dollars we can bring to new technologies or existing companies.' Instead of supplying access to cash like accelerators and incubators, the coalition relies on the importance of building connections and providing hands-on guidance through the grant application process. A tough fed funding landscape still rife with opportunities Despite the uncertain federal funding landscape, Russo and Kasznica both said they were optimistic about local companies securing grants moving forward. Since the creation of the SBIR and STTR programs, Pittsburgh companies have received over $400 million for innovation research and new technology development across over 1,000 grant awards. The early-stage, non-dilutive funding has allowed Pittsburgh to compete with larger cities that have more private capital and has helped numerous local startups get off the ground. The coalition will specifically target agencies in aerospace and defense, Kasznica said, which aligns with the type of funding Pittsburgh companies have received to date. A majority of the grants to Pittsburgh companies have come from the Department of Defense, with the other top agencies being the Department of Health and Human Services, NASA, the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. 'We're anticipating even more opportunities, in some cases, particularly for the future technology development that we're looking at doing in this region, which is advanced manufacturing, robotics and AI,' Kasznica said. 'There's a real appetite for that, even with this administration.' Through DREAMS, Kasznica and Russo want to keep those dollars flowing into the region. What early-stage companies often get wrong when applying for grants, according to Kasznica, is approaching the process with a product-first mindset and trying to pitch a product they've already built. The coalition aims to shift this approach early on by encouraging companies to first understand the needs of potential customers and then apply their expertise in robotics, manufacturing, or AI to solve those specific problems. 'It's really important to have good processes intact and people around you that have experience doing this kind of work,' Russo said, 'so that you can understand what you're able to leverage and what you need to make it happen.' Plus, a free coworking space to spread knowledge even further With a $60,000 grant from the Benedum Foundation, the coalition is leasing space at Spaces Bakery Square, utilizing the coworking hub with 11 rooms, including private offices and flexible conference and working areas that could accommodate up to 30 people. Staff from the Pittsburgh Technology Council, Keystone Space Collaborative and innovation research firm Parallax will all be onsite to work with participating companies. Through the no-cost coworking space, companies will gain access to mentorship and open office hours with a Parallax team member who specializes in connecting universities, businesses and government. Also, eligible members will be able to access Keystone Innovation Zone tax credits, further incentivizing growth. Additional programming could include workshops on scaling innovation and networking events designed to build a strong, connected entrepreneurial ecosystem, according to a recent press release. 'We need a better concierge system, which is what we're trying to set up here with this coalition,' Kasznica said. 'This isn't a traditional accelerator … we're not giving money out, but we're providing a place to come and participate, meet potential partners and funders.'
