SBA Guidelines for SBIR Agency Implementation of
Executive Order 13329: Encouraging Innovation in Manufacturing

1.	Examples of manufacturing-related SBIR/STTR projects. Describe any case
studies, or success stories, that illustrate the beneficial impact the SBIR or
STTR programs have on U.S. manufacturing.

SBIR/STTR projects benefit U.S. manufacturing in many ways, directly and
indirectly. Because most SBIR/STTR projects involve very early-stage innovative
research, their impact on U.S. manufacturing often occurs at a later stage, when
the technology is applied or when spin-off technologies are developed. Agency
case studies may be used to illustrate this linkage between early-stage innovation
and eventual impact on manufacturing.

2.	Procedures and mechanisms your Agency has used to date to give priority to
manufacturing-related projects. These may include, but are not limited to, the
following:

•	Placing notices in program solicitations stating that preference will be given
to projects with potential benefit to manufacturing.

•	Employing manufacturing-related as added consideration in award
selection, i.e., as a "tie-breaker." This procedure has been used in the past
in the SBIR and STTR programs to target "critical technologies." It allows
the programs to apply an additional preference without compromising the
quality standards or established criteria of the program.

•	Giving priority to manufacturing-related R&D in the identification of future
solicitation topic areas.

3.	Actions your agency has taken toward promoting and supporting
manufacturing-related research projects. Such actions might include:

•	Promoting the manufacturing initiative through conferences, meetings, and
website notices.

•	Tracking and reporting success stories that show the impact of the
SBIR/STTR programs on manufacturing.

•	New initiatives/efforts to coordinate with other public programs that support
manufacturing, such as NIST's Manufacturing Extension Partnership
program.

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