Proposals must be received at NASA Headquarters by June 15, 1994. NASA's SBIR program has contributed to the U.S. economy by fostering the establishment and growth of some 975 small, high-technology businesses. The program was established in 1982, and consists of three distinct phases. Phase I is the opportunity to establish the feasibility and technical merit of a proposed innovation. Phase III is the completion of the development of a product or process to make it commercially marketable.
Private investment is the usual source of funding.
Please mention that you read about it in Innovation .