AFRL - Small Business Office

AFRL Small Business Office logo


The mission of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Small Business Office (AFRL/SB) is to increase the use of small businesses as a valued source of skills for innovative, cost-effective, customer-focused solutions to warfighter requirements and Air Force missions, both now and in the future.  AFRL/SB encompasses the Air Force Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Program, the AFRL Small Business Programs and the Air Force Technology Transfer Program (T2).  The integration of these programs ensures the seamless development of innovative solutions by small businesses, help small businesses find AFRL opportunities, provide guidance and support both to AFRL acquisition teams and small businesses, and assist in the transfer or transition of the technology to the warfighter or the commercial market.

AFRL is very small-business friendly, spending approximately $1 billion per year with small businesses.  Most of the awards are made through Broad Area Announcements (BAAs) with full and open competition, but the organization also exercises small business set-aside contracts and uses the small business aspects of central contracting sourcing tools, such as OASIS or NetCents II. 

In addition, AFRL executes a large portion of the Air Force SBIR/STTR program.  Using a competitive award process, the Air Force SBIR/STTR Program enables small businesses to explore their technological potential and provides incentive to profit from commercialization of technology.  Additionally, the STTR program expands funding opportunities in the innovation arena, encouraging public/private sector partnership to include joint venture opportunities between small businesses and nonprofit research institutions. 

The Air Force T2 program ensures that Air Force science and engineering activities promote the transfer and/or exchange of technology with state and local governments, academia and industry to create jobs, improve productivity and increase competitiveness, while supporting the Air Force mission. The technologies developed, tested and evaluated within the Air Force have tremendous potential for commercial applications.

These technologies can dramatically enhance the competitiveness of individual businesses, as well as economic development opportunities for state and local governments. They can also serve academia by opening up expanded areas of exploration and cooperation. 

Connect to AFRL/SB and its programs via social media:
Collider Project: www.meetup.com/collider
Small Business Hub Twitter: @AFRLBIZ Hub
Small Business Director: @AFRLSBDirector
Air Force SBIR/STTR: @AF_SBIR_STTR
Air Force Technology Transfer Twitter: @airforceT2

Connect to Air Force small business opportunities here:
Defense Innovation Market Place: http://www.DefenseInnovationMarketPlace.mil
Federal Business Opportunities: https://www.fbo.gov
U.S. Air Force Small Business Office: https://afwerx.com/divisions/afventures/sbir-sttr-program-overview/

Other resources:
Size Standards: www.sba.gov/size
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS): https://www.census.gov/naics/
General Services Administration: http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/100000
Defense Contract Audit Agency: www.dcaa.mil
Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC): http://aptac-us.org/new/
Small Business Development Centers: https://www.sba.gov/tools/local-assistance/sbdc