It is a mistake to wait until all information and documents in an SBIR acquisition package are available and delivered to the contracting office before the contracting officer begins work or assigns the task to a contract specialist. This is a practice that will almost never produce a timely SBIR award. To pursue commercialization, SBIR contractors may require a security clearance even though the work otherwise required for completion of the effort does not. SBIR contracts will usually be unclassified. SBIR legislation stresses commercialization of the technology developed through federal SBIR research and development.
Commercialization includes both government and private markets.
Many SBIR contractors do not possess a security clearance. If this situation arises, a request for facility security clearance should be processed through the Defense Investigative Service. H. Contractor Qualifications. As part of proposal evaluation, SBIR technical evaluators address qualifications of key personnel and availability of facilities and equipment. For Phase I awards, this evaluation will normally be all that is necessary for the contracting officer to make an affirmative determination of responsibility.