For-profit companies conceive, propose and execute ATP projects and programs based on their understanding of the marketplace and research opportunities. The ATP selection process, which includes both government and private-sector expert reviewers, identifies the most meritorious efforts from among those proposed by industry. ATP Product Development. The ATP does not fund companies to do product development. And, of course, companies also bear the full responsibility for production, marketing, sales and distribution.
Small companies compete just as effectively as large companies.
More than half of the ATP awards have gone to small companies or to joint ventures led by a small company. The ATP is not a free ride for winning companies. The ATP is a new model of government-industry cooperation for the benefit of the nation as a whole. Critical evaluation of the ATP's impact on the economy is an important part of the program.