The SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) and STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) programs, two competitively awarded, three-phase Federal Government programs, are designed to stimulate technological innovation and provide opportunities for small business. These dynamic teamings of the private and public sectors include joint venture opportunities for small businesses and the nation's premier nonprofit research institutions.

Five Federal agencies reserve a portion of their Research and Development funds to be awarded via the STTR program to small business/nonprofit research institution partnerships. For more information about the STTR program, visit http://www.sba.gov/sbir/indexsbir-sttr.html.

The SBIR program solicitations are issued by ten Federal agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense, the Department of Education, the Department of Energy, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Transportation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Science Foundation. For more information about the SBIR program, visit http://www.sba.gov/sbir/indexsbir-sttr.html. In addition, Federal agencies maintain department-specific SBIR and STTR programs Web pages.