The Nation’s Combat Logistics Support Agency

Established 1961

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

DLA

Research & Development

SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION PROGRAMS (SBIP) 

OBJECTIVE

To resolve warfighter requirements with the scientific excellence and technological innovation offered 

by the U.S. small business industrial base. To transition innovative technologies and modernize legacy 

solutions in support of DoD Programs of Record. 

WARFIGHTER ALWAYS 

Program Manager: Denise Price Denise.Price@dla.mil

Program Manager: Vaibhav Jain Vaibhav.Jain@dla.mil

RAPID 

INNOVATION FUND 

(RIF)

Established in 2011, the RIF 

program supports the 

refinement of technology by 

funding final maturation to 

ensure successful transition to 

the Warfighter.

SMALL BUSINESS 

INNOVATION RESEARCH 

(SBIR)

Established by Congress in 1982 

to fund R&D by small businesses 

of 500 or fewer employees. 

Eleven federal agencies 

participate in the program.

SMALL BUSINESS 

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER 

(STTR)

Established in 1992 to fund 

cooperative R&D projects with 

small businesses and non-profit 

U.S. research institutions. Five 

federal agencies participate.

NUCLEAR ENTERPRISE 

(NE) SUPPORT

Support nuclear systems 

readiness 

Improve quality of consumable 

parts 

Reduce backorders

Establish new NE manufacturing 

capability

FORCE READINESS & 

LETHALITY

Improve product 

performance 

Modernize manufacturing 

capability

Reduce warfighter costs

Broaden manufacturing 

industrial base

SUPPLY CHAIN 

INNOVATION & ASSURANCE

Reduce logistics costs

Maintain a secure and resilient 

supply chain 

Adopt best practices to optimize 

supply chain

Develop domestic sources of 

strategic materials

STRATEGIC THRUSTS
THE BENEFITS

• DLA SBIP businesses are qualifying as new entrants to the industrial 

base for parts, materials and innovative manufacturing solutions

• DLA SBIP businesses address critical supply chain gaps and security 

threats through innovative research projects and help DoD mitigate 

single points-of-failure within our weapon systems supply chains

DLA RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION PROGRAMS

• Enhanced the industrial base with 188+ new sources for 25 weapons systems.

• Awarded 160+ small businesses, which yielded 120+ SBIR/STTR/RIF technology transitions and 

follow-on investments

• Ongoing Efforts: Industrial Base Growth, Additive Manufacturing, Rare Earths and Strategic 

Materials and Track & Trace Technologies

WARFIGHTER ALWAYS 

U.S. Navy • U.S. Air Force • U.S. Army • U.S. Marine Corps • DLA Land & Maritime • DLA Aviation •

DLA Troop Support • Original Equipment Manufacturers • Universities and Institutes • National Labs

WARFIGHTER READINESS 

PARTNERSHIPS

ACCOMPLISHMENTS & ONGOING EFFORTS

SBIP AREAS OF INTEREST & PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

PHASE I

Technology 

Development

6 Months

$100K

PHASE II

Product Development

1-2 Years

$1M

Transition

Approved Source / 

Tech Integration

PHASE III

DLA SBIP issues competitive awards (Phase I thru Phase III) based on topics aligned with executive 

guidance, the National Defense Strategy, Top USD, R&E Technology Priorities and the DLA Strategic 

Plan. View topics for proposal: https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/login

Reverse and Value Engineering • Domestic Source Development • Strategic Materials • 

Advanced Manufacturing 

https://www.dla.mil/InformationOperations/Research-And-Development/