Spring Small Business Series -- SBIR / STTR Programs

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Date:  February 15, 2023

Time:  1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (Eastern) / 10:00 a.m. - Noon (Pacific)

CLPs:  2.0

Who Should Attend:  Government, military, academia, Acquisition Workforce, Small Business Reps, Industry

FOR GOVT: Understand how the SBIR/STTR programs work and how to pull SBIR/STTR technologies into your programs of record, fielded systems, or as a stand-alone process, product, or service.

FOR SBCs: Gain an understanding of how to leverage the $2B of funding DoD sets-aside annually for small businesses through the SBIR/STTR programs to further your small businesses goals; learn which DoD Services and Defense Agencies participate, and resources.

Event Description:

This webinar will provide an overview of the Department of Defense (DoD) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, which are Congressionally authorized small business set-asides established to support scientific excellence and technological innovation through investment of Federal research funds in critical American priorities to build a strong national economy. SBIR and STTR are competitive programs with a three-phased process to solicit proposals for Research/Research and Development (R/R&D), production, services, or any combination to meet stated agency needs or missions; and to award funding agreements to qualifying Small Business Concerns (SBCs). The goal of these programs is to stimulate technological innovation for the DoD to maintain technological superiority and military readiness to deter military operations from U.S adversaries. The DoD program encompasses participation from 14 DoD Services and Components, with a combined annual budget of nearly $2 billion.

In addition, one will learn about the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Transitions SBIR/STTR Technologies "OTST" Program, which is focused on accelerating SBIR technology incorporation and transition into Programs of Record through shared SBIR and Program investment. OTST assists sponsoring programs in identifying SBIR Phase II Technologies that have a high potential of transition and encourages the Sponsoring Programs to Data Mine (Reach Back) for SBIR technologies to transition, which helps to bridge the proverbial valley of death.

Speakers:

Mr. Matthew B. Williams, Director, OSD Transitions SBIR/STTR Technology (OTST) Program and OUSD (R&E) Technology Portfolio Manager for the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering

Mr. Matthew Williams is the Director, OSD Transitions SBIR/STTR Technology (OTST) Program and OUSD (R&E) Technology Portfolio Manager for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering's / Defense SBIR/STTR Program Office. Mr. Williams manages transition activities designed to assist Small Businesses Concerns in getting their technology developed and inserted into Acquisition Program of Records, Systems and Sub-Systems used by our warfighters across the agencies.

Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Williams was the NAVAIR SBIR Commercialization Readiness Program (CRP) Manager. The mission of NAVAIR's CRP program is to provide NAVAIR Program Managers (PMA's), Competency Managers and Naval Air Warfare Centers (NAWC's) with transition funding and strategies for state-of-the-art SBIR technologies to be transitioned and/or integrated to NAVAIR Acquisition Program of Records, Research Laboratories and Fleet Readiness Centers. Mr. Williams was NAVAIR's Phase III Contracting Manager, overseeing contracting support / services to five (5) Program Executive Officers (PEO's), thirty-three (33) Programs (PMA's) and five (5) Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC's) - managing over 400 contract actions – valued in excess of $400M annually.

Mr. Williams retired after 24 Years of Naval Service as a Flight Engineer. After retirement, he was the KC/C-130J DAPML from 2001-2004 – during initial Aircraft Acquisition. 

Ms. Susan Celis, Director, Defense SBIR/STTR Program Office, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering

Ms. Celis has served the Department of Defense (DoD) for over 34 years; starting at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1988 until 2004, where she held a variety of positions in financial management, personnel management, program analysis/management, computer information systems development, and training. It was during this period in her career that she became involved with the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Next, she served as the U.S. Army SBIR Program Manager from 2004-2008, where she developed and successfully implemented several program and system modernization initiatives. For eleven years she served as the SBIR/STTR Program Manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) where she focused on creating an environment that considers small business concerns as a primary source of innovative solutions. In 2019, she joined the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to unify and manage the SBIR/STTR programs across the Department.

Ms. Celis holds a Bachelor of Science in Management and Computer Information Systems from Park University, and a Master of Public Administration from American University.

Ken Carkhuff, DAU Small Business Learning Director

Mr. Carkhuff is responsible for leading the life cycle activities of assigned Small Business Professional (SBP) learning assets.  He also serves as a professor for all instructor-led SBP courses.  He was the first DoD acquisition professional to earn the new DoD Small Business Professional Credential in May 2021.

He is a retired naval officer and former SH-60B helicopter pilot with over 2500 flight hours.  He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy (BS, Physical Science), the Naval War College (MA, National Security and Strategic Studies), the Naval Postgraduate School (MS, Contract Management) and Liberty University (EdS, Educational Leadership).  He is a member of the Defense Acquisition Corps.