About This Site

The Air Force Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Virtual Shopping Mall is operated under the guidance of the Air Force SBIR/STTR Program Manager, located within Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Headquarters, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.  Initial Shopping Mall development followed a planning and requirements study, which consolidated ideas and feedback from selected Air Force organizations (e.g., system program offices), prime contractors, and small businesses.  Improvements/additions are continuously made. 

The centerpiece of this interactive web site is a "Technology Mall" (or Tech Mall) which lists Phase III success stories, Phase I and II summary reports, and Phase I and Phase II award abstracts. SBIR/STTR information may be accessed by firm, DOD technical area, government office, state, keyword, as well as by a custom search. By making SBIR/STTR technology and marketing information easier to find, the Technology Mall can facilitate opportunities for commercialization and partnering arrangements.

The Shopping Mall further provides a means for disseminating information about current news events, program terminology and procedures, and organizational points of contact. For instance, you can go to our electronic library to find the most recent topical brochures, guides, and the quarterly SBIR Advantage publication.

We have established this Shopping Mall site for all SBIR/STTR stakeholders, including small businesses, Air Force and other government acquisition agencies, prime contractors and major subcontractors, companies that facilitate investment and partnering arrangements, and companies that are interested in private-sector applications for SBIR/STTR dual-use technologies.

We hope that you will make good use of this informational resource, and we welcome your feedback on ways in which we may make the site better.

What We Do

The principal goal of the Air Force Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs is to serve the technology needs of the Air Force warfighter. These programs, together with the people who manage them, accomplish this mission as part of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) integrated Research and Development (R&D) team. AFRL’s mission is to be the Air Force’s agent for identifying and providing advanced, affordable, and integrated technologies that keep our Air Force the best in the world.

The Air Force SBIR/STTR Program Manager is responsible for:

  • Establishing the program schedule
  • Requesting and collecting topics for the Department of Defense (DoD) SBIR Program Solicitations
  • Allocating the number of topics among the Program Executive Officers (PEOs), Designated Acquisition Commanders (DACs), AFRL Technology Directorates (TDs), Air Logistics Centers (ALCs), Test Centers, and Product Centers
  • Managing and allocating funds to the AFRL TDs, ALCs, and Test Centers
  • Creating and maintaining the Air Force SBIR/STTR database
  • Coordinating outreach and marketing efforts nationwide
  • Responding to small business inquiries

About the Technology Mall

Purpose and Organization

The Technology Mall highlights SBIR/STTR technologies managed by the Air Force, including any SBIR/STTR programs administered by the Air Force for other Department of Defense offices. The intent of the Mall is to provide an electronic forum to facilitate commercialization of SBIR/STTR technologies and the development of partnering arrangements among prime contractors and small business firms as well as other business-to-business relationships.

The Mall is organized in a relational database format that allows customers to browse Mall contents by firm, DoD technical area, government office, and state. In addition, the user can search for keywords or phrases (e.g., sensor, heat transfer surface). The foundation of the Mall consists of summary reports, success (impact) stories, and SBIR/STTR award abstracts. The following distinctions are pertinent:

  • Phase I Award Abstract. This abstract is prepared at the time of the Phase I contractual award.
  • Phase II Award Abstract. This abstract is prepared at the time of the Phase II contractual award.
  • Phase II Summary Report. A Phase II summary report describes a SBIR/STTR technology that has advanced beyond a Phase I feasibility study into what is normally a two-year developmental process. Phase II summary reports provide a tool for prospective buyers and partners to evaluate commercialization opportunities, including possible spin-offs to related technological needs. Recent-year Phase II awards will have both Interim and Final Phase II Summary Reports.
  • Phase III Success Story. A Phase III Innovation Story describes the commercialization by a small business of a SBIR/STTR technology to either military and/or private sector customer(s). A Transition Impact Story focuses on the actual use/benefit of the technology within the military.

Summary reports are written by small business firms and submitted via the Small Business Area for Air Force review and operations security clearance.  By contrast, a candidate SBIR/STTR success story may be self-initiated by the small business firm, provided directly by the Air Force Technical Point of Contact (TPOC), submitted by the respective SBIR/STTR Program Manager, or initiated by another Air Force or DoD office (e.g., system program office).  Instructions for submission of summary reports and candidate success stories are posted on the Shopping Mall. 

Shopping Mall customers are encouraged to examine the aforementioned informational resources since they collectively provide insights about SBIR/STTR technologies as well as small businesses’ core competencies.

Mall Directory

You may access the Technology Mall by the following options:
  • by Firm (alphabetical listing)
  • by DoD Technical Area
  • by Government Office
  • by State
  • by Keywords
  • Custom Search

Mall Membership and Activity

A small business automatically becomes a Technology Mall member once it receives a Phase I or Phase II SBIR/STTR award.  Small business firms with R&D competencies, which are registered on the DoD SBIR/STTR registration site, may also become part of the Shopping Mall's Small Business Listing (see instructions concerning how to submit a Firm Profile for the Small Business Listing).  

Multiple success story and summary report entries, on older a well as more recent awards, reflect a firm’s strong interest in marketing its SBIR/STTR technologies.  If a Phase III commercialization has occurred, a success story is appropriate.   

If you have any questions about Shopping Mall membership and activity, contact the Shopping Mall Manager.  Other sources for assistance may be found on the Contact Us and Points of Contact webpages.