Science and Technology: Information on Federal Programs and Interagency Efforts That Support Small Businesses Engaged in Manufacturing
Published: 2007-05-18T00:00:00

Fast Facts:

Highlights:
section_title: Why GAO Did This Study
paragraphs: Small businesses engaged in manufacturing, typically those with 500 or fewer employees, comprise about 90 percent of all U.S. manufacturers and employ 6 million workers. Recent studies have shown that small manufacturing businesses face a number of challenges in their efforts to remain competitive, including the inability to obtain operating and investment capital, a lack of familiarity with new business practices, and difficulty in finding independent advice and skilled employees. To help these businesses overcome such challenges, many federal agencies provide financial and nonfinancial technical services through targeted or general programs or create interagency work groups to better coordinate their efforts and more effectively support these businesses. In this context, GAO identified (1) federal programs that provide services to support small businesses engaged in manufacturing and (2) federal interagency efforts that focus on issues of concern to small manufacturing businesses. To identify these programs and efforts, GAO obtained documentation from 19 federal agencies. In commenting on a draft of this report, 18 of the 19 agencies made technical comments that we have incorporated as appropriate. GAO is not making recommendations in this report.
section_title: What GAO Found
paragraphs: GAO identified 254 federal programs that provide services to support the business sector, of which 5 provide services specifically to small businesses engaged in manufacturing and an additional 15 target manufacturers, regardless of their size. Seven of the 20 programs had data on the level of services provided to small manufacturing businesses, and between fiscal years 2004 through 2006 these programs provided over $35 million and served from about 8,000 small manufacturing businesses in 2004 to over 9,000 in 2006. The 5 programs that target small businesses engaged in manufacturing provide primarily nonfinancial technical assistance to help firms improve the efficiency of their manufacturing operations and their quality control processes as well as to solve specific manufacturing problems. These 5 programs also offer small manufacturing businesses general assistance with their strategic and business planning, accounting and financing, and sales and marketing. In addition, 1 of the 5 programs offers financial assistance. Of the 15 programs that provide services to manufacturers, regardless of their size, 9 offer only nonfinancial services similar to the 5 that target small manufacturing firms, and 6 also provide financial services. Small businesses engaged in manufacturing also can obtain services from 127 other federal programs that are available to all small businesses, regardless of their business type. Many of these programs provide general business and management services, and about 35 percent also offer financial services, such as loans or grants. Finally, small manufacturing businesses can obtain general business, export, and financial services from an additional 107 federal programs designed to help the business sector in general, regardless of the size or type of the business involved. Because not all of these programs gather data on the size of the businesses they serve, it is unclear how many small manufacturing firms received services from these general programs. GAO identified 20 federal interagency efforts that focus on supporting the business sector. Of these 20 efforts, 4 were created specifically to focus on the challenges that small businesses engaged in manufacturing face, and 2 were created to focus on issues relevant to manufacturers in general, regardless of their size. The agencies involved in 3 of the 4 interagency efforts that focus on the concerns of small manufacturing businesses collaborate to expand and coordinate their services through national networks of technical assistance centers. The 4th effort involves efforts to help small manufacturing businesses improve the efficiency of their operations. The 2 interagency efforts that focus on issues relevant to manufacturers in general focus on developing strategies to improve the competitiveness of manufacturers and resolving issues associated with manufacturing-related research and development policies, programs, and budgets. The remaining 14 interagency efforts that GAO identified focus on the concerns of small businesses or of all businesses in general, which may include some issues that also are of concern to small manufacturing businesses.

section_title: Letter
paragraphs: The ability of U.S. manufacturers to successfully compete in the global  economy is essential to the nation’s continued economic growth and  standard of living. Small businesses engaged in manufacturing (referred to  as “small manufacturers” in this report), typically those with 500 or fewer  employees, comprise over 90 percent of all U.S. manufacturers and employ  6 million workers. Recent studies have shown that these small  manufacturers were particularly hard hit during the recession that began  in 2001 and the subsequent slow economic recovery, and that these  manufacturers continue to face serious challenges to their efforts to  remain competitive. These challenges include difficulties in obtaining  operating capital and investment funds to modernize their operations;  their relative lack of familiarity with changing technology, production  techniques, and business management practices; difficulties in finding  high-quality, independent advice and assistance; and difficulties in  obtaining skilled employees. While the federal government has devoted  considerable resources to programs that can help small businesses,  including manufacturers, to more effectively address these types of  challenges and compete in today’s global market, industry analysts believe  that many small manufacturers may be unaware of this assistance.
Federal programs that support manufacturing and other businesses offer  services designed to help businesses improve their operations in a range of  areas. For example, programs may offer financial services in the form of  loans or loan guarantees to help businesses obtain funds for daily or  export operations or to acquire needed buildings or equipment. Federal  programs also may offer nonfinancial services, such as consulting or  assessments, to help businesses improve their efficiency, adopt modern  technologies, export their products, or train their workers.
In addition to programs that help individual businesses, federal support for  small businesses engaged in manufacturing may take the form of  interagency efforts that bring together officials from several federal  agencies to focus on specific challenges that businesses face. For example,  interagency efforts may focus on ensuring consistency in how a program is  implemented by more than one agency or in how a program might better  meet the needs of the businesses it serves. In other cases, interagency  efforts may address a specific task, such as coordinating research  programs across several agencies. These types of interagency efforts may  disband once their task is complete.
In this context we identified (1) those programs that provide services to  support manufacturing by U.S. small businesses and, for fiscal years 2004  through 2006, the services and funds these programs provided and their  levels of participation and (2) current federal interagency efforts that  support manufacturing by U.S. small businesses. In addition, we compiled  a list of studies that focused on federal programs that support small  businesses engaged in manufacturing. See appendix XXII.
To identify agencies and programs that provide services to support  manufacturing by small businesses, we obtained documentation and  interviewed officials at 17 executive departments, independent agencies,  and a government corporation, including the Departments of Agriculture,  Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services,  Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, the Interior, Labor,  Transportation, and Veterans Affairs; Environmental Protection Agency;  Export-Import Bank; National Aeronautics and Space Administration;  National Science Foundation; and Small Business Administration.  Throughout this report we refer collectively to these executive  departments, independent agencies, and the government corporation as  “agencies”. We also searched the agencies’ Web sites and the Catalog of  Federal Domestic Assistance and interviewed officials representing state  governments and trade associations. Through these efforts, we also  identified relevant federal efforts at the National Technology Transfer  Center and the Appalachian Regional Commission, bringing the total to 19  federal entities that administer programs offering services to businesses,  including small manufacturers. We included assistance provided by federal  entities and through contracts or other agreements with state governments  as well as private and nonprofit entities that operate on the federal  government’s behalf. We focused our work on federal programs that  support businesses by addressing challenges in the following five areas:  obtaining capital; developing or deploying new technologies; applying  improved technology, business, and management practices; exporting  goods; and training workers. Because agencies may not track funding and  participation in a consistent manner, the information they reported to us is  an estimate of the minimum funding provided and businesses served. We  excluded federal research programs that focus on advancing  manufacturing-related knowledge and tools, but that do not offer  operational services or financing to manufacturers. Because no  comprehensive list of federal programs that provide services to  manufacturers or other businesses exists, we cannot guarantee that we  identified all such programs. However, we attempted to verify the  accuracy and completeness of the information we gathered with relevant  agency officials. Officials reviewed and verified information on over 70  percent of the programs that we identified. The information we included  that was not reviewed by agency officials was obtained from agency  documents and information contained in agency Web sites. The program  descriptions included in this report, including the appendix descriptions,  were derived from agency materials and do not reflect independent GAO  legal analysis of any relevant program statutes, regulations, or  administrative guidance.
To identify interagency efforts to support small businesses, we searched  the agencies’ Web sites; obtained documentation; and interviewed officials  at federal agencies and at organizations that represent state government  officials and trade associations. We included both ongoing interagency  efforts that coordinate the activities of programs that operate in multiple  agencies and task-specific interagency efforts that may disband upon  completion of an assigned task. We attempted to verify the information we  gathered on these interagency efforts with relevant agency officials and  reviewed available documentation on the mission, goals, and  accomplishments of each effort. We consulted GAO technical experts and  determined that the information and data were sufficiently reliable for this  report. See appendix I for more details on the objectives, scope, and  methodology. We conducted our work from May 2006 to April 2007 in  accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.
subsections: section_title: Background
paragraphs: Manufacturing generally involves the mechanical, physical, or chemical  transformation of materials, substances, or components into new  products, including the production of food, automobiles, and clothing,  among many other things. The materials that manufacturers transform into  new products include raw materials from agricultural, forestry, fishing,  mining, or quarrying businesses as well as component items produced by  other manufacturers. Manufacturing also includes the assembly of  components into manufactured products. Businesses engaged in  manufacturing often are referred to as plants, factories, or mills, and most  use power-driven machines and materials-handling equipment. However,  products that are made by hand, or in a worker’s home, and businesses  that both make and sell products at the same location, such as bakeries,  also qualify as manufacturers.
In its narrowest sense, manufacturing consists of “factory floor” activities  that contribute directly to the production of goods, such as cutting,  grinding, and assembly. More broadly, manufacturing can include a range  of activities that both precede and follow factory floor activities. Some  activities, such as product design, process improvements, and quality  management, are more specific to the manufacturing enterprise. Other  activities are common to many types of businesses, such as the effective  use of information technology, strategic planning, and administrative  operations.
Although no standard definition for small manufacturing businesses exists,  two systems that are widely used to classify businesses by type and size  can be used to define small businesses engaged in manufacturing (referred  to in this report as “small manufacturers”). Specifically, the North  American Industry Classification System (NAICS), which categorizes  businesses according to the principal activity in which they engage, has  three general classifications for businesses engaged in manufacturing. In  addition, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has size standards that  define small businesses on the basis of average annual revenue or number  of employees (typically, 500 or fewer). For this report, we define small  manufacturers as those businesses that have a NAICS manufacturing  classification and meet SBA’s criteria for small businesses.
Small manufacturers are an important component of the manufacturing  sector. These businesses numbered over 300,000 in 2004 and accounted for  almost 45 percent of all U.S. manufacturing jobs. Many small  manufacturers also export their goods directly or indirectly as suppliers or  contractors for larger companies. In addition, small manufacturers are a  significant source of innovation in the U.S. economy. On average, small  manufacturers produce patents that are more frequently cited as  important contributors to new patents than do large manufacturers.
Over the past 14 years, studies have reported that small manufacturers  possess many strengths due to their size, such as the ability to respond  quickly to market changes. On the other hand, small manufacturers, like  small businesses in general, lack the staff, resources, and expertise of their  larger competitors and consequently face numerous challenges, including  (1) finding sources of operating capital and investment funds (financial  assistance); (2) bringing new products to market or finding new uses for  existing technology (technology development and deployment assistance);  (3) becoming familiar with new technologies, production techniques, and  business management practices (technology, business, and management  assistance); (4) competing in overseas markets (export assistance); and  (5) obtaining skilled employees (worker training assistance).
Federal programs offer a wide range of services to help businesses of all  sizes and types address these challenges. For example, federal programs  may offer financial services, such as grants, loans, loan guarantees, or  insurance. These financial services may be for general business purposes,  such as providing working capital or acquiring new equipment, or targeted  to a specific need, such as covering the expenses necessary to export  goods. Programs that offer nonfinancial services may include those that  help businesses acquire the various types of specialized knowledge and  skills they need to begin, operate, and expand their businesses;  commercialize the results of their research projects; export their goods; or  appropriately train their workforce. Federal programs also may provide  financial and nonfinancial services using federal employees or through  agreements with state governments, private entities, and nonprofit  organizations that act on behalf of the federal government.
Some federal programs are targeted to the needs of businesses of a  specific size, regardless of type, such as the assistance SBA offers to small  businesses. In other cases, federal programs target services to any size  business but of a specific type, such as the assistance that the Farm  Service Agency offers to food processors regardless of their size.  Assistance also may be targeted to businesses adversely affected by trade  policies or local disasters. Federal attention to the needs of manufacturers  increased following the economic recession that began in 2001 when  manufacturing job losses were substantial and recovery in the  manufacturing sector lagged behind other sectors.
The extent to which agencies track program funding, the number of  businesses they assist, and the type of businesses they assist varies.  Agencies tend to track the financial services they provide in the form of  grants, loans, loan guarantees, letters of credit, or insurance, in terms of  both the value and the number of financial services. In addition, agencies  may track financial data according to the source of their funds. For  example, agencies may track the funds by their annual appropriations, the  obligations to which they dedicate the appropriated funds, or the amount  of dollars they expended in financial assistance. Agencies less often track  the funding for and participation in nonfinancial service programs. Such  services may be offered in single- or multipurpose “service centers” that  offer assistance on a range of issues, and may involve the specialized  expertise of staff from multiple agencies. Service centers may track the  number of individuals or firms they serve but not the specific type of  service provided to each business. Moreover, agencies may not gather  NAICS codes or other information on the type of businesses they serve.
Because of these differences, agencies may not track funding and  participation data in a consistent manner.
Federal agencies also may form interagency groups to coordinate the  operations of their programs and help ensure that resources are used  efficiently. These interagency efforts may focus on a specific program; for  example, multiple federal agencies share responsibility for administering  the Small Business Innovation Research Program and have created an  interagency group to help ensure that the program is being implemented  consistently across all of the agencies. Similarly, agencies may form an  interagency effort to address specific activities, such as ensuring that  small businesses have access to federal procurement opportunities. In  addition, multiple agencies may be tasked by the President to focus their  efforts on a specific topic of relevance to the business community. These  agencies may create interagency groups consisting of representatives from  multiple federal agencies to better coordinate their individual programs  and crosscutting activities. For example, Commerce created an  interagency group to implement its 2003 Manufacturing Initiative, which  called for a comprehensive review of issues affecting manufacturers’  competitiveness and a strategy to foster competition. Interagency groups  that are set up to coordinate task-specific efforts may disband upon  completion of the assigned task.
section_title: Few Federal Programs Target Small Businesses Engaged in Manufacturing, but Services Are Available through over 200 Federal Programs That Broadly Support the U.S. Business Sector
paragraphs: Of the 254 federal programs we identified that provide financial or  nonfinancial services or both to support the U.S. business sector, 5  programs provide services specifically to small businesses engaged in  manufacturing, while an additional 15 programs target manufacturers,  regardless of their size. In addition, we identified 127 programs that offer  financial or nonfinancial assistance or both to small businesses, regardless  of type, and 107 other federal programs designed to support all types of  businesses, regardless of their size or type. Appendixes II through XX  provide detailed information on all 254 programs, by agency.
subsections: section_title: Five Federal Programs Target Small Manufacturers
paragraphs: We identified 5 federal programs that specifically provide services to  support small manufacturers. Each of the 5 programs offers various types  of nonfinancial business, management, and technical assistance that are  specifically related to manufacturing operations, processes, and problems.  Only 1 of the 5 programs offered financial assistance in addition to its  nonfinancial services. The types of services provided by the 5 programs  were generally aligned with the mission of the administering agency and  included the following:    The Outreach to Small and Very Small Plants program is administered by  Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which regulates  manufacturers of meat, poultry, and egg products of all sizes, and helps  small meat and poultry processors comply with food safety regulations.  FSIS delivers information through partnerships with colleges, universities,  and other Agriculture agencies. Its services to small manufacturers include  informational materials about regulatory compliance; referrals to other  sources of information; funding for university workshops; and training  materials such as videos. FSIS also offers education sessions to small and  very small plant owners and operators on how to improve their food safety  and food defense systems, and provides guidance regarding federal  inspection of their products to small and very small plant owners who  want to start operations.
MilTech, administered in the Office of the Secretary, is a partnership  between Defense’s TechLink Program and the Montana Manufacturing  Extension Partnership Center. MilTech provides companies with  engineering, manufacturing, and business development assistance to help  accelerate the transition of new technology to the U.S. warfighter, lower  the cost and cycle time of technology acquisition, and help Defense more  fully benefit from its small business research and development investment.
The Defense Small Business Technology and Readiness Resources  Program (DSTARR), is administered by the Navy. DSTARR provides  assessments of participating small manufacturers’ operational processes  at their places of business, and develops detailed continuous improvement  plans to help participants implement industry best practices, gain  knowledge, and improve operations. In addition, DSTARR offers online  access to information and training, and access to technical experts who  provide both on-site and remote technical assistance and training in  manufacturing and business processes. The goal of DSTARR is to develop  a national network of small manufacturers and specialized information  technology companies to meet Defense’s needs. Prior to December 2006,  DSTARR was known as the Manufacturing Technical Assistance  Partnership Program, The Next Generation.
The Manufacturing Technical Assistance Production Program (MTAPP)  is administered by the Air Force. MTAPP provides technical and  managerial assistance to enhance the capabilities of small manufacturers  and increase their ability to deliver high-quality products to the Air Force,  as well as to Defense, and its major contractors. Each participant receives  an in-depth assessment of its operations and a continuous improvement  plan. In addition, MTAPP provides hands on assistance with quality  assurance, improving the efficiency of manufacturing operations, sales and  marketing, information technology, and business planning.
The Technology Insertion, Demonstration, and Evaluation (TIDE)
Program is also administered by the Air Force and is a federally funded  research and development center that operates through Carnegie Mellon  University with funding from Defense. TIDE encourages and assists small  manufacturers––specifically, those that supply goods and services  important to national defense––to adopt commercially available software  and information technology. The program demonstrates to these firms the  advantages of using advanced software and information technology in  their operations and adapts existing commercial software and information  technology for small manufacturers’ use. TIDE also offers workshops,  conferences, and courses that provide some of the training small  manufacturers need to successfully adopt new technology. Specifically,  TIDE has addressed product data management, electronic data  distribution, data security, flexible scheduling of manufacturing  operations, and computer simulation of manufacturing processes.
Only the Defense agencies that administer 3 of the 5 programs that target  small manufacturers tracked detailed information on annual funding and  participation levels for their programs. As shown in table 1, these 3  programs provided $3.8 million and served 95 small manufacturers on  average each year from fiscal years 2004 through 2006. For more  information on these programs, see appendixes II and IV.
section_title: Small Manufacturers May Obtain Services from 15 Federal Programs That Target Manufacturers, Regardless of Size
paragraphs: Agencies within Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health and  Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Labor  administered 15 programs that provided services specifically to  manufacturers, regardless of their size. As with federal programs designed  to support small manufacturers, the programs that target the needs of  manufacturers in general offer services aligned with the mission of the  administering agency. We identified 9 programs that offer only  nonfinancial assistance and 6 programs that offer both financial and  nonfinancial assistance. These programs include the following:    The Domestic Food Distribution Procurements and the International  Food Aid Procurements, administered by Agriculture’s Farm Service  Agency, provide financial services, in the form of direct purchases, to  processors of foods used for domestic food assistance, export, and foreign  aid programs. Specifically, dairy, vegetable oil, and other processed  commodities are purchased for various domestic and international food  aid programs from food manufacturers, regardless of their size.
The Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) administered  by Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology, supports a  nationwide network of not-for-profit centers in nearly 350 locations. The  centers, funded by federal, state, local, and private resources, provide  manufacturers with access to the expertise of knowledgeable  manufacturing and business specialists all over the country. Each center  works directly with area manufacturers to provide expertise and services  tailored to their most critical needs, ranging from process improvements  and worker training to business practices and applications of information  technology. Solutions are offered through a combination of direct  assistance from center staff and outside consultants. According to an  agency official, 92 percent of the manufacturing businesses that the  program serves are small manufacturing businesses.
The Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Firms Program,  administered by Commerce’s Economic Development Administration,  offers only nonfinancial services to manufacturers that have experienced  declines in sales or employment due to competition from imports in the  preceding 2 years. TAA for Firms is a cost-sharing program that provides  funds to pay one-half the cost of consultants or industry-specific experts  for projects that improve a manufacturer’s competitiveness.
The Textiles and Apparel Program, administered by Commerce’s  International Trade Administration, offers nonfinancial export assistance  to textile manufacturers, such as oversight of strategies and programs to  improve the domestic and international competitiveness of the U.S. fiber,  textile, and apparel industries as well as industries that manufacture a  wide range of consumer products. Among other things, the program  performs research and analysis, compiles industry data, and promotes U.S.  trade events for a whole spectrum of textiles and apparel.
The Manufacturing Technology (ManTech), the Next Generation  Manufacturing Technology Initiative, and the Best Manufacturing  Practices Programs, administered by the Office of the Secretary of  Defense and the Navy, provide nonfinancial technical and business  assistance to help large and small manufacturers, including ones that  supply parts and equipment to Defense. These 3 programs help firms  modernize their operations, apply information technology, or network  with other businesses. In addition, ManTech provides financial assistance  to manufacturers.
The Industrial Technologies Program, administered by Energy, works  with manufacturers to improve industrial energy efficiency and  environmental performance. The program, which offers both financial and  nonfinancial assistance, invests in high-risk, high-value research and  development to reduce industrial energy use while stimulating  productivity and growth.
The Manufacturers’ Assistance, Investigational New Drug Application,  and Prescription Drug User Fee Act and Reductions for Small Business  Programs, administered by Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug  Administration, offer nonfinancial services, such as training, and  information to industry and trade associations on the policies and  procedures relevant to those products that are regulated by the agency,  such as vaccines.
The Research Program for the Manufacturing Sector, administered by  Health and Human Services’ National Institute for Occupational Safety and  Health, offers nonfinancial services by partnering with manufacturers to  develop practices and products for the workplace that can help prevent  occupational diseases and injuries.
The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing Initiative,  administered by Housing and Urban Development, is a public/private  partnership that brings together key federal agencies with leaders of the  home building, product manufacturing, insurance, and financial industries  to develop and deploy innovative building technologies for the next  generation of housing. The goal of this initiative is to identify techniques  for building more affordable, durable, disaster-resistant, safe, and energy- efficient housing.
Dream It. Do It, a campaign launched by the Manufacturing Institute of  the National Association of Manufacturers that is partially funded by  Labor, provides nonfinancial assistance to develop tools and partnerships  to help inform young people, their parents, and educators of career  opportunities in advanced manufacturing. The initiative develops tools and  partnerships among employers, training providers, and local Workforce  Investment Boards in Kansas City and Washington State as well as in parts  of Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.
Only 7 of the 15 programs that we identified that target manufacturers,  regardless of their size, had funding or participation data or both for fiscal  years 2004 through 2006.  This information is provided in table 2. Because  not all of these programs gather data on the size of the manufacturing  businesses they serve, we could not determine the extent to which small  manufacturers avail themselves of the services that each of these  programs offer. For more information on these programs, see appendixes  II, III, IV, VI, VII, IX and XI.
section_title: Small Manufacturers Can Also Access Services Offered by Many Programs That Target Small Businesses, Regardless of Type
paragraphs: We identified 127 federal programs administered by 18 agencies that target  small businesses regardless of type. Five agencies account for over one- half of these small business programs: SBA has 35 programs, Veterans  Affairs has 10, Defense has 9, and Health and Human Services and  Transportation each have 8. Of the 127 programs, 7 offer only financial  services, such as loans or loan guarantees; 73 offer only nonfinancial  services, such as technical, business, and management assistance; 46 offer  both financial and nonfinancial services; and 1 did not specify the type of  services it offered. For example, of the 35 programs administered by SBA,  16 offer both financial and nonfinancial services, and 19 offer only  nonfinancial services. In addition to administering these programs, SBA  helps coordinate and manage two multiagency programs: the Small and  Disadvantaged Business Utilization program and the Small Business  Innovation Research program. Fourteen agencies included in our review  have an Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, these  offices conduct outreach and provide consulting or other nonfinancial  services to help small socially or economically disadvantaged businesses  more effectively compete for federal contracting opportunities. Similarly,  11 agencies included in our review administer Small Business Innovation  Research (SBIR) programs. SBIR provides funding for innovative research  projects. In 2004 and 2005, the most recent data available, almost 20  percent of SBIR awards, valued at about $360 million, funded  manufacturing-related research. For more information on all 127  programs, see appendixes II through XIX.
Of the 18 administering agencies, only 14 collected data on the types of  businesses that their small business programs served or the funding  devoted to provide services through these programs. Table 3 shows the  number of small business programs administered by each of the 18  agencies and the funding and participation data for the 14 agencies that  tracked these data.
section_title: Small Manufacturers May Also Benefit from Many Federal Programs That Target Businesses, Regardless of Size or Type
paragraphs: We identified an additional 107 programs administered by 15 agencies  included in our review that offer financial or nonfinancial services or both  to businesses, regardless of the size or type of business. Over 60 percent of  these programs are administered by agencies within Agriculture,  Commerce, Defense, and Health and Human Services. As with the  manufacturing-related and small business programs previously described,  the services these general business programs offer are aligned with the  mission of the administering agency. Specifically, we found that 7  programs in 3 agencies offer only financial services to businesses, 66  programs in 13 agencies offer only nonfinancial services, and 32 programs  provide both financial and nonfinancial services. Technical, business, or  management assistance was the most commonly offered nonfinancial  service, and worker training was the least commonly offered service.  Information on the services offered by these 107 programs by each of the  15 administering agencies is shown in table 4. For more details on these  107 programs, see appendixes II through XX.
section_title: Six Interagency Efforts Support Manufacturing, and 14 Support All Businesses, Including Manufacturers
paragraphs: Of the 20 federal interagency efforts we identified that address the  concerns of the business sector, 4 specifically focus on the challenges  faced by small manufacturers, 2 focus on issues faced by manufacturers in  general, and the remaining 14 focus on issues of concern to small  businesses or businesses in general. Tables 5 and 6 provide detailed  information on each of the interagency efforts that we identified on the  basis of the primary focus of the effort.
Of the remaining 14 interagency efforts that we identified, 5 focus on the  concerns of small businesses and 9 focus on the concerns of all businesses  in general, both of which may address some issues that are also relevant to  small businesses engaged in manufacturing. For example, these efforts  focus on such issues as ensuring access to federal contracting  opportunities, expanding services available to small businesses through  networks of service centers, streamlining electronic access to federal  business opportunities, and expanding export opportunities. For more  details on these 14 interagency efforts, see appendix XXI.
section_title: Agency Comments
paragraphs: We sent a draft of this report to the Departments of Agriculture,  Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services,  Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, the Interior, Labor,  Transportation, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Environmental  Protection Agency, Export-Import Bank, National Aeronautics and Space  Administration, National Science Foundation, Small Business  Administration, Appalachian Regional Commission, and National  Technology Transfer Center. All of the agencies except for the  Appalachian Regional Commission provided technical comments that we  have incorporated as appropriate.
As agreed with your offices, unless you publicly announce its contents  earlier, we plan no further distribution of this report for 30 days after the  date of this letter. At that time, copies of this report will be sent to  interested congressional committees; the Secretaries of Agriculture,  Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services,  Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, the Interior, Labor,  Transportation, and Veterans Affairs; the Administrators of the  Environmental Protection Agency, Export-Import Bank, National  Aeronautics and Space Administration, and Small Business  Administration; the Director of the National Science Foundation; the  Chairman and President of the Export-Import Bank; the Executive  Director of the Appalachian Regional Commission; and the Vice-President  of the National Technology Transfer Center.  We will also make copies  available to others upon request.  In addition, this report will be available  at no charge on GAO’s Web site at http://www.gao.gov.
If you or your staffs have any questions about matters contained in this  report, please contact me at (202) 512-3841 or mittala@gao.gov. Contact  points for our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may  be found on the last page of this report. Key contributors to this report are  listed in appendix XXIII.
section_title: Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology
paragraphs: We identified (1) those programs that provide services to support  manufacturing by U.S. small businesses and, for fiscal years 2004 through  2006, the services and funds these programs provided and their levels of  participation and (2) current federal interagency efforts that support  manufacturing by U.S. small businesses. In addition, we compiled a list of  studies that focuses on federal programs that support small businesses  engaged in manufacturing.
To identify agencies and programs that provide services to support  manufacturing by small businesses, we obtained documentation and  interviewed officials at 17 executive departments, independent agencies,  and a government corporation, including the Departments of Agriculture,  Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services,  Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, the Interior, Labor,  Transportation, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection  Agency; Export-Import Bank; National Aeronautics and Space  Administration; National Science Foundation; and Small Business  Administration (SBA).  Throughout this report we refer collectively to  these executive departments, independent agencies, and the government  corporation as “agencies”.
We selected these 17 agencies because each had participated in efforts by  Commerce to foster, serve, and promote the nation’s economic  development and technological advancement and in the efforts of SBA to  promote small business development and entrepreneurship. We also  searched the agencies’ Web sites and the Catalog of Federal Domestic  Assistance and interviewed officials representing state governments and  trade associations.  Through these efforts, we also identified relevant  federal efforts at the National Technology Transfer Center and the  Appalachian Regional Commission, bringing the total to 19 federal entities  that administer programs offering services to support businesses,  including small manufacturers. We included assistance provided by federal  entities and through contracts or other agreements with state governments  as well as private and nonprofit entities that operate on the federal  government’s behalf.
We focused our work on federal programs that support businesses by  addressing challenges in the following five areas: obtaining capital;  developing or deploying new technologies; applying improved technology,  business, and management practices; exporting goods; and training  workers.  Because agencies may not track funding and participation in a  consistent manner, the information they reported to us is an estimate of  the minimum funding provided and businesses served.  We excluded  federal research programs that focus on advancing manufacturing-related  knowledge and tools but that do not offer operational services or financing  to manufacturers. Because no comprehensive list of federal programs that  provide direct services to manufacturers or other businesses exists, we  cannot guarantee that we identified all such programs. However, we  attempted to verify the accuracy and completeness of the information we  gathered with relevant agency officials.  Officials reviewed and verified  information on over 70 percent of the programs that we identified.  The  information we included that was not reviewed by agency officials was  obtained from agency documents and information contained in agency  Web sites.  The program descriptions included in this report, including the  appendix descriptions, were derived from agency materials and do not  reflect independent GAO legal analysis of any relevant program statutes,  regulation, or administrative guidance.
To identify interagency efforts to support manufacturing by small  businesses, we searched the agencies’ Web sites; obtained documentation;  and interviewed officials at federal agencies and organizations that  represent state governments and trade associations.  We included both  ongoing interagency efforts that coordinate the activities of programs that  operate in multiple agencies and task-specific interagency efforts that may  disband upon completion of an assigned task. We attempted to verify  information on these interagency efforts with relevant agency officials and  reviewed available documentation on the mission, goals, and  accomplishments of each effort.  We consulted GAO technical experts and  determined that the information and data were sufficiently reliable for this  report. We conducted our work from May 2006 to April 2007 in accordance  with generally accepted government auditing standards.
To identify studies focused on federal programs that support domestic  manufacturing by small businesses, and other relevant studies, we  identified the following criteria for including a study in this report: (1) only  those studies about federal programs—specifically, those that target small  businesses engaged in manufacturing; any small businesses, regardless of  type; or any businesses engaged in manufacturing, regardless of size; (2)  only programs administered by the following agencies and departments:  the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy,  Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban  Development, Labor, and Transportation and the Appalachian Regional  Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Export-Import Bank,  National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science  Foundation, and SBA; (3) only those studies that were published after  October 1, 2000; and (4) only those studies that included original research.
We searched the following databases in addition to GAO’s reports  database: ProQuest, Nexis.com, EconLit, Tax & Accounting, WorldCat,  DIALOG, Sociological Abstracted, Cited References, Expanded Academic,  the Congressional Budget Office, the Congressional Research Service, the  Defense Technical Information Center, the Inspectors General’s offices at  each of the 16 agencies, the National Association of Public Administration,  the National Academies Press, PolicyFile, and the RAND Corporation.  We  used such search terms as manufacture(s), manufacturing,  manufacturer(s), industry, small business(es), federal, and each of the  agency names.  We found 66 studies that fit our criteria and completed a  fatal flaw review for the 23 studies that were not completed by GAO to  ensure that each was conducted with reasonable methodological  soundness.  Based on this review, we found that 4 of these 23 studies were  outside of our scope or without a sound methodology.  We combined the  19 studies that met our criteria with 43 studies completed by GAO and  then organized these 62 studies by the agency that administers them and  placed them in a bibliographic format.
section_title: Appendix II: Department of Agriculture – Programs that Offer Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of Services
paragraphs: Appendix II: Department of Agriculture –  Programs that Offer Services to Small  Manufacturers and Types of Services The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program makes competitively  awarded grants to qualified small businesses for the purpose of supporting high quality  research proposals containing advanced concepts related to important scientific  problems and opportunities in agriculture that could lead to significant public benefit if  the research is successful. The objectives of the SBIR program are to stimulate  technological innovations in the private sector, strengthen the role of small businesses  in meeting federal research and development needs, increase private sector  commercialization of innovations derived from Agriculture-supported research and  development efforts, and foster and encourage participation by women-owned and  socially and economically disadvantaged small business firms in technological  innovations. Eight Agriculture agencies participate in SBIR including the Cooperative  State Research, Education and Extension Service, Agricultural Research Service, and  the Forest Service.
The Domestic Food Aid Procurements are purchases of dairy and processed  commodities for domestic food assistance programs, administered by Agriculture’s  Food and Nutrition Service, such as the National School Lunch Program, the  Commodity Supplemental Food Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program,  and the Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations. The Domestic  Procurement Division also purchases butter, cheese and nonfat dry milk at announced  prices under the Milk Price Support Program administered by Commodity Operations.
International Food Aid Procurements are purchases of processed vegetable oil and  other commodities that are produced and manufactured within the United States.  Commodities are shipped for overseas donation through various humanitarian feeding  programs administered by the United States Agency for International Development  and Agriculture’s, Foreign Agricultural Service.
The Small and Very Small Plant Outreach program offers a central source for small  and very small food processing plants to obtain information, technical assistance, and  training to comply with food safety regulations and promote food safety. Since  February 2006, an interagency council coordinates the outreach efforts across  Agriculture agencies. Through the program Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection  Service (FSIS) delivers information through partnerships with colleges, universities,  and other Agriculture agencies. Its services to small manufacturers include  informational materials about regulatory compliance, referrals to other sources of  information, funding for university workshops, and training materials such as videos.  FSIS also offers education sessions to small and very small plant owners and  operators on how to improve their food safety and food defense systems, and provides  guidance to small and very small plant owners who want to start operations regarding  federal inspection of their product.
Agriculture’s Facility Guarantee Program is designed to expand sales of U.S.  agricultural products to emerging markets where inadequate storage, processing or  handling capacity limit trade potential. The program targets export sales of U.S.  equipment or expertise to improve ports, loading/unloading capacity, refrigerated  storage, warehouse and distribution systems, and other related facilities may qualify  for facility guarantees, as long as these improvements are expected to increase  opportunities for U.S. agricultural exports. The program provides payment guarantees  to finance commercial exports of U.S. manufactured goods and services that will be  used to improve agriculture-related facilities. Under the program, Agriculture’s  Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) guarantees payments due from approved  foreign banks to exporters or financial institutions in the United States. Typically, a  guarantee covers 95 percent of principal and a portion of interest. The financing must  be obtained through normal commercial sources. Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural  Service administers this program on behalf of the CCC.
The Market Access Program (MAP) uses funds from Agriculture’s Commodity Credit  Corporation (CCC) to help create, expand, and maintain foreign markets for U.S.  agricultural products. MAP targets its partnerships to non-profit U.S. agricultural trade  associations, U.S. agricultural cooperatives, non-profit state-regional trade groups, and  small U.S. businesses. The MAP partner and CCC share the costs of approved  overseas marketing and promotional activities such as consumer promotions, market  research, trade shows, and trade servicing.
The Foreign Market Development program, also know as the “Cooperator Program,”  uses funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to create, expand, and  maintain long-term export markets for U.S. agricultural products. Through the  Cooperator program, CCC enters into trade promotion partnerships with U.S.  agricultural producers and processors, who are represented by nonprofit commodity or  trade associations. Under this partnership, Agriculture and the Cooperators pool their  technical and financial resources to conduct approved overseas market development  activities. The Cooperator Program is administrated by Agriculture’s Foreign  Agricultural Service.
The Emerging Markets Program is a market access program that provides funding for  technical assistance activities intended to promote exports of U.S. agricultural  commodities and products to emerging markets in all geographic regions, consistent  with U.S. foreign policy. The program specifically targets U.S. agricultural or  agribusiness organizations, universities, state departments of agriculture, Agriculture  agencies, and for-profit entities. Many types of technical assistance activities that  promote markets for U.S. agricultural products may be eligible for funding, including  feasibility studies, market research, sectorial assessments, orientation visits,  specialized training, and business workshops.
Export credit guarantee programs help provide commercial financing of U.S.  agricultural exports. Agriculture’s Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) administers  these programs assist U.S. exporters of agricultural products with exports to countries  where credit is necessary to maintain or increase U.S. sales, but where financing may  not be available without CCC guarantees.
The Dairy Export Incentive Program helps exporters of U.S. dairy products meet  prevailing world prices for targeted dairy products and destinations. Under the  program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture pays cash to exporters as bonuses,  allowing them to sell certain U.S. dairy products at prices lower than the exporter’s  costs of acquiring them. The major objective of the program is to develop export  markets for dairy products where U.S. products are not competitive because of the  presence of subsidized products from other countries.
The Export Enhancement Program is designed to help U.S. farm products meet  competition from subsidizing countries, especially the European Union. Under the  program, Agriculture pays cash to exporters as bonuses, allowing them to sell U.S.  agricultural products in targeted countries at prices below the exporter’s costs of  acquiring them. The major objectives are to expand U.S. agricultural exports and to  challenge unfair trade practices.
U.S. Exporter Assistance offers on-line access to Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)  resources, products, and services that can help companies explore the potential for  international sales. Agriculture-FAS’s Exporter Assistance benefits primarily small and  medium-sized companies.
The Supplier Credit Guarantee Program (SCGP) was designed to make it easier for  exporters to sell U.S. food products overseas by insuring short-term, open account  financing. SCGP was active until late 2005, but has not been active since. Under the  security of the SCGP, U.S. exporters could become more competitive by extending  longer credit terms or increasing the amount of credit available to foreign buyers  without increasing financial risk. SCGP targeted U.S. exporters of agricultural  products, with an emphasis on high-value products and market potential.
The small business programs administered by Agriculture’s Office of Small and  Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) are responsible for fostering the use of  small and small disadvantaged businesses as federal contractors. OSDBU’s goal is to  provide as much information, guidance and technical assistance as possible to assist  the small business community in increasing its competitiveness through increased  participation in Agriculture’s procurement and program activities.
The Customer Outreach Services administered by Agriculture’s Office of Small and  Disadvantaged Business Utilization help foster participation by small businesses in  Agriculture’ s procurement and program activities. Specifically, the program identifies  and eliminates barriers that prevent or restrict access to Agriculture procurements,  educates small businesses, and conducts monthly vendor outreach.
The Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program funds  grants, direct loans, and loan guarantees to agricultural producers and rural small  businesses that can demonstration financial need to purchase renewable energy  systems and make energy efficiency improvements. To be eligible for grants,  applicants must demonstrate financial need. Projects must be for the purchase of a  renewable energy system or to make energy efficiency improvements. Eligible  renewable energy projects include systems that generate energy from wind, solar,  biomass, or geothermal sources or that produce hydrogen derived from biomass or  water using a renewable energy source. Renewable energy projects can include the  generation of electricity, heat, fuels, or hydrogen. Energy efficiency projects typically  involve installing or upgrading equipment that results in a significant reduction in  energy use from current operations.
The purpose of the Rural Business Opportunity Grant program is to promote  sustainable economic development in rural communities with exceptional needs by  making grants to pay the costs of providing economic planning for rural communities,  technical assistance for rural businesses, or training for rural entrepreneurs or  economic development officials. Eligible applicants include public bodies, nonprofit  corporations, Indian tribes, or cooperatives with members who are primarily rural  residents. Applicants must be able to show that the funding will result in economic  development of a rural area. In addition, applicants must include a basis for  determining the success or failure of the project and assessing its impact.
The Rural Business Enterprise Grants program awards grants to public bodies, private  nonprofit corporations, and federally-recognized Indian tribes to finance and facilitate  development of small and emerging private businesses located in rural areas. Eligible  small and emerging businesses must have fewer than 50 new employees and less  than $1 million in gross annual revenues. Funds may be used to finance or develop  small and emerging businesses. Eligible uses include technical assistance such as  marketing and feasibility studies, business plans, and training; purchases or leases of  machinery and equipment; the creation of revolving loan funds small emerging  businesses may use to purchase equipment or real estate; or provide working capital  or funds to construct business incubators for small and emerging businesses.
The Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan program helps create jobs and  stimulates rural economies by providing financial backing for rural businesses. This  program provides guarantees up to 80 percent of loans made by commercial lenders.  Loan proceeds may be used for working capital, machinery and equipment, buildings  and real estate, and certain types of debt refinancing. The primary purpose is to create  and maintain employment and improve the economic climate in rural communities.  Authorized lenders include federal or state chartered banks, credit unions, insurance  companies, savings and loan associations, Farm Credit Banks, the National Rural  Utilities Finance Corporation, and other lenders approved by Business and  Cooperative Programs. A borrower may be a cooperative organization, corporation,  partnership, or other legal entity organized and operated on a profit or nonprofit basis;  an Indian tribe on a federal or state reservation or other federally recognized tribal  group; a public body; or an individual. Individual borrowers must be U.S. citizens or  legal residents. Corporations or other nonpublic borrowers must be at least 51 percent  owned by persons who are either U.S. citizens or legal residents. Business and  Industry loans are normally available in rural areas.
Value Added Producer Grants may be used for planning activities and for working  capital for marketing value-added agricultural products and for farm-based renewable  energy. Eligible applicants are independent producers, farmer and rancher  cooperatives, agricultural producer groups, and majority-controlled producer-based  business ventures.
The purpose of the Intermediary Relending Program is designed to alleviate poverty  and increase economic activity and employment in rural communities, especially  disadvantaged and remote communities, through financing targeted primarily towards  smaller and emerging businesses, in partnership with other public and private  resources, and in accordance with state and regional strategy based on identified  community needs. This purpose is achieved through loans made to intermediaries that  establish programs for the purpose of providing loans to ultimate recipients for  business facilities and community developments in a rural area. The program targets  small businesses in rural areas.
The Rural Economic Development Loans and Grants program must be used  exclusively to promote rural economic development and/or job creation projects,  including but not limited to, project feasibility studies, start-up costs, business  incubator projects, and other reasonable expenses for the purpose of fostering rural  economic development.
section_title: Appendix III: Department of Commerce – Programs that Offer Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of Services
paragraphs: The Office of Exporter Services is responsible for counseling exporters of all sizes,  conducting export control seminars and drafting and publishing changes to the Export  Administration Regulations. It is also responsible for compliance actions related to the  Special Comprehensive Licenses and the development of export management  systems. In addition, the office processes license applications and commodity  classifications.
A series of increasingly detailed seminars led by Bureau of Industry and Security’s  professional counseling staff to provide an in-depth examination of the Export  Administration Regulations and to inform exporters how to comply with U.S. export  control requirements on commercial goods.
A web site to help make small and medium-sized businesses aware of the wide range  of federal resources available to bolster their competitiveness in world markets. The  Bureau of Industry and Security and partner agencies offer a variety of innovative  programs to assist such firms. The web site provides a brief description and links to  various programs, many of which are defense-related.
The Defense Advocacy Program helps companies succeed in today’s highly  competitive global defense market. They assist U.S. companies of all sizes. Trade and  industry analysts: 1) support U.S. defense companies’ products and services in  international procurement competitions, 2) identify and disseminate information on  export market opportunities, 3) provide market intelligence and business counseling,  and 4) generate high-level, government-to-government advocacy on behalf of U.S.  firms competing for international defense projects.
The purpose of the Defense Priorities and Allocations System Program is to (1) assure  the timely availability of industrial resources to meet current national defense and  emergency preparedness program requirements; and (2) provide an operating system  to support rapid industrial response in a national emergency.
The Bureau of Industry and Security conducts industry analyses to assess the  capability of the U.S. industrial base to support national defense. The Office of  Technology Evaluation, an office within the Bureau, uses industry-specific surveys to  provide essential employment, financial, production, research and development, and  other data - information unavailable from any other source. The final reports provide  findings and recommendations for government policy-makers and industry leaders.  These studies are conducted in cooperation with experts from the private sector and  other U.S. government agencies. The goal is to enable the private sector and  government agencies to monitor trends, benchmark industry performance, and raise  awareness of diminishing manufacturing capabilities. Customers for these reports  include the Armed Services, Congress, and industry associations.
The Office of National Security and Technology Transfer Controls (NSTTC) and the  Office of Nonproliferation and Treaty Compliance (NPTC) are responsible for issues  related to export and reexport controls. They implement the Export Administration  Regulations to control the spread of commodities, technologies, and software that  have both civilian and defense uses. The offices are responsible for policy actions,  export licenses, commodity classifications, license determinations, advisory opinions  for affected commodities, and interagency commodity jurisdiction assessments. Part of  their missions include interacting with businesses of all sizes to ensure compliance  with U.S. export regulations, and supporting BIS outreach activities. Business and  Industry Services (BIS) does not provide financial assistance to any business.  Specifically, NSTTC implements multilateral dual-use export controls for national  security reasons to comply with the Wassenaar Arrangement. NSTTC is also  responsible for U.S. export control policy for high performance computers and  encryption, and administers the export licensing responsibilities for foreign nationals  under the “deemed export” technology rule It also administers the “short supply”  provisions of the Export Administration Regulations. NPTC implements multilateral  dual-use export controls for non-proliferation reasons to comply with the Australia  Group, the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Missile Technology Control Regime,  and the Nuclear Suppliers Group. In addition, NPTC is responsible for the Inter- American Firearms Convention, crime control, and United Nations embargo  restrictions. Both offices implement export controls for anti-terrorism and regional  stability reasons. In addition, NSTTC conducts outreach on export controls to various  industry associations: in the areas of night vision, encryption and deemed exports.
The Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for Firms program is a matching funds  program designed for manufacturers battling import competition. A firm may be eligible  if it experienced sales and employment declines at least partially due to imports over  the last 2 years. One of the 11 regional non-profit groups that manage the program  (known as Trade Adjustment Assistance Centers or (TAACs) makes an initial  assessment of eligibility. TAA for Firms provides financial assistance to offset the cost  of projects that strengthen operations and sharpen competitiveness for manufacturers  in many industries. This customized business assistance is used for a variety of  projects, including consultant services in the areas of marketing, information  technology, manufacturing, engineering, and quality.
The Petition Counseling and Analysis Unit helps U.S. Businesses understand U.S.  unfair trade laws dealing with dumping and unfair foreign government subsidies, and  the process of filing a petition requesting the initiation of an investigation. It provides  guidance to potential petitioners to assist them in determining what types of  information will be required in order to pursue action against an industry suspected of  unfair trade practices. The PCAU also assists potential petitioners in ensuring their  petition is in compliance with statutory initiation standards and provides small  businesses with publicly available tariff and trade data from the Departments of  Commerce and Treasury, and the U.S. International Trade Commission.
The primary mission of the Subsidies Enforcement Office (SEO) is to assist the private  sector by monitoring foreign subsidies and identifying subsidies that can be remedied  under the Subsidies Agreement of the World Trade Organization of which the United  States is a member. As part of its monitoring efforts, the SEO has created a Subsidies  Library, which is available to the public via the internet. The goal is to create an easily  accessible one-stop shop that provides user-friendly information on foreign  government subsidy practices.
The Trade Remedy Compliance Staff provides assistance to U.S. businesses which  feel that their trade problems may stem from unfair trade practices or the improper  application of foreign unfair trade laws.
The Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Textiles and Apparel oversees programs  and strategies to improve the domestic and international competitiveness of the U.S.  fiber, textile, and apparel industries, as well as industries which manufacture a wide  range of consumer products. The DAS also serves as Chairman of the Committee for  the Implementation of Textile Agreements, which determines when market disrupting  factors exist in the domestic fiber, textile, and apparel marketplace. The DAS also  administers U.S. textile quota agreements, formulates trade policy, performs research  and analysis, compiles industry data, and promotes U.S. trade events for a whole  spectrum of textiles and apparel.
Through the Export Trade Certificate of Review Program, Commerce helps promote  the development of Joint Ventures and the use of Export Trade Intermediaries. With  this Certificate, businesses limit their domestic legal liability when Joint Exporting or  when they have Joint Sales with a Trading Partner in foreign markets. Currently the  more than 3,000 firms participate in the program account for an average of $12.3  billion in annual export sales.
In order to provide a streamlined means for U.S. organizations to comply with the  European.Union’s (E.U.) data protection directive, Commerce and the European Union  negotiated the U.S.-E.U. Safe Harbor Framework. The Safe Harbor Framework allows  U.S. companies to avoid data flow interruptions from the European Union to the United  States. To be assured of “safe harbor,” a business must annually self certify to  Commerce that it adheres to certain safe harbor requirements of the E.U. directive.  Commerce maintains a list of all organizations that file self certification letters and  makes both the list and the self certification letters publicly available.
Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) awards entail financial and  technical assistance from the International Trade Administration (ITA) to support  projects that enhance the global competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing and services  industries. An MDCP award establishes a partnership between ITA and non-profit  industry groups such as trade associations or chambers of commerce. Such groups  are particularly effective in reaching small- and medium-size enterprises. The non- profit groups compete for a limited number of MDCP award partnerships by proposing  innovative projects that enhance the global competitive position of their industry with a  special emphasis on small- and medium-sized enterprises. These industry groups  pledge to pay a minimum of two-thirds of the project cost and to sustain the project  after the MDCP award period ends.
The Market Access and Compliance’s Office of Intellectual Property Rights has  undertaken numerous activities to assist particularly small and medium sized  businesses in protecting intellectual property rights, both in the United States and  abroad. These activities include hotlines to file complaints; limited legal counseling;  country-specific information on protecting intellectual property rights; guidance in  securing supply chains against fakes; protecting intellectual property right at trade  fairs; training; and information to raise consumer awareness.
The U.S. Commercial Service promotes and protects U.S. commercial interests  abroad and delivers customized solutions to ensure that U.S. businesses, especially  small and medium sized enterprises, compete and win in the international marketplace  through a global network of trade professionals.
Since its creation in 1993, the Advocacy Center has helped hundreds of U.S.  companies—small, medium and large enterprises—in various industry sectors win  government contracts across the globe. Advocacy assistance is wide and varied but  often involves helping companies communicate with foreign governments or  government-owned corporations. For example, on a case-by-case basis, following its  due diligence process, the Advocacy Center and, if necessary, the Advocacy Network  will make a national interest determination to identify whether the project qualifies for  federal support. Typically, companies must demonstrate how supporting their bid will  positively benefit the U.S. economy, primarily in the form of exports of goods and  services. Other factors may also be taken into consideration.
Manufacturing in a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) may offer cost advantages to small and  medium sized manufacturers. FTZ staff will provide information and assistance to  companies considering whether to relocate to an FTZ, which are specific physical  areas within the United States that, for customs purposes, are treated as if they are  outside U.S. borders. When a company manufactures in an FTZ, the company is  treated (for purposes of customs duties) as if it is located outside the United States. As  a result, for export shipments of the finished product, U.S. import duties don’t have to  be paid on imported components. If the finished product is ultimately shipped to the  U.S. market, companies may have the option to pay the finished product duty rate  rather than the component duty rate.
The Minority Business Development Agency’s new Minority Business Internet Portal  (website) is an e-commerce solution designed for the Minority Business Enterprise  (MBE) community. This Internet platform provides MBEs with access to customized  tools and business information to help them grow and thrive in an ever-changing digital  economy.
According to Commerce, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is the  only federal agency created specifically to foster the establishment and growth of  minority-owned businesses in America. The Agency’s mission is to actively promote  the growth and competitiveness of large, medium and small minority business  enterprises. MBDA funds a network of Minority Business Development Centers, Native  American Business Development Centers, and Business Resource Centers located  throughout the Nation. The Centers are staffed by business specialists who have the  knowledge and practical experience needed to run successful and profitable  businesses. Business referral services are provided free of charge. However, the  network generally charges nominal fees for specific management and technical  assistance services.
Although funding for new projects was discontinued in fiscal year 2005, the Advanced  Technology Program (ATP) did receive funding to continue existing projects. ATP  provides cost-shared multi-year funding to single companies and industry-led joint  ventures to accelerate the development and broad dissemination of challenging, high- risk technologies with the potential for significant commercial payoffs and widespread  benefits for the nation. This unique government-industry partnership aids companies in  accelerating the development of emerging or enabling technologies that lead to  revolutionary new products and industrial processes and services that can compete in  rapidly changing world markets. ATP challenges the research and development  community to take on higher technical risk projects with commensurately higher  potential payoffs for the nation than they would otherwise pursue. ATP does not fund  product development, manufacturing, marketing, or commercialization activities.
The calibration services of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)  are designed to help the makers and users of precision instruments achieve the  highest possible levels of measurement quality and productivity. NIST recovers the  cost of providing calibration services by charging a fee for each calibration performed.  Calibration services are offered to public and private organizations and individuals  alike.
The Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory works to satisfy the measurements and  standards needs of the U.S. manufacturers in mechanical and dimensional metrology  and in advanced manufacturing technology by conducting research and development,  providing services, and participating in standards activities.
The Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) is a nationwide network of  not-for-profit centers in nearly 350 locations, whose purpose is to provide  manufacturers with the services they need to succeed. The centers, serving all 50  States and Puerto Rico, are linked together through Commerce’s National Institute of  Standards and Technology. Centers are funded by federal, state, local and private  resources to serve manufacturers that make it possible for even the smallest firms to  tap into the expertise of knowledgeable manufacturing and business specialists all  over the United States. These specialists are people who have had experience on  manufacturing floors and in plant operations. Each center works directly with area  manufacturers to provide expertise and services tailored to their most critical needs,  which range from process improvements and worker training to business practices and  applications of information technology. Solutions are offered through a combination of  direct assistance from center staff and outside consultants. Centers often help small  firms overcome barriers in locating and obtaining private-sector resources.
According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), it has the  mandate to help improve the security of commercial information technology products  and strengthen the security of users’ systems and infrastructures. To this end, NIST, in  co-sponsorship with the Small Business Administration and the Federal Bureau of  Investigation, conducts workshops on information security threats and solutions. The  workshops resulting from this partnership deliver information security training and are  especially designed for small businesses and not-for-profit organizations. Attendees  will have the opportunity to explore practical tools and techniques that can help them  to assess, enhance, and maintain the security of their systems and information.
The Fisheries Finance Program provides long-term financing for the cost of  construction or reconstruction of fishing vessels, shoreline facilities, and aquacultural  facilities. Specifically, the program does not finance construction of new vessels, but  refinances the previously paid cost of such construction. Additionally, the program  provides long-term financing of individual fishing quotas in the Northwest Halibut and  Sablefish fisheries. Vessel financing or refinancing that could contribute to  overcapitalization by increasing harvesting capacity is prohibited by regulation.
The Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) participates in technology transfer  and commercialization efforts by fostering cooperative telecommunications research  with industry where benefits can directly facilitate U.S. competitiveness and market  opportunities. ITS has participated for a number of years in Cooperative Research and  Development Agreements (CRADAs) with private sector organizations to design,  develop, test and evaluate advanced telecommunication concepts. Cooperative  research with private industry has helped ITS accomplish its mission to support  industry’s productivity and competitiveness by providing insight into industry needs.  This has led to adjustments in the focus and direction of other Institute programs to  improve their effectiveness and value. While most CRADAs are with small businesses  that gain access to the Institute’s facilities through the agreement, these businesses  may not meet the Small Business Administration’s definition of small. These entities  gain access to the Table Mountain Field Site and Radio Quiet Zone facilities to  conduct radio research experiments that does not involve the transfer of technology  from the government to small businesses.
The Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) is designed to ensure that  small, high-technology firms have access to federal research and development funds  to pursue advanced technologies and their commercial applications. SBIR is a  competitive three-phase program that reserves a specific percentage of research and  development funding at certain federal agencies for awards to small businesses.  Currently eleven other federal agencies provide the grant funds and oversee the  projects. The Small Business Administration monitors the SBIR program and provides  guidance. Two Commerce agencies (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric  Administration and National Institute of Standards and Technology) administer SBIR  programs. SBIR funds the critical startup and development stages and it encourages  the commercialization of the resulting technology, product, or service. In accordance  with Executive Order No. 13,329, SBIR programs will give a priority, where feasible, to  proposals that are directed toward innovations that will aid the nation’s manufacturing  sector.
The Commerce’s Information Technology Solutions Next Generation (COMMITS  NexGen) levels the “playing field” as a small business Government-Wide Acquisition  Contract (GWAC) that is convenient for ordering information technology (IT) services  from high quality small businesses. In today’s streamlined acquisition environment,  many IT requirements that once were publicly announced are now met through task  and delivery order contracts. COMMITS NexGen gives small businesses the  opportunity to compete and grow.
The Office of Business Liaison serves as the primary point for contact between  Commerce and the business community. Specifically, among other things, the Office  helps guide individuals and businesses to the Commerce offices and policy experts  best suited to respond to their needs; helps to develop a pro-active, responsive and  effective outreach program and relationship with the business community; informs the  Secretary, the Department and Administration officials of the critical issues facing the  business community; and informs the business community of Commerce and  Administration resources, policies and programs.
Commerce’s ‘Prime Contractor Directory’ is prepared to assist all small businesses,  with their marketing efforts in obtaining suitable subcontracting opportunities and  presenting their capabilities to Commerce prime contractors. The Prime Contractor  Directory includes product, service, and construction related contractors that have  contracts with Commerce which are valued at $500,000 or more. These companies  have approved subcontracting plans and their progress toward achieving its  subcontracting goals is monitored by the Office of Small and Disadvantaged  Utilization.
The subcontracting program creates many opportunities for small, small  disadvantaged, HUBZone, veteran-owned, service disabled veteran-owned small  firms, and women-owned small businesses. Commerce requires contractors to  establish aggressive goals for subcontracting with small businesses. The Office of  Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization monitors the progress of prime  contractors in meeting the goals in their subcontracting plans.
Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization is an advocacy and advisory  office responsible for promoting the use of small, small disadvantaged, Section 8(a),  women-owned, veteran-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, and HUBZone small  businesses within Commerce’s acquisition process.
section_title: Appendix IV: Department of Defense - Programs that Offer Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of Services
paragraphs: The Technology Insertion, Demonstration, and Evaluation (TIDE) program was  founded to encourage and assist small manufacturers in the adoption of  commercially available software and information technology. The TIDE program is  specifically focused on small manufacturers that supply goods and services  important to the national defense; however, much of the work of the TIDE program is  broadly applicable to all small businesses. The TIDE program consists of three  primary elements: (1) technology demonstration projects; (2) workforce development  course; and (3) technology development projects. This program is run through  Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute.
The purpose of the Air Force Manufacturing Technical Assistance Production  Program is to assist in increasing and enhancing the competitiveness of small  manufacturing firms in support of the Air Force in Defense and their major prime  contractors by providing technical and managerial assistance. The program focuses  on: small business solutions to industrial policy issues; reducing critical shortages of  spare parts; sustaining legacy weapons systems; maintaining surge production  capability; reducing diminishing manufacturing sources and material shortages;  increasing competition in commodity areas and providing a source of “Best in Class”  suppliers for the government to increase competition, reduce manufacturing costs,  reduce cycle times, and increase flexibility in the supply chain.
The Industrial Base Information Center (IBIC) provides timely information about the  Defense Technology and Industrial Base to directly support the planning and  execution activities of the Directorate and related government users. IBIC services  are available to all federal government employees and contractors requiring  information on valid federal government contracts. IBIC has access to an extensive  range of commercial and government information sources. On-line services include  DIALOG, Haystack, AFKS, and Jane’s. Databases available to IBIC include DD350  government contract data, Standard & Poor’s Research Insight, FEDLOG, Forecast  International, and others. IBIC has used these and other sources to provide analyses  suited to a variety of customers’ needs.
The Air Force Technology Transfer Program assures that Air Force Science and  science and engineering activities promote the transfer and/or exchange of  technology in a timely manner to the private and public sectors. Partnering with the  Air Force can be readily accomplished through a variety of Technology Transfer  agreements, such as collaborative research or licensing Air Force technologies.
The Armament Retooling and Manufacturing Support (ARMS) program—a  cooperative arrangement between the Army and Agriculture—offers  commercial/industrial businesses the opportunity to establish business centers at  eligible Army production facilities. The ARMS “Asset Management” model offers  mature infrastructure and services to businesses seeking manufacturing, office,  warehouse, and other industrial park resources. The facility contractor (property  manager) at the participating Army site negotiates terms and conditions with these  clients reaching the “fair market value” for needed asset requirements. The ARMS  program offers leasehold improvements to prospective clients to upgrade the  property, meet code requirements, or adapt existing infrastructure to business client  needs. As with state and local economic development agencies, the aim of the  ARMS Loan Guarantee Program is to assist commercial clients/tenants in  capitalizing their business opportunities. This loan program provides tenants with  working capital, equipment acquisition, building modification, and other business  resources to locate at eligible Army industrial facilities.
The Best Manufacturing Practices (BMP) program operates out of the Best  Manufacturing Practices Center of Excellence (BMPCOE), a partnership of the Office  of Naval Research’s BMP, Commerce, and the University of Maryland. The program  helps businesses identify, research, and promote exceptional manufacturing  practices, methods, and procedures to allow them to operate at a higher level of  efficiency and effectiveness. BMP has three core competencies: (1) Best Practices  Surveys - to identify, validate, and document best practices, and encourage  government, industry, and academia to share information and implement the  practices; (2) Systems Engineering - facilitated by the Program Manager’s  WorkStation, a suite of electronic tools that provide risk management, engineering  support, and failure analysis through integrated problem solving; and (3) Web  Technologies - offered through the Collaborative Work Environment to provide users  with an integrated digital environment to access and process a common set of  documents in a geographically dispersed environment. The mission of the BMPCOE  is to provide a national resource to foster the identification and sharing of best  practices used in industry, government, and academia, and to coordinate efforts to  strengthen the U.S. industrial base for global competition. The BMPCOE staff assist  projects with systems engineering best practices throughout a product’s life cycle  using process-based solutions to reduce risk and eliminate surprises.
The Defense Small Business Technology and Readiness Resources (DSTARR)  program supports Defense needs by developing a national network of technically  competent small businesses. DSTARR provides technical assistance and expertise  to small businesses in support of their efforts to achieve process improvements, be  competitive in the global marketplace, advance information technology capabilities,  development leadership skills, and achieve manufacturing excellence. The program  supports small manufacturing and specialized information technology companies so  they can become viable suppliers, have the appropriate infrastructure and  processes, and integrate into supply chains that support Defense. Prior to December  2006 this program was known as the Manufacturing Technical Assistance  Production Program.
The purpose of the Next Generation Manufacturing Technology Initiative (NGMTI) is  to accelerate the development and implementation of breakthrough manufacturing  technologies in support of the transformation of the defense industrial base and the  global economic competitiveness of U.S.-based manufacturing. With strong  Congressional, federal/Defense, and industry support, NGMTI’s goal is not only to  create strategic investment plans for innovative manufacturing technologies, but also  to drive the implementation of those technologies through focused experiments and  partnerships.
TechMatch web-based portal designed to provide industry and academia a Defense- sponsored solution to find research and development opportunities, licensable  patents, and information on nearly 120 Defense labs located across the United  States. Registered users will receive a daily e-mail taking them to their matching  research and development opportunities from FedBizOpps, Grants.gov, SBIR/STTR  solicitations; calendar events; and licensable patents relevant to their business.
Congress established the Technology Transition Initiative (TTI) in the Bob Stump  National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2003, Pub. L. No. 107-314,  Section 242, 116 Stat. 2458, 2494-2495 (Dec. 2, 2002) to: (1) accelerate the  introduction of new technologies into operational capabilities for the armed forces,  and (2) successfully demonstrate new technologies in relevant environments. The  Science and Technology and Acquisition executives of each military department and  each Defense Agency and the commanders of the unified and specified combatant  commands nominate projects to be funded. The TTI Program Manager identifies the  projects that meet Defense technology goals and requirements in consultation with  the Technology Transition Council. The transition costs can be shared by the TTI  Program Manager and the appropriate acquisition executive. Service/Agency  contribution can be up to 50 percent of the total project cost.
The Defense Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Program focuses on the needs  of weapon system programs for affordable, low-risk development, and production  capabilities. It provides a link between technology invention and development, and  industrial applications. It matures and validates emerging manufacturing  technologies to support low-risk implementation in industry and Defense facilities  (e.g., depots and shipyards). The program addresses production issues from system  development through transition to production and sustainment. The primary  customers of the Program are acquisition and logistics program managers who are  responsible for transitioning acquisition programs from development into production  and for the repair, maintenance, and overhaul of systems currently in use. It  operates in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Defense Logistics Agency, and Defense  Advanced Research Projects Agency.
The purpose of the Defense Industry Adjustment program is to help communities  respond effectively to adverse Defense impacts, such as termination of a major  defense contract. This usually means helping communities diversify defense- dependent economies by developing community strategies and initiatives to assist  firms and their employees. Usually, the adjustment process revolves around  identifying an organization to assume responsibility for carrying out the program,  planning the adjustment, and implementing the strategy. Community responses may  include any or all of the following: assistance for small and medium-sized  businesses; business financing programs; procurement assistance centers; industry  clusters; manufacturing extension partnerships; export assistance; workforce  assistance programs; business incubators; and/or a comprehensive strategy with  multiple initiatives.
The TechLink Center was established in 1996 at Montana State University in  Bozeman, Montana. TechLink is funded by Defense to link companies with federal  laboratories for technology licensing, research, technology transfer, and technology  transition. TechLink’s expertise extends to many industry areas including advanced  materials and nano technology, aerospace, agricultural technologies, biomedicine  and biotechnology, electronics, environmental technologies, information technologies  and software, photonics and sensors. By understanding the technology needs and  strengths of both industry and federal labs, TechLink develops productive  partnerships for the licensing, transfer, development, and commercialization of  technology.
MilTech leverages TechLink’s technology transfer activities and helps companies  primarily in the northwestern U.S. to transition innovative technology to Defense  operational use. This program is a partnership between TechLink and the Montana  Manufacturing Extension Partnership Center. MilTech provides engineering,  manufacturing, and business development assistance to these companies to help  accelerate the transition of new technology to the U.S. warfighter, lower the cost and  cycle time of technology acquisition, and help Defense more fully benefit from its  small business research and development funding. Although MilTech is primarily a  regional program, it operates outside of the northwestern United States in two  different circumstances: (1) to help TechLink licensees of Defense technologies to  transition these technologies to the U.S. warfighter, and (2) when requested by  Defense program managers to help other companies deliver critically needed  technology to Defense.
The Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) is an online source of information  for the acquisition, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of information about  Defense’s research and scientific and technical information. Its technical information  services are available to anyone at no cost and can help applicants for research  funds, such as Small Business Innovation Research program participants, to prepare  proposals, develop products, market, and network. DTIC provides access to citations  of unclassified documents, as well as the electronic full-text of many documents.
The objective of the Defense Value Engineering program is to identify improvements  in defense systems that can reduce costs and increase performance. Defense seeks  to promote contractor participation in the program by (1) providing  informational/educational material and assistance to contractors and (2) providing  program advocates who can advise and assist Defense prime contractors and their  subcontractors in developing proposals to change Value Engineering contracts as  well as expediting the processing of these change proposals. Contractors receive a  number of benefits for their participation in Value Engineering, including a share of  the savings that results from Value Engineering contract changes. Also, contractors  may benefit from reduced costs, increased efficiencies, and reduced overhead,  among other things.
The Procurement Gateway is an integrated online collection of automated systems  providing oversight for the management of procurement data. The Procurement  Gateway allows prospective government contractors to perform comprehensive and  detailed searches against Request for Quotation and Award documents.
The goal of the Business Counseling Center (BCC) is to assist vendors in their  search for business opportunities and to supply military customers with on-time  quality goods. BCC has six state-of-the-art workstations that can provide easy  access to view and quote on open solicitations via the Defense Supply Center  Columbus Internet Bid Board System. BCC also offers contractors a free resource to  access comprehensive research and logistics systems that include data on millions  of parts purchased by the Department of Defense. BCC provides training sessions  on the many facets of the acquisition process, in addition to a conference area for  contractors and Defense Supply Center Columbus personnel to discuss acquisition  issues.
The Aging Systems Sustainment and Enabling Technologies (ASSET) program is a  National Reinvention Laboratory initiated in 1994 by Oklahoma State University to  address Defense procurement problems. ASSET is a government-academic- business partnership. Technology development, insertion activities and virtual  manufacturing capabilities developed by ASSET partners have resulted in grouped  parts databases, parts-demand forecasting models, parts-on-demand manufacturing,  new materials technologies for ceramic bearings, new processes to reduce corrosion  of aging systems, and new training materials. The technologies and processes  developed in the ASSET program increase the Defense supply base, reduce the  time and cost associated with parts procurement, and enhance military readiness.
The Procurement Technical Assistance Program provides Procurement Technical  Assistance Centers (PTACs) with Defense support so that they may provide  specialized and professional assistance to individuals and businesses seeking to  learn about contracting and subcontracting opportunities, actively seeking  contracting and subcontracting opportunities, and/or performing under contracts and  subcontracts with Defense, other federal agencies, or state and local governments.  This specialized and professional assistance may consist of but is not limited to  outreach and counseling type services to promote understanding of federal, state,  and local government requirements applicable to contracting for services,  manufacturing, or other markets, and assistance in pursuing and securing  subcontracting opportunities. PTACs are to make a concerted effort to seek out and  assist Small Businesses, Small Disadvantaged Businesses, Women-Owned Small  Businesses, Historically Underutilized Business Zone Small Business Concerns,  Service-disabled Veteran-owned Small Businesses, and Historically Black Colleges  and Minority Institutions.
The Defense Small Business Innovation Research program is made up of 12  participating components: Army, Navy, Air Force, Missile Defense Agency, Defense  Advanced Research Projects Agency, Chemical Biological Defense, Special  Operations Command, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, National Geospatial- Intelligence Agency, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Beginning in fiscal  year 2007, the Defense Logistics Agency and the Defense Micro-Electronics Activity  became participating components. The program funds early-stage research and  development at small technology companies and is designed to stimulate  technological innovation, increase private sector commercialization of federal  research and development, increase small business participation in federally funded  research and development, and foster participation by minority and disadvantaged  firms in technological innovation.
The Defense Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program is made up of 6  participating components: Army, Navy, Air Force, Missile Defense Agency, Defense  Advanced Research Projects Agency, and Defense Research and Engineering.  STTR competitively funds cooperative research and development projects involving  a small business and a research institution, such as a university, federally-funded  research and development center, or nonprofit research institution. The purpose of  STTR is to create an effective vehicle for moving ideas from the nation’s research  institutions to the market, where they can benefit both private sector and military  customers.
The Mentor-Protégé program assists certain small businesses (Protégés) to  successfully compete for prime contract and subcontract awards by partnering with  large companies (Mentors) under individual, project-based agreements. Mentors and  Protégés are solely responsible for finding their counterpart. Many mentors have  made the program an integral part of their sourcing plans; while the protégés have  used their involvement to develop much needed business and technical capabilities  to diversify their customer base. This program is operated through the Air Force,  Army, Navy, Defense Information Systems Agency, Defense Contracts Management  Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, Defense Logistics Agency, National  Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Special Operations Command, National Security  Agency, Joint Robotics Program, and Missile Defense Agency.
The Defense Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) program highlights the  agency’s efforts to achieve the 5 percent goal for prime and subcontract awards to  small business concerns owned and controlled by women. The program objectives  are to facilitate, preserve, and strengthen full participation for WOSB concerns in the  Defense acquisition programs for goods and services and, through programs and  activities. It supports the growth of WOSB concerns through outreach, training, and  technical assistance. All Defense subcontracting plans are required to have a  separate goal for awards to WOSBs.
The Defense Regional Councils for Small Business Education and Advocacy are a  nationwide network of small business specialists organized to promote the national  small business programs of the United States. There are eight Regional Councils  sponsored by the Defense Office of Small Business Programs governed by  individual by-laws: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, District of Columbia, Southeastern, North  Central, South Central, Pacific Northwest, and Western. The Council’s primary  objective is to promote the national small business programs to include small,  historically underutilized business zone (HUBZone) small, small disadvantaged,  women-owned small, and veteran-owned small business concerns; historically black  colleges and universities; minority institutions; and tribal colleges. Additional  objectives include promoting the exchange of ideas and experiences, and general  information among small business specialists and the contracting community; and  developing closer relationships and better communication among government  entities and the small business community. Some Councils invite Small Business  Liaison Officers representing prime contractors in an effort to promote small  business subcontracting.
Defense conducts outreach to identify small business concerns that are owned and  controlled by service-disabled veterans. The purpose of this outreach is to improve  prime and subcontracting opportunities for service disabled veteran-owned small  businesses throughout Defense including the military services and other Defense  agencies.
The Indian Incentive Program is a congressionally authorized program that provides  a rebate to the Prime Contractor of 5-percent of the total amount subcontracted to an  Indian-Owned Economic Enterprise or Indian Organization. The program motivates  Prime contractors to utilize Indian organization and Indian-owned economic  enterprises. Defense prime contractors, regardless of size of contract are eligible for  incentive payments. This is more of a monetary incentive for primes that will contract  with Indian organizations, thus benefit those organizations by giving increased  opportunities.
The purpose of the Historically Underutilized Business Zone Empowerment  Contracting Program is to stimulate economic development and create jobs in urban  and rural communities by providing federal contracting preferences to small  businesses. The program provides federal contracting opportunities for qualified  small businesses located in distressed areas.
The mission of the Office of Small Business Programs is to (1) advise the Secretary  of Defense on all matters related to small business; (2) represent the Secretary of  Defense on major matters addressed at the Office of the Secretary of Defense level;  (3) develop Defense-wide small business policy and provide oversight to ensure  compliance by all military departments and defense agencies; and (4) provide  military departments, Defense agencies, and Procurement Technical Assistance  Centers with training and tools to foster an environment that encourages small  business participation in defense acquisition. The Office of Small Business Programs  has the full range of authority over Defense small business programs.
section_title: Appendix V: Department of Education – Programs that Offer Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of Services
paragraphs: Appendix V: Department of Education –  Programs that Offer Services to Small  Manufacturers and Types of Services The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program helps stimulate  technological innovation, utilize small business to meet federal research and  development needs, and increase private sector commercialization. SBIR is a highly  competitive program that encourages small business to explore their technological  potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization. By including  qualified small businesses in the nation’s research and development arena, high-tech  innovation is stimulated and the United States gains entrepreneurial spirit as it meets  its specific research and development needs. Offices within Education that have  SBIR programs are as follows: the Institute of Education Sciences and the Office of  Special Education and Rehabilitative Services/National Institute on Disability and  Rehabilitation Research.
The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization promotes and fosters  opportunities for small and socioeconomically disadvantaged business concerns  seeking to obtain prime contracts, subcontracts, and grants that support the  programmatic and operational functions of the Department of Education.
section_title: Appendix VI: Department of Energy – Programs that Offer Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of Services
paragraphs: The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program expands funding  opportunities in the federal innovation research and development (R&D) arena  through public/private sector partnerships to include joint venture opportunities for  small business and nonprofit research institutions. STTR is a competitive three-phase  program that reserves a specific percentage of federal R&D funding for award to small  business and nonprofit research institution partners. Five federal departments and  agencies (the Departments of Defense, Energy, and Health and Human Services, as  well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and National Science  Foundation) are required by STTR to reserve a portion of their R&D funds for awards  to small business/nonprofit research institution partnerships.
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is designed to stimulate  technological innovation, utilize small business to meet federal research and  development needs, and increase private sector commercialization. SBIR is a highly  competitive program that encourages small business to explore their technological  potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization. By including  qualified small businesses in the nation’s research and development arena, high-tech  innovation is stimulated and the United States gains entrepreneurial spirit as it meets  its specific research and development needs. Twelve Energy components participate  in the agency’s SBIR program.
Inventions and Innovation (I&I) provides grants to independent inventors and small  companies with sound ideas for energy efficiency technologies. I&I provides grantees  not only with funding, but also with additional resources such as training, market  assessments, technical assistance, access to promotional events and materials, and  special contacts to aid in commercialization endeavors. In addition to the financial  assistance grant, I&I provides awardees with business planning assistance and  networking resources. For grantees who demonstrate a commitment to  commercializing their technology, I&I also funds a market assessment and offers  business strategy assistance. I&I recently launched a Web site that offers information  tools and valuable network resources for the entrepreneur. Finally, awardees have the  option of working with a private organization of past successful grantees that will  mentor or otherwise aid new entrepreneurs graduating from I&I. Since I&I’s inception,  over 34,000 proposals have been submitted, resulting in over 900 projects selected  for financial and commercialization assistance. Awardees are monitored annually until  their technologies are retired from the market or they abandon their efforts. Licensees  are monitored as long as the technology remains on the market.
The Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) works with U.S. industry to improve  industrial energy efficiency and environmental performance. The program invests in  high-risk, high-value research and development to reduce industrial energy use while  stimulating productivity and growth. Results of this investment are seen in the many  ITP-funded technologies in the marketplace today.
Energy TechNet is a core collection of information and resources for anyone engaged  in developing and commercializing advanced energy technologies. From idea  development to market assessment, intellectual property protection to financing, the  Web site addresses each stage of technology development and commercialization.
FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program professionals work with industry  leaders to develop and deploy advanced transportation technologies that could  achieve significant improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency and displace oil with  competitive manner. Program activities include research, development,  demonstration, testing, technology validation, technology transfer, and education.
The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization is responsible for  increasing the contracting opportunities awarded to small and disadvantaged  businesses. Energy purchases billions of dollars worth of goods and services annually  including remediation, research and development, management and scientific  consulting, plate work manufacturing, engineering, and waste treatment and disposal.
The Small Business Act Section 8(a) (Section 8(a)) Pilot Program was established in  fiscal year 1991 to: 1) target Section 8(a) businesses for Energy procurement  opportunities at the subcontract level. The Section 8(a) Pilot Program offers financial  assistance in the form of subcontracts.
The Mentor-Protégé program is designed to encourage Energy prime contractors to  assist small disadvantaged firms certified by the Small Business Administration (SBA)  under Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act, other small disadvantaged businesses,  women-owned and service disabled veteran owned small businesses, Historically  Black Colleges and Universities, and other minority institutions of higher learning, in  business and technical areas. The program seeks to foster long-term business  relationships between these small business entities and Energy prime contractors,  and to increase the overall number of small businesses that receive Energy contract  and subcontract awards.
section_title: Appendix VII: Department of Health and Human Services – Programs that Offer Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of Services
paragraphs: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health supports 16 university-based  Education and Research Centers that offer short-term continuing education for  occupational safety and health professionals and others with worker safety and health  responsibilities.
The mission of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)  Research Program for the Manufacturing sector is to eliminate occupational diseases,  injuries, and fatalities among workers in manufacturing industries through a focused  program of research and prevention. NIOSH believes that their research only realizes its  true value when put into practice. Every research project within the NIOSH program for the  Manufacturing sector formulates a strategy to promote the transfer and translation of  research findings into prevention practices and products that will be adopted in the  workplace. NIOSH partners with labor, industry, government, and other stakeholders to  accomplish the program goals. There is also a research to practice component to the  program.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) makes available brief  documents, from1 to 4 pages that describe occupational hazards or NIOSH research  activities.
Alerts briefly present new information about occupational illnesses, injuries, and deaths.  Alerts urgently request assistance in preventing, solving, and controlling newly identified  occupational hazards. Workers, employers, and safety and health professionals are asked  to take immediate action to reduce risks and implement controls. National Institute for  Occupational Safety and Health has published more than 40 Alerts on a variety of topics.
This Guide is a source of general industrial hygiene information for workers, employers,  and occupational health professionals. It presents key information and data in abbreviated  tabular form for 677 chemicals or substance groups that are found in many work  environments.
Chemical Safety Cards summarize essential safety and health information about  chemicals for their use at the “shop floor” level by workers and employers. They are  simpler than material safety data sheets and designed specifically for workers’ reference.
Health Hazard Evaluations (HHEs) are investigations conducted by the National Institute  for Occupational Safety and Health in response to concerns expressed by employees,  employee representatives, or employers, to find out whether there is a health hazard to  employees caused by hazardous exposures and conditions in the workplace. HHEs are  provided at no cost and may be confidential.
The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) has established a  manufacturers’ assistance program to provide assistance and training to industry,  including large and small manufacturers and trade associations, and to respond to  requests for information regarding CBER policies and procedures. Manufacturers’  assistance is available in numerous areas including: clinical investigator information,  adverse event reporting procedures, electronic submissions guidance and requirements,  and information on how to submit an investigational new drug application to administer an  investigational product to humans. This assistance extends to facilitating effective  development of all products regulated by CBER including products to diagnose, treat or  prevent outbreaks from exposure to the pathogens that have been identified as bioterrorist  agents. The Manufacturers Assistance and Technical Training Branch (MATTB) informs  industry and trade associations of the status of CBER policies and initiatives through  regular information dissemination and training. MATTB also serves as the CBER focal  point for industry and trade associations to provide meeting support, and coordinates  external meetings with other Food and Drug Administration Centers.
Current federal law requires that a drug be the subject of an approved marketing  application before it is transported or distributed across state lines. Because a sponsor  (usually the manufacturer or potential marketer) will probably want to ship the  investigational drug to clinical investigators in many states, it must seek an exemption from  that legal requirement. The Investigational New Drug Application is the means through  which the sponsor technically obtains this exemption from the Food and Drug  Administration.  21 U.S.C. § 379h authorizes the Food and Drug Administration to collect and use fees  from companies that produce certain human drug and biological products.  There are three  types of user fees - application fees, establishment fees, and product fees.  Since the  passage of PDUFA, user fees have played an important role in expediting the drug  approval process. The agency will waive the application fee for the first human drug  application that a small business or its affiliate submits for review.
The Center for Devices and Radiological Health has a small manufacturers, international  and consumer advice division which offers many forms of services to small manufacturers  including technical and regulatory assistance. The division participates in many workshops  which may be of educational value to the general medical device community.
Current federal law requires that a drug be the subject of an approved marketing  application before it is transported or distributed across state lines. Because a sponsor  (usually the manufacturer or potential marketer) will probably want to ship the  investigational drug to clinical investigators in many states, it must seek an exemption from  that legal requirement. The Investigational New Drug Application is the means through  which the sponsor technically obtains this exemption from the Food and Drug  Administration.  21 U.S.C. § 379h authorizes the Food and Drug Administration to collect and use fees  from companies that produce certain human drug and biological products. There are three  types of user fees - application fees, establishment fees, and product fees. Since the  passage of PDUFA, user fees have played an important role in expediting the drug  approval process. The agency will waive the application fee for the first human drug  application that a small business or its affiliate submits for review.
Agency description of program purpose  In the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), the Office of Training and  Communication (OTCOM) provides ongoing assistance to pharmaceutical businesses with  fewer than 500 employees. The assistance includes a comprehensive website, a ListServ  of 2,500 subscribers, a point of contact office for specific questions, and a free annual  workshop on basic Food and Drug Administration/CDER organization and processes. The  OTCOM ListServ conveys important emerging information to small regulated industry,  including Federal Register notices, guidance, etc., on a bi-weekly basis.
Orphan Product Grants encourage clinical development of products for use in rare  diseases or conditions, usually defined as affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the  United States. The products studied can be drugs, biologics, medical devices, or medical  foods. At this time, only clinical studies qualify for consideration. Each application should  propose one discrete clinical study to facilitate Food and Drug Administration approval of  the product for a rare disease or condition. The study may address an unapproved new  product or an unapproved new use for a product already on the market. Small businesses  are encouraged to apply.
The Innovative Molecular Analysis Technologies (IMAT) Program is aimed at the  inception, development, integration, and application of novel and emerging technologies in  the support of cancer research, treatment, diagnosis, and prevention. The IMAT Program  is part of a broader technology development initiative within the National Cancer Institute  (NCI) to harness specific technologies in the fight against cancer. This initiative  underscores the desire of NCI to develop and integrate novel and emerging technologies  in support of cancer research, diagnosis, and treatment. In the research continuum of  discovery, development, and delivery, the IMAT Program accelerates development and  delivery. This specific program will therefore serve as the discovery tool of a larger NCI  technology initiative by soliciting and funding highly innovative, high-risk and cancer- relevant technology development projects associated with the molecular analysis of  cancer.
To spur development of daring technologic improvements in cancer treatment and  detection in the 21st century, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) created the  Unconventional Innovations Program. This program seeks to stimulate development of  radically new technologies in cancer care that can transform what is now impossible into  the realm of the possible for detecting, diagnosing, and intervening in cancer at its earliest  stages of development. The program began in 1999 and is targeted to invest $50 million  over a ten year period.
The Technology Transfer Branch (TTB) provides a complete array of services to support  the National Cancer Institute’s technology development activities. TTB negotiates the  following collaborative agreements for laboratories: Cooperative Research and  Development Agreements, Material Transfer Agreements, Confidential Disclosure  Agreements, and Clinical Trials Agreements. In addition, TTB markets technologies to  outside organizations in order to foster research collaboration, gives advice on intellectual  property issues, and keeps laboratories posted on the latest developments in technology  development and transfer.
The Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) retains title to inventions developed in National  Institutes of Health’s (NIH) intramural laboratories and licensing of these inventions to  private entities to ensure use, commercialization, and public availability. In a similar way,  extramural recipients of NIH funds, such as universities, are allowed to seek patent  protection for inventions arising from their NIH-funded basic research and license the  rights to private entities to promote commercialization. Over the last 15 years, NIH has  executed thousands of license agreements. These licenses transfer NIH and FDA  inventions to the private sector for further research and development and potential  commercialization that can lead to significant public health benefits.
The Office of Acquisition Management and Policy (OAMP) is committed to acquisition  excellence by providing leadership, advice and oversight for all National Institute of Health  (NIH) acquisition and financial advising services. Through strategic partnership with  industry, the NIH strives to acquire the best OAMP acquisition value in products and  services to support the agency’s mission activities. Strategies and efforts to promote  business interests and opportunities at NIH include: strategic activities for contracting and  financial program policies, procedures and practices; organizational guidance in advising  on acquisition and financial program activities; oversight activities to review compliance  with federal, HHS and NIH acquisition regulations; outreach activities for NIH personnel  and the business community; and maintaining vendor resource information.  e-PIC is an e-business system designed to smartly capture the global marketplace and  profile information about organizations providing products and services. The system is  designed to function on a Web platform and links users of the system conducting market  research or seeking sources of supplies and services to this virtual market place. It is a  consolidated database for storing and maintaining vendor contact information and contract  services that each can offer. Vendors can easily add and update their contact information  to provide a variety of search criteria for providing sources for an organization’s  acquisitions, and to make such a system user friendly and available to the organization  administrators.
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program was established to stimulate  technological innovation, utilize small business to meet federal research and development  needs, and increase private sector commercialization. SBIR is a highly competitive  program that encourages small business to explore their technological potential and  provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization. By including qualified small  businesses in the nation’s research and development arena, high-tech innovation is  stimulated and the United States gains entrepreneurial spirit as it meets its specific  research and development needs.
The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program was established to stimulate  technological innovation, utilize small business to meet federal research and development  needs, and increase private sector commercialization. STTR is a highly competitive  program that encourages small business to explore their technological potential and  provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization. By including qualified small  businesses in the nation’s research and development arena, high-tech innovation is  stimulated and the United States gains entrepreneurial spirit as it meets its specific  research and development needs. STTR requires research partners at universities and  other non-profit institutions to have a formal collaborative relationship with the small  business concern.
The Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization has organized its  responsibilities, programs, and activities under three lines of business: Advocacy, outreach  and unification of the business process. The results achieved under all three lines of  business support the accomplishment of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) strategic   goal - to encourage and assist the participation of all small businesses in HHS’ contracts  and grants. All of the activities carried out by the HHS Office of Small & Disadvantaged  Business Utilization are done in support of its mission to give small businesses equal  consideration in contracting opportunities and to increase the number of awards that are  made to small businesses.
Health and Human Services’ Small Business Program Manual (SBPM) supplements the  Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Health and Human Services Acquisition  Regulation (HHSAR). It is non-regulatory in nature and provides uniform procedures to  support and encourage small business participation in the Department’s efforts to acquire  goods and services. The SBPM is not a stand-alone document and must be read with the  FAR and HHSAR.
section_title: Appendix VIII: Department of Homeland Security – Programs that Offer Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of Services
paragraphs: The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) ensures Homeland  Security complies with federal laws, regulations, and policies to provide opportunities in its  acquisitions to small business, including socially and economically disadvantaged small  businesses. OSDBU is also responsible for Homeland Security’s subcontracting program.  OSDBU has small business specialists at the Center for Domestic Preparedness, U.S.  Citizenship and Immigration Services, Customs and Border Protection, Federal Law  Enforcement Training Center, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Transportation  Security Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Secret Service,  and U.S. Coast Guard.
The Mentor-Protégé program is designed to motivate and encourage large prime  contractors to provide developmental assistance to small businesses, including socially  and economically disadvantaged small businesses. The program is also designed to (1)  improve the performance of contracts and subcontracts, (2) foster the establishment of  long-term business relationships between large prime contractors and small business  subcontractors, and (3) strengthen subcontracting opportunities and accomplishments  through incentives. For certain acquisitions, mentors may receive credit in the source  selection/evaluation criteria process and a post-award incentive for the costs incurred by a  mentor firm in providing assistance to a protégé firm. In addition to the benefits available to  mentors, protégés may receive technical, managerial, financial, or any other mutually  agreed upon benefit from mentors.
Small Business Vendor Outreach Sessions are a series of pre-arranged 15-minute  appointments with Small Business Specialists from various components of the Homeland  Security procurement offices. These sessions provide small businesses the opportunity to  discuss their capabilities and learn of potential procurement opportunities.
The Office of the Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding was created to help devise a long- term plan for rebuilding the region devastated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. One of its  initiatives is to provide support for small business throughout the region through disaster  loans and other relief. The overarching mission is to identify the priority of needs for long- term rebuilding; communicate those realities to decision makers in Washington; and advise  the President and senior leadership on effective, integrated, and fiscally responsible federal  strategies to support a full recovery.
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program’s principal objectives are to (1)  stimulate technological innovation by small business; (2) increase small business  participation in meeting federal research and development needs; (3) foster and encourage  participation by socially and economically disadvantaged small business; (4) increase the  commercialization of technology development through federal research and development;  and (5) enhance outreach efforts to ensure that all qualified small businesses are aware of  the SBIR program and the many benefits it provides.
Agency description of program purpose  The Homeland Security Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program began in  early 2006 to help build partnerships among small businesses, universities and research  institutions for research and development efforts. The program encourages the transfer of  intellectual concepts and ideas from research institutions through the entrepreneurship of  small business concerns, as part of a larger goal to develop innovative solutions to  challenging Homeland Security scientific and engineering problems. Due to a decline in its  extramural research budget for fiscal year 2007, Homeland Security does not meet the  statutory requirement to have an STTR program.
section_title: Appendix IX: Housing and Urban Development – Programs that Offer Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of Service
section_title: Appendix X: Department of the Interior - Programs that Offer Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of Services
paragraphs: The Loan Guarantee program was established to stimulate and increase Indian  entrepreneurship and employment through establishment, acquisition or expansion of  Indian-owned economic enterprises.
The Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers provides individuals, in addition to other  training and assistance, programs to gain work experience designed to conserve,  develop, or manage public natural resources, or public recreational areas, or to develop  community projects in the public interest. The Centers are located primarily in rural  areas.
The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization program strives to improve  and increase Interior’s performance in utilizing small, small disadvantaged, HUBZone,  women-owned, and veteran-owned businesses as contractors and subcontractors.  Bureaus in Interior Bureaus in Interior collectively spend over $2 billion in contracts with  the private sector, annually.
The Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) Program is designed to treat small companies  equitably and help them to pursue business in both the private and public sector contract  arena. Once a business is certified as SDB, it is eligible for specific procurement  benefits. The Small Business Act Section 8(a) Business Development Program allows  the government to contract, on a noncompetitive basis, with socially and economically  disadvantaged small businesses.
The HUBZone Empowerment Contracting program provides federal contracting  opportunities for qualified small businesses located in distressed areas. The program  encourages economic development in historically underutilized zones (HUBZones) and  through the establishment of contract preferences for businesses in historically  underutilized business zones.
The Woman-Owned Small Business program is designed to assist women-owned small  businesses pursue business in both the public and private contract arena.
subsections: section_title: Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
section_title: Appendix XI: Department of Labor – Programs that Offer Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of Services
paragraphs: Dream It. Do It is a campaign launched by the Manufacturing Institute of the National  Association of Manufacturers, to help inform young people, their parents, and  educators of career opportunities in advanced manufacturing. A grant from Labor  supports the development of tools and partnerships between employers, training  providers, and local Workforce Investment Boards in Kansas City, southwestern  Virginia, northeastern Ohio, the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, southeastern Indiana,  and Washington State.
The High Growth Job Training initiative is a strategic effort to prepare workers to take  advantage of new and increasing job opportunities in 14 high growth, high demand and  economically vital sectors of the American economy. Grants are available to develop  and implement numerous industry specific solutions.
The federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Pub. L. No. 105-220, 112 Stat. 936  (Aug. 7, 1998) offers a comprehensive range of workforce development activities  through statewide and local organizations. These activities can benefit job seekers, laid  off workers, youth, incumbent workers, new entrants to the workforce, veterans,  persons with disabilities, and employers. The purpose of these activities is to improve  the employment, job retention, earnings, and occupational skills of participants. This, in  turn, improves the quality of the workforce, reduces welfare dependency, and improves  the productivity and competitiveness of the nation. Businesses play an active role in  ensuring that the system prepares people for current and future jobs.
Project GATE promotes individual entrepreneurship, seeks to energize local small  business creation and help diverse urban and rural populations create, and support  and expand small businesses. Labor teams with the Small Business Administration  through a microloan program that is offered to small start-up companies. Labor  provides microenterprise training and assistance in One-Stop Centers.
The Apprenticeship Program is a voluntary, industry-driven initiative sponsored by  employer and labor groups. The federal government encourages and promotes the  establishment of apprenticeship programs and to provide technical assistance to  program sponsors.
Small and new businesses may find the Compliance Assistance Quick Start Web site  useful as an introduction to compliance assistance available on Occupational Safety &  Health Administration’s (OSHA) Web site. It offers a step-by-step guide to identify  many of the major OSHA requirements and guidance.
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s On-site Consultation Program  provides services to help employers, particularly small businesses, identify and correct  hazards at their worksites, and establish, maintain, or enhance their safety and health  management system.
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s Small Business Handbook helps  small business employers meet the legal requirements imposed by the Occupational  Safety and Health Act of 1970, Pub. L. No. 91-596, 84 Stat. 1590 (Dec. 29, 1970), and  create and maintain effective safety and health management systems.
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s Training Institute and Training  Education Centers provide basic and advanced courses in safety and health at  locations throughout the country.
The Small Business Resource Center is a Web site designed to assist small business  owners understand the rules and regulations that Labor administers.
The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization seeks to increase  opportunities for small businesses to participate in the agency’s contract and grant  activities; conduct outreach to increase awareness and availability of qualified  providers; develop and issue information on Labor’s procurement needs and  procedures; train agency staff on program requirements and capabilities; and monitor,  evaluate, and report results of the agency’s efforts.
Small Business Vendor Outreach Sessions offer small businesses the opportunity to  market their capabilities directly to Office of Small Business Programs and agency  program officials and learn about potential Labor procurement opportunities.  Conversely, Labor procurement officials can learn more about the diverse small  business resources available to meet their procurement needs.
The Small Business Procurement Power Web site is designed to assist small  businesses interested in procurement opportunities with Labor.
Job Corps is a no-cost education and vocational training program that helps young  people ages 16 through 24 get a better job, make more money, and take control of  their lives. Students enroll to learn a trade, earn a high school diploma or General  Education Development certificate, and get help finding a good job. Students are paid a  monthly allowance that increases the longer they stay with the program. Job Corps  provides career counseling and transition support to its students for up to 12 months  after they graduate from the program.
subsections: section_title: Agency and program Target businesses
section_title: Appendix XII: Department of Transportation– Programs that Offer Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of Services
paragraphs: The Small Business Development Office develops and implements programs that  help small businesses, including small businesses owned and controlled by socially  and economically disadvantaged individuals, obtain procurement opportunities with  the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Office of International Programs in cooperation with the Affiliate Programs  Team coordinates and arranges for international training and professional  development activities. These activities inform the U.S. transportation community of  technological and innovative programs abroad, promote U.S. transportation  expertise internationally, and increase technology sharing between the U.S. and the  international community.
The Maritime Administration (MARAD) established the National Maritime Resource  and Education Center (NMREC) in April 1994 to help improve the international  competitiveness of the U.S. shipbuilders, ship repairers, ship owner/operators and  marine suppliers. NMREC’s services include: 1) conferences and workshops; 2)  energy technologies information; 3) MARAD guideline specifications for merchant  ship construction; 4) marine industry standards library; 5) standards organizations  and information; and 6) Title XI information.
Transportation’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU),  works closely with the Small Business Administration (SBA) and its Procurement  Center Representative (PCR) to coordinate policy direction and develop new  initiatives on subcontracting issues. A substantial amount of Transportation  subcontracting opportunities are awarded to small businesses. To maintain a strong  subcontracting program, OSDBU, in conjunction with the SBA/PCR evaluate,  review, and make recommendations on subcontracting plans. OSDBU also helps  large prime contractors in identifying potential small businesses (including veteran- owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, HUBZone, disadvantaged, and women- owned businesses) to help attain subcontracting goals. Prime contractors report  their achievements annually and semi-annually using an electronic subcontracting  reporting system at Esrs.gov.
subsections: section_title: Target businesses
paragraphs: Small Business Transportation Resource Centers: 1) disseminate information to  small and disadvantaged businesses on business opportunities in Transportation- direct and Transportation-funded activities; 2) carry out market research, and  business analyses, to identify the training and technical assistance needs of small  businesses to help them become better prepared to compete for and receive  transportation-related contracts; 3) design and carry out training and technical  assistance programs to encourage, promote, and help minority entrepreneurs and  businesses in obtain contracts, subcontracts, and projects related to business  opportunities in Transportation-direct and Transportation-funded activities; 4)  develop support mechanisms to help minority entrepreneurs and businesses take  advantage of those business opportunities; 5) assist minority entrepreneurs and  businesses by identifying opportunities for obtaining investment capital and debt  financing, including Transportation’s Short Term Lending Program; 6) participate in  and cooperate with federal and other programs designed to provide financial  management and other forms of support and assistance to minority entrepreneurs  and businesses; and 7) conduct outreach and disseminate information to small and  disadvantaged business across the nation at local, regional and national  transportation and business related conferences, seminars and workshops.
The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program is designed to encourage,  promote and assist minority and women entrepreneurs and businesses to obtain  training and technical assistance services. State Departments of Highways and  Transportation receive supportive services funds from Transportation to provide in- house supportive services or hire consultants to provide supportive services for  disadvantages business enterprises. These supportive services help disadvantages  business enterprises compete in winning contracts.
The Short Term Lending Program provides loan guarantees to enhance the lending  opportunities for disadvantaged business enterprises and other small and  disadvantaged businesses to increase the number of such businesses that engage  in transportation-related contracts and to strengthen the competitive and productive  capabilities of such businesses that currently do business with Transportation, and  its grantees, recipients, contractors and subcontractors.
The Women’s Procurement Assistance Committee (WPAC), managed by  Transportation’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU),  consists of at least one representative from each Transportation Operating  Administration. The purpose of the OSDBU WPAC is to promote, coordinate, and  monitor the plans and programs towards achievement of the five percent  procurement goals in its direct contracting activities. The Committee works to  provide forums, workshops and best practices in order to contribute to the growth  and economic development of women. In addition, the Committee seeks to enhance  awareness of women-owned businesses and ensure full participation in the  Transportation procurement process.
The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) ensures that  small and disadvantaged business policies and goals are developed and  implemented in a fair, efficient, and effective manner to serve small and  disadvantaged businesses. To achieve this goal OSDBU provides services through  the Procurement Assistance Division, the Short Term Lending Program, and  Regional Small Business Transportation Resource Centers. In addition, OSDBU  organizes, co-sponsors, and participates in local, regional, and national outreach  events.
section_title: Target businesses
paragraphs: The National Information Clearinghouse (NIC) serves as a central point of contact  for the dissemination of program and procurement information, procurement  forecasts, forms, data, public laws, orders, and other similar information of interest  to the small business community. NIC customer service representatives respond to  inquiries and questions received through a dedicated toll-free number, by written  correspondence, or by e-mail in the feedback section of the Office of Small and  Disadvantaged Business Utilization Web site.
The Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) is designed to stimulate  technological innovation, utilize small business to meet federal research and  development needs, and increase private sector commercialization. SBIR is a highly  competitive program that encourages small business to explore their technological  potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization. By including  qualified small businesses in the nation’s research and development arena, high- tech innovation is stimulated and the United States gains entrepreneurial spirit as it  meets its specific research and development needs.
section_title: Any business, regardless of size or type
section_title: Appendix XIII: Department of Veterans Affairs – Programs that Offer Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of Services
paragraphs: The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization at Veterans Affairs  advocates to maximize participation of small, small disadvantaged, veteran- owned, women-owned, and empowerment zone businesses in contracts  awarded by Veterans Affairs and in subcontracts which are awarded by  Veterans Affairs’ prime contractors.
The Historically Underutilized Business Zones Program provides federal  contracting assistance for qualified small businesses in historically  underutilized business zones to: increase employment opportunities, stimulate  capital investment in those areas, and help communities leverage and reinvest  their wages and taxes within the community.
The Women-Owned Small Business Program directs acquisition officials to  facilitate, preserve, and strengthen women’s business enterprises and to  ensure full participation by women in the free enterprise system by awarding  prime contracts and subcontracts to women-owned businesses and by  providing counseling to such businesses. The Office of Small and  Disadvantaged Business Utilization is responsible for negotiating annual goals  with Veteran Affairs acquisition officials to increase federal prime contracts  with women-owned small businesses.
The Small Business Program implements the requirements to aid, counsel,  assist, and protect the interests of small businesses to ensure that they  account for a fair proportion of Veterans Affairs’ total purchases, contracts, and  subcontracts for property and services.
The Small Business Act Section 8(a) Business Development Program was  created to help small disadvantaged businesses compete in the American  economy through business development and access to the federal  procurement market.
The Small Disadvantaged Business Program is responsible for the award of  contracts to small business concerns owned and controlled by socially and  economically disadvantaged individuals and encouraging greater economic  opportunity for minority entrepreneurs.
The Veteran-Owned and Operated Small Business program identifies small  businesses for inclusion Veterans Affairs’ existing acquisition programs;  although it is not authorized to set aside contracts for veterans. Veterans  Affairs is the only agency which sets a goal and tracks participation of veteran- owned small businesses. Beginning in 2007, it will place a greater emphasis  on such businesses.
Under the authority granted in section 308 of the Veterans Benefits Act of  2003, Pub. L. 108-183, Stat. 2651, 2662 (Dec. 16, 2003) Veterans Affairs is  authorized to set aside contracts and/or award sole source contracts for  service-disabled veterans. Veterans Affairs’ goal for participation in  procurement by service-disabled veterans is 3 percent. Beginning in 2007, it  will place a greater emphasis on such businesses.
subsections: section_title: Target businesses
paragraphs: Veterans Affairs’ subcontracting program promotes the involvement of small  businesses at the subcontract level. Recognizing that small firms often do not  have the capability to perform as a prime contractor on certain large contracts,  Veterans Affairs requires that any contractor receiving a contract for more than  $10,000 to agree that small business concerns have the maximum practicable  opportunity to participate in contracts that Veterans Affairs has awarded.  Furthermore, all prime contracts for construction that exceed $1,000,000 and  all other types of contracts that exceed $500,000 that are not awarded to small  businesses and that offer subcontracting opportunities, must contain a  subcontracting plan that includes percentage goals for participation by small  businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, and women owned small  businesses.
The Center for Veterans Enterprise is a Web site that assists veterans in  starting and building businesses. The Web site serves as the federal  government’s portal for veteran-owned businesses known as VETBIZ.gov.
section_title: Any small business, regardless of type
section_title: Appendix XIV: Environmental Protection Agency – Programs that Offer Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of Services
paragraphs: The purpose of the Mentor-Protégé Program is meant to stimulate and impact  the number of small disadvantaged businesses and women-owned businesses  engaged in Environmental Protection Agency contracts.
The Environmental Protection Agency, working with industry, academic  institutions, environmental groups, and other agencies, sponsors Compliance  Assistance Centers that address the requirements of specific sectors. Each  Web-based Center provides businesses, local governments, and federal  facilities with information and guidance on environmental requirements and  ways to save money through pollution prevention techniques.
The National Environmental Performance Track is a voluntary partnership  program that recognizes and rewards facilities that consistently exceed  regulatory requirements, work closely with their communities, and excel in  protecting the environment and public health. The Environmental Protection  Agency provides exclusive regulatory and administrative benefits to  Performance Track members, places them at low priority for routine  inspections, and offers public recognition, networking opportunities, and other  benefits.
The Sector Strategies Program seeks to improve performance and reduce  burdens in 13 important business sectors by addressing their unique issues  and challenges in a collaborative setting. Through informal dialogue,  stakeholder teams design tailored strategies to improve environmental  performance and reduce regulatory burden. Sector strategies may include  targeted regulatory changes, sector-based environmental management  system programs, and easier links to assistance services. Currently, the  program services the following manufacturing sectors: Agribusiness; Cement  Manufacturing; Iron and Steel; Metal Casting; Metal Finishing; Oil and Gas  Exploration and Refining; Paint and Coatings; Ports; Shipbuilding and Ship  Repair; and Specialty-Batch Chemicals.
The purpose of the Design for Environment (DfE) program is to work in  partnership with a broad range of stakeholders to reduce risk to people and  the environment by preventing pollution. DfE focuses on industries that  combine the potential for chemical risk reduction with a strong motivation to  make lasting, positive changes. DfE convenes partners, including industry  representatives and environmental groups to develop goals and guide the  work of the partnership. Partnerships evaluate the human health and  environmental considerations, performance, and cost of traditional and  alternative technologies, materials and processes. As incentives ford  participation and change DfE offers unique technical tools, methodologies, and  expertise.
subsections: section_title: Target businesses
paragraphs: Through the Federal Technology Transfer Act program, federal agencies  conduct joint research with non-federal partners and protect intellectual  property that may be developed. Program partners benefit from cooperative  research and development agreements by tapping into EPA’s resources and  knowledge base to conduct joint research and technology commercialization.  The program is conducted in accordance with the Federal Technology  Transfer Act of 1986 and preceding legislation.
The goal of the Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) program, a  public-private partnership, is to provide credible performance data for  commercial-ready environmental technologies to speed their implementation  for the benefit of vendors, purchasers, permitters, and the public. The ETV  program develops testing protocols and verifies the performance of innovative  technologies with the potential to improve protection of human health and the  environment.
The Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) program was  established to address the need for an alternative or innovative hazardous  waste treatment technology research and demonstration program. The SITE  Demonstration Program encourages the development and implementation of  innovative treatment technologies for hazardous waste site remediation and  monitoring and measurement.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is one of 11 federal agencies that  participate in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program  established by the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982, Pub.  L. No. 97-219, 96 Stat. 217 (July 22, 1982). The purpose of this Act was to  strengthen the role of small businesses in federally funded research and  development and help develop a stronger national base for technical  innovation. EPA issues annual solicitations for Phase I and Phase II research  proposals from science and technology-based firms. Through a phased  approach to SBIR funding, EPA can determine whether the research idea,  often on high-risk advanced concepts, is technically feasible, whether the firm  can do high-quality research, and whether sufficient progress has been made  to justify a larger Phase II effort. Phase II contracts are limited to small  businesses that have successfully completed their Phase I contracts. The  objective of Phase II is to commercialize the Phase I technology.
The purpose of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization  (OSDBU) is to stimulate and improve the involvement of small businesses and  socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses in the overall EPA  procurement process. OSDBU monitors and evaluates EPA’s performance in  achieving the Agency’s contracting and subcontracting goals, and  recommends the assignment of the Small Business Representatives from the  Small Business Administration (SBA), who carries out SBA’s procurement  oversight duties pursuant to applicable laws and mandates.
section_title: Target businesses
paragraphs: The purpose of the Small Business Ombudsman is to serve as a conduit for  small business to access Environmental Protection Agency and facilitates  communications between the small business community and the agency. The  office reviews and resolves disputes between small businesses and the  Environmental Protection Agency and works with Environmental Protection  Agency personnel to increase their understanding of small businesses in the  development and enforcement of environmental regulations.
The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-549, 104 Stat. 2399  (Nov. 15, 1990), required that all states develop a program to assist small  businesses in meeting the requirements of the Act. Such assistance includes,  but is not necessarily limited to, adequate mechanisms to assist small  businesses with compliance assistance, pollution prevention and accidental  release detection and prevention, permit assistance and obligations. Section  507 of the Clean Air Act discusses specifics of the Small Business Assistance  Program (SBAP). The SBAP is non-regulatory in nature and all services are  confidential and free of charge. The SBAP is divided in to three major  components: the Compliance Advisory Panel, the Ombudsman, and the  Assistance Program. Due to geography, demographics and the unique  environmental issues in each state, the structure of each program may vary.
WasteWise is a free, voluntary partnership program through which  organizations eliminate costly municipal solid waste and select industrial  wastes, benefiting their bottom line and the environment. WasteWise is a  flexible program that allows partners to design their own waste reduction  programs tailored to their needs. Large and small businesses from any  industry sector may participate. Institutions, such as hospitals and universities,  non-profits, and other organizations, as well as state, local and tribal  governments, may also participate.
section_title: Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
section_title: Appendix XV: Export-Import Bank – Programs that Offer Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of Services
section_title: Appendix XVI: National Aeronautics and Space Administration – Programs that Offer Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of Services
paragraphs: The Goddard Space Flight Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, both within the  National Aeronautics and Space Administration, are the training centers for technical  training courses in the fabrication, assembly and inspection of flight and ground support  equipment.
Regional Technology Transfer Centers expedite technology transfer and spur economic  development. The program divides the nation into six regions and relies on a network  within each region to provide direct and timely services to companies and other  institutions nationwide. The cooperative agreements covering these Centers expired at  the end of 2006. Services will be offered through an outside contractor beginning in  March 2007.
The Innovative Partnerships Program fosters technology partnerships,  commercialization and innovation in support of the agency’s overall mission and national  priorities.
The Innovative Partnerships Program includes the Office of Technology Transfer, which  has a mission to (1) facilitate the transfer of technology developed by the National  Aeronautics and Space Administration and for which the agency has title to the private  sector for commercial application and other benefits to the nation; (2) facilitate  partnerships with the private sector and other external entities to jointly develop  technology with both defense and civilian uses and infuse such technology into the  agency’s missions; and (3) protect the government’s rights in its inventions.
Tech Briefs provides on a monthly basis any technologies releasable for dissemination  to the public resulting from research funded by the National Aeronautics and Space  Administration (NASA). It is not restricted to commercially significant technologies. Tech  Briefs are typically cutting edge reports on research and emerging technologies. Until  fiscal year 2007 NASA funded the publication under a cooperative agreement.
The Enterprise Engine program created a venture capital fund to provide the National  Aeronautics and Space Administration with earlier and broader exposure to emerging  technologies and to leverage external venture capital to develop products likely to  support the agency’s mission. Effective fiscal year 2007 the program was terminated.
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program funds research by small  businesses to meet many of the agency’s research and development requirements. The  SBIR program was established in 1982 to provide small businesses with increased  federal research and development opportunities.
Modeled after the Small Business Innovation Research program, the Small Business  Technology Transfer program is aimed specifically at technology transfer. The goal is to  translate basic research into economic advantage by advancing productivity growth and  international economic competitiveness.
The NASA Acquisition Internet Service (NAIS) is a Web site, from which industry has  immediate access to current acquisition information over the Internet. Users may  subscribe to receive email notifications on acquisitions of interest. NAIS is a feeder  system for Federal E-Gov Systems like the Federal Business Opportunities. NAIS  provides industry links to reference such information as regulations, provisions,  handbooks and guidance. NAIS also provides industry with a center location to find each  NASA field Center’s procurement home page.
The Mentor Protégé Program is designed to provide incentive to the agency’s major  prime contractors to assist small disadvantaged business concerns, Historically Black  Colleges and Universities), minority institutions, and women-owned small businesses in  expanding their technical capabilities into high technology areas where such firms are  currently under-represented.
The Office of Small Business Programs is responsible for integrating all categories of  small businesses (small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, woman-owned  small businesses, veteran- and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses,  Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUB Zone) small businesses, and minority- serving institutions) into the competitive base of contractors from which the National  Aeronautics and Space Administration and its various centers regularly purchase goods  and services.
TechFinder is a resource that enables commercial and private users to perform simple  or advanced searches or request more detailed information for technology opportunities,  licensing opportunities, past success stories, and featured technologies leads.
section_title: Appendix XVII: National Science Foundation – Programs that Offer Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of Services
subsections: section_title: Target businesses Agency description of program purpose
section_title: Appendix XVIII: Small Business Administration – Programs that Offer Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of Services
paragraphs: Appendix XVIII: Small Business  Administration – Programs that Offer  Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of  Services The Pollution Control Loans program is designed to provide financing to eligible small  businesses for the planning, design, or installation of a pollution control facility. This facility  must prevent, reduce, abate or control any form of pollution, including recycling. The loans  are Small Business Act Section 7(a) loans with a special purpose of pollution control.
The Qualified Employee Trusts Loan Program is designed to provide financial assistance to  employee stock ownership plans. The employee trust must be part of a plan sponsored by  the employer company and qualified under regulations set by either the Internal Revenue  Service Code (as an Employee Stock Ownership Plan or ESOP) or the Department of Labor  (the Employee Retirement Income Security Act or ERISA).
Section 7(a) Loan Guarantees help creditworthy small businesses, including manufacturers,  meet financing needs when dealing with commercial bankers. These firms are often denied  conventional financing because the loans they seek are too small for private banks to pursue  or because they need loans for a longer period of time than a lender is willing to accept. This  is the Small Business Administration’s most flexible business loan, and can be used for a  variety of general business purposes including working capital machinery and equipment,  furniture and fixtures, land and building, leasehold improvements, and debt refinancing  (under special conditions).
The U.S. Community Adjustment and Investment Program was established to assist U.S.  companies that are doing business in areas of the country that have been negatively affected  by North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) based on job losses and the  unemployment rate. Funds administered by Treasury allow for the payment of fees on  eligible loans. These fees include the Section 7(a) program guarantee fee (and subsidy) and  the Section 504 Certified Development Company (CDC) Program guarantee, CDC and  lender fees. This reduces borrower costs and increases the availability of these business  assistance programs. Eligibility is limited to businesses that reside in one of the more than  230 counties in 29 states that are currently designated as negatively affected by NATA.
The Export Legal Assistance Network offers free initial consultations with international trade  attorneys from the Federal Bar Association to small businesses interested in exporting.  Attorneys help businesses navigate international legal issues, such as patents, copyrights,  and trademarks; help clients understand basic contractual, tax and regulatory requirements;  provide an indication of priorities among them; and give businesses basic information on  programs at other institutions that may be able to help, such as international departments of  near-by banks, freight forwarders, insurance companies with international experience, and  other government programs.
The Export Working Capital Program is a line of credit for financing foreign accounts  receivable and export inventory. It is a transaction-based program and can be revolving or  non-revolving. The Small Business Administration provides a 90 percent guarantee to the  lender. Recipients are usually businesses that have been operating for at least 12 months  prior to the application. Proceeds can be used to finance materials and labor needed to  manufacture or to purchase goods and services for sale in foreign markets. Funds cannot be  used to purchase long term fixed assets. Loans are generally for 12 or fewer months, but can  be reissued for additional 12-month periods.
subsections: section_title: Target businesses Agency description of program purpose
paragraphs: International Trade Loans help small businesses engaged in exporting, preparing to engage  in exporting, or adversely affected by competition from imports. Small Business  Administration guarantees as much as $1.25 million in combined working-capital and  facilities and equipment loans. Proceeds can be used for fixed assets or working capital.
The Export Express provides loans to assist small businesses in developing or expanding  export markets. Eligible use of proceeds include: 1) financing export-development activities  such as participation in a foreign trade show or translation of product literature, 2)  transaction-specific financing for overseas orders, 3) revolving lines of credit for export  purposes, 4) acquiring, constructing, renovating, improving or expanding facilities or  equipment used in the U.S. to produce goods or services for export.
U.S. Export Assistance Centers are multi-federal agency offices that provide marketing,  product assistance and financial assistance to small- and medium-size U.S. businesses that  would like to export. Twenty centers are nationwide.
Through the Surety Guarantee program, the Small Business Administration (SBA) can  guarantee bonds for contracts up to $2 million, covering bid, performance and payment  bonds for small and emerging contractors who cannot obtain surety bonds through regular  commercial channels. SBA’s guarantee gives sureties an incentive to provide bonding for  eligible contractors, and thereby strengthens a contractor’s ability to obtain bonding and  greater access to contracting opportunities. A surety guarantee, an agreement between a  surety and the SBA, provides that SBA will assume a predetermined percentage of loss in  the event the contractor should breach the terms of the contract.
Small Business Investment Companies (SBIC) are privately owned and managed investment  firms that provide venture capital and startup financing to new and already established small  businesses to ensure they have access to long-term financing and venture capital they need  to maintain and expand their operations. Small Business Administration (SBA) licenses and  regulates the SBICs, and supports them with government backed funds that are invested in  small enterprises. SBICs are profit-motivated; they use their own capital and with funds  borrowed at favorable rates through the federal government to invest in small businesses in  exchange for a share in the success of the small business if it grows and prospers.
CAPlines is a loan umbrella program that provides short-term and cyclical working-capital  needs. There are five short-term working capital loan programs for small businesses under  this program: Seasonal Line; Contract Line; Builders Line; Standard Asset-based Line, and;  Small Asset-Based Line. This is a Section 7(a) program.
The Certified Development Company Guaranteed Loans (Section 504) loans are long-term  financing tools for economic development within a community. The Section 504 program  provides growing businesses with long-term, fixed-rate financing for major fixed assets, such  as land and buildings. A Certified Development Company (CDC) is a nonprofit corporation  set up to contribute to the economic development of its community. CDCs work with the  Small Business Administration (SBA) and private-sector lenders to provide financing to small  businesses. The maximum SBA debenture is $1,500,000 when meeting the job creation  criteria or a community development goal. Generally, a business must create or retain one  job for every $50,000 provided by the SBA except for “Small Manufacturers” which have a  $100,000 job creation or retention goal (see below).The maximum SBA debenture is $2.0  million when meeting a public policy goal. Proceeds from 504 loans must be used for fixed  asset projects such as: purchasing land and improvements, including existing buildings,  grading, street improvements, utilities, parking lots and landscaping; construction of new  facilities, or modernizing, renovating or converting existing facilities; or purchasing long-term  machinery and equipment. The Section 504 Program cannot be used for working capital or  inventory, consolidating or repaying debt, or refinancing.
section_title: Target businesses Agency description of program purpose
paragraphs: The Defense Loan and Technical Assistance Program (DELTA) program is designed to help  eligible small business contractors shift from defense to civilian markets. Small businesses  are eligible for financial and technical assistance if they are prime contractors,  subcontractors, or suppliers detrimentally impacted by the closure, or substantial reduction,  of a Defense installation or program, or if the community they are in has been detrimentally  impacted by such actions. Financial assistance is provided through the Small Business  Administration’s existing Section 7(a) and Section 504 programs. Technical assistance is  provided through small business development centers, SCORE, and other federal agencies  and other providers. It is a joint program with Defense. To be eligible for this program, small  businesses must have derived at least 25 percent of its revenues from Defense or Defense- related Energy contracts or subcontracts in support of defense prime contracts in any one of  five prior operating years.
The Prequalification Loan is a pilot program that helps low income borrowers, disabled  business owners, new and emerging businesses, veterans, exporters, rural and specialized  industries develop viable loan application packages and secure loans up to $250,000. The  program is administered by the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Field  Operations and SBA district offices. Intermediary organizations work with applicants to make  sure their business plans are complete and that their applications are eligible and have credit  merit. If the intermediary organization is satisfied that the application has a chance for  approval, it will send it to SBA for processing. Small Business Development Centers serving  as intermediaries do not charge fees for loan packaging, while for-profit organizations charge  fees.
The Microloan Program provides very small loans to start-up, newly established, or growing  small businesses. Under this program, the Small Business Administration makes funds  available to nonprofit community based lenders (intermediaries) which, in turn, make loans to  eligible borrowers in amounts up to a maximum of $35,000. The average loan size is about  $13,000. Applications are submitted to the local lender and all credit decisions are made at  the local level. Individuals and small businesses applying for microloans may be required to  fulfill training and/or planning requirements before a loan application is considered, and  lenders are required to provide business training and technical assistance.
The Disaster Loan Program offers low-interest, long-term financial loans to homeowners,  renters, and businesses of all sizes that are trying to rebuild their homes and businesses in  the aftermath of a disaster. Two types of loans––Physical Disaster and Economic Injury–– are available. Physical Disaster Loans are available to businesses of all sizes and nonprofit  organizations for permanent rebuilding and replacement of uninsured or underinsured  disaster- damaged privately-owned real and/or personal property. This is the only SBA  assistance that is not limited to small businesses. Economic Injury Disaster Loans are  available only to small businesses to provide necessary working capital until normal  operations resume after a disaster.
SCORE uses the management experience and business acumen of retired and active  corporate professionals and small business owners who volunteer their time and expertise to  assist small businesses and prospective businesses. Counseling services are free and  business workshops and seminars are at low cost. SCORE pioneered online counseling with  the launch of its Cyber Chapter in 1996.
section_title: Target businesses Agency description of program purpose
paragraphs: Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) serve as central sources for disseminating  information and guidance to small businesses, company owners, and entrepreneurs, many  of whom cannot afford private consulting services. There is at least one SBDC in each state,  each with a network of service locations, to ensure that they are easily accessible. At least  50 percent of clients are small businesses. The program is a cooperative effort of the private  sector, the educational community and federal, state and local governments. Most SBDCs  can help with marketing, financing, feasibility studies, technical problems, and financing  issues. Special SBDC programs and economic development activities include international  trade assistance, technology and manufacturing technical assistance, procurement  assistance, venture capital formation and rural development. SBDCs focus on providing  extended-term counseling to small businesses rather than short-term assistance.
There are currently 99 Women's Business Centers (WBC) in 44 states and 3 territories.  The  mission of the WBC program is to target the economically and socially disadvantaged  population.  WBCs promote the growth of women-owned businesses through training,  counseling, mentoring and technical assistance programs.  Each WBC provides assistance  or training in finance, management, marketing and procurement.  In addition, each WBC  tailors its program to the needs of its constituency and many offer programs and counseling  in two or more languages.
The Small Business Training Network provides online training to meet the informational  needs of prospective and existing small businesses.
The Prime Contracts Program helps increase small businesses’ share of government  contracts. Small Business Administration (SBA) procurement center representatives (PCR),  located at SBA procurement area offices and federal buying centers across the country, help  small businesses obtain federal contracts. There are two types of PCRs: traditional and  breakout. Traditional PCRs work to increase the number of procurements set aside for small  businesses. Breakout PCRs work to remove components or spare parts from sole source  procurements to procurements through open competition, which generates savings for the  federal government.
The Subcontracting Assistance Program promotes the prime contractors’ use of small  businesses. Small Business Administration’s commercial marketing representatives review  the subcontracting plans of prime contractors that have one or more contracts that exceed  $500,000 to identify opportunities for small businesses to serve as subcontractors.
The Business or Procurement Matchmaking Initiative helps increase small businesses’  access to federal contracting opportunities. Federal, county and state agencies, as well as  private sector contractors, are matched with small business sellers either in person or  through facilitated phone conferences.
The Natural Resources Assistance Program is intended to ensure that small businesses  obtain a fair share of government property sales and leases through small business set- asides. The Small Business Administration also provides counseling and other assistance to  small businesses on government sales and leasing. The program covers five categories of  federal resources: 1) timber and related forest products, 2) strategic materials from the  national stockpile, 3) royalty oil, 4) leases involving rights to minerals, coal, oil, and gas, 5)  surplus real and personal property.
section_title: Target businesses Agency description of program purpose
paragraphs: The Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Empowerment Contracting  Program stimulates economic development and creates jobs in urban and rural communities  by providing federal contracting preferences to small businesses. These preferences go to  small businesses that obtain HUBZone certification by, among other things, employing staff  and maintaining a principal office in a designated HUBZone.
The Small Business Act Section 8(a) Program focuses on business development and is  designed to foster the growth and competitive viability of Section 8(a) firms through technical  assistance delivered over a 9-year period. One of the benefits of the program is that Section  8(a) firms, through their own self-marketing efforts, can obtain sole source contracts of up to  $5.5 million for manufacturing and $3.5 million for all other purposes that federal agencies  make available for the Section 8(a) program. Qualified firms can also participate in restricted  competitions for federal contracts.
The Mentor Protégé program enhances the capability of Section 8(a) participants to compete  more successfully for federal contracts. The program encourages private sector relationships  and expands the Small Business Administration’s efforts to identify and respond to the  developmental needs of Section 8(a) clients. Mentors provide technical and management  assistance, financial assistance in the form of equity investments and/or loans, subcontract  support, and assistance in performing prime contracts through joint venture arrangements  with Section 8(a) firms.
The Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB) Certification Program makes qualified small  businesses eligible for special bidding benefits in federal procurement. Under new federal  procurement regulations, the Small Business Administration certifies SDBs for participation  in federal procurements to help overcome the effects of discrimination. Evaluation credits  available to prime contractors increase subcontracting opportunities for SDBs. While the  Section 8(a) Program offers a broad scope of assistance to socially and economically  disadvantaged firms, SDB certification strictly pertains to benefits in federal procurement.  Section 8(a) firms automatically qualify for SDB certification.
The Certificate of Competency Program allows a small business to appeal a contracting  officer’s determination that it is unable to fulfill the requirements of a specific government  contract on which it is the apparent low bidder. When the small business applies for a  Certificate of Competency, the Small Business Administration industrial and financial  specialists conduct a detailed review of the firm’s capabilities to perform on the contract.
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is designed to ensure that small,  high-technology firms have access to federal research and development (R&D) funds to  pursue advanced technologies and their commercial applications. SBIR is a competitive  three-phase program that reserves a specific percentage of R&D funding at certain federal  agencies for awards to small businesses. Currently 11 other federal agencies provide the  grant funds and oversee the projects. The Small Business Administration monitors the SBIR  program and provides guidance. SBIR funds the critical startup and development stages and  it encourages the commercialization of the resulting technology, product, or service.
The Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) expands funding opportunities in  the federal innovation research and development (R&D) arena through public/private sector  partnerships to include the joint venture opportunities for small business and nonprofit  research institutions. STTR is a competitive three-phase program that reserves a specific  percentage of federal R&D funding for award to small business and nonprofit research  institution partners. Five federal departments and agencies (the Departments of Defense,  Energy, and Health and Human Services as well as the National Aeronautics and Space  Administration and the National Science Foundation) are required by STTR to reserve a  portion of their R&D funds for awards to small business/nonprofit research institution  partnerships.
section_title: Target businesses Agency description of program purpose
paragraphs: Sub-Net is a Web site where prime contractors post subcontracting opportunities. These may  or may not be reserved for small businesses, and they may include either solicitations or  other notices. Small businesses can review this Web site to identify opportunities in their  areas of expertise. While the Web site is designed primarily as a place for large businesses  to post solicitations and notices, it is also used by federal agencies, state and local  governments, non-profit organizations, colleges and universities, and even foreign  governments for the same purpose.
Tech-Net is an electronic gateway of technology information and resources for and about  small high tech businesses. It includes a search engine for researchers, scientists, state,  federal and local government officials; a marketing tool for small firms; and links to potential  investment opportunities for investors and other sources of capital. The system is also linked  to technology sources of information, assistance, and training.
Section 7(j) of the Small Business Act authorized the Small Business Administration to enter  into grants, cooperative agreements or contracts, with public or private organizations to  deliver management or technical assistance to individuals and enterprises eligible for  assistance under the Act. This assistance is delivered through the Section 7(j) Management  and Technical Assistance Program to Section 8(a) certified firms, small disadvantaged  businesses, businesses operating in areas of high unemployment or low-income or firms  owned by low-income individuals. The Section7 (j) program grants, cooperative agreements  or contracts are awarded to qualified service providers who have the capability to provide  business development assistance to the eligible clients. The Section 7(j) program funding is  not available to finance a business; purchase a business; or use as expansion capital for an  existing business. Financial assistance under the program may be given for projects that  respond to needs outlined in a Section 7(j) program solicitation announcement, or for an  unsolicited proposal that could provide valuable business development assistance for  Section 8(a) and other socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses. Technical  and management assistance includes an executive education program for owners and senior  officers.
The Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Concern (SDVOSBC) Program  establishes the criteria to be used in federal contracting to determine service-disabled  veteran status; business ownership and control requirements; guidelines for establishing sole  source and set-aside procurement opportunities; and procurement protest and appeal  procedures for service-disabled veteran owned small business.
section_title: Target businesses
section_title: Target businesses
section_title: Appendix XIX: Appalachian Regional Commission – Programs that Offer Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of Services
paragraphs: Appalachian Regional Commission’s Information Age Appalachia telecommunications  and information technology program was created to promote the development of  telecommunications in Appalachia, with a special focus on helping the Region’s  distressed counties. The focus of Information Age Appalachia is not only on access to  infrastructure, but also, and more importantly, on applications that use that access.  Instead of simply promoting technology by itself, the program seeks to stimulate  economic growth and improve the standard of living in the Region through technology- related avenues. Two key areas of the program are e-commerce and technology- sector job creation. The focus of the program is to ensure rural areas of Appalachia  have access to broadband services. Training and education are included in activities.  The program has provided broadband awareness training and general e-commerce  training throughout the Appalachian Region. It has also worked with broadband  service providers in helping rural communities obtain broadband access in unserved  and underserved areas.
Small, homegrown businesses play an important role in creating self-sustaining local  economies and improving the quality of life in Appalachia. The Entrepreneurship  Initiative is a multi-year, $31 million effort that seeks to provide communities with tools  to assist entrepreneurs in starting and expanding local businesses. Two key activities  of the Initiative include giving entrepreneurs greater access to capital and educating  and training entrepreneurs.
The Business Development Revolving Loan Fund is a pool of money used by an  eligible grantee for the purpose of making loans to create and/or retain jobs. As loans  are repaid by the borrowers, the money is returned to the revolving loan fund to make  other loans that becomes an ongoing or “revolving” financial tool to retain and create  private-sector jobs.
Expanding trade opportunities for Appalachian businesses is an important strategy for  increasing job opportunities and per capita income in the Region. The Export Trade  Advisory Council (ETAC) advises the Commission on trade policy issues, promotes  advocacy in national and regional venues, and recommends specific programs for  promoting rural export trade in Appalachia. The ETAC has initiated a number of  projects designed to help small and medium-sized Appalachian businesses increase  their export sales. Its activities include education and training, market entry for small  and medium-sized firms, advocacy, and research.
Appalachian Regional Commission’s Area Development Program seeks to augment  the Highway Program and bring more of Appalachia’s people into America’s economic  mainstream. The Asset-Based Development Initiative seeks to help communities  identify and leverage local assets to create jobs and build prosperity while preserving  the character of their community. Development strategies include, among other things,  capitalizing on traditional arts, culture, and heritage; adding value to farming through  specialized agricultural development, including processing specialty food items, fish  farming, and organic farming; and converting overlooked and underused facilities into  industrial parks, business incubators, or educational facilities.
section_title: Appendix XX: Robert C. Byrd National Technology Transfer Center – Programs that Offer Services to Small Manufacturers and Types of Services
paragraphs: The Robert C. Byrd National Technology Transfer Center (NTTC), a 501 (c)(3)  organization, was established in 1989 to link U.S. industry with federal laboratories  and universities that have the technologies facilities and researchers that industry  needs to maximize product development opportunities. The NTTC provides technology  assessment services and serves its clients with an experienced professional staff that  includes intellectual-property management experts, scientists and engineers, computer  information specialists and programmers, market analysts, Web designers, security  experts, outreach specialists and technology transfer negotiators. In addition, the  NTTC houses a demonstration and training laboratory in which software and other  technologies are tested and demonstrated.
section_title: Appendix XXI: Interagency Efforts that Address Concerns of Small Businesses and Businesses Regardless of Size and Type
subsections: section_title: Twenty-five participating agencies including the Departments of: Agriculture, Commerce, Defense (Air Force, Army, and Navy), Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, Executive Office of the President, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, General Services Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Personnel Management, Smithsonian Institution, and Social Security Administration.
paragraphs: Twelve participating agencies including 5 agencies in  the Department of Commerce (International Trade  Administration’s Export Assistance Centers, Economic  Development Agency, National Institute of Standards  and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension  Partnership, Minority Business Development Agency,  and Office of Intellectual Property Rights), the Small  Business Administration’s Small Business  Development Centers as well as the Export-Import  Bank, Environmental Protection Agency, and the  Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, and  Labor.
Interagency Network of Enterprise Assistance  Providers brings together federal agencies to explore  the concept, feasibility, and framework to develop a  coordinated network of assistance programs that  meets the needs of small businesses and  manufacturers. Group members meet monthly to  learn about each other’s programs and discuss  mutually beneficial opportunities for pilot  collaborations. To date, the group has discussed  such topics as successful export strategies for small  manufacturers, the development of a Web site for the  coordinated network and available small business  innovation information.
section_title: Focus of interagency effort Participating agencies
paragraphs: Eleven participating agencies including the  Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense,  Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland  Security, Interior, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, as  well as the Environmental Protection Agency and  National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
The Interagency Working Group on Technology  Transfer is a longstanding interagency effort that  includes senior policy officials from most of the federal  science and technology agencies. The group’s activities  are coordinated through the Office of Technology Policy  in the Department of Commerce. The group meets  monthly to discuss policy issues and related topics of  significant interest to the federal laboratory technology  transfer community. One of the continuing discussion  interests over the last several years has been the extent  to which existing federal technology transfer  mechanisms and programs work effectively to facilitate  interaction with the private sector in such areas as the  transfer of intellectual property rights, cooperative  research and development relationships, and new  technology development activities.
Thirteen participating organizations including the Army,  Navy, Air Force, and Defense Logistics Agency in the  Department of Defense, National Aeronautical and  Space Administration, Department of Energy,  Department of Labor, National Institute of Standards  and Technology in the Department of and Commerce,  Federal Aviation Administration, General Services  Administration, National Security Agency, U.S. Postal  Service, as well as, the Canadian Department of  Defense.
GIDEP is a cooperative activity between government  and industry participants that seek to share technical  information during research, design, development,  production and operational phases of the life cycle of  systems, facilities and equipment for the development,  thereby reducing or eliminating expenditures of  resources, lowering total ownership cost, and increasing  reliability, readiness and safety.
Seven participating agencies including the National  Institute of Standards and Technology in the  Department of Commerce, Department of Energy,  Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in the  Department of Defense, two agencies in the  Department of Health and Human Services (Food and  Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health),   the National Aeronautics and Space Administration,  and the National Science Foundation.
The Multi-Agency Tissue Engineering Science (MATES)  Interagency Working Group helps keep federal  agencies involved in tissue engineering informed of  each other’s activities and helps the agencies better  coordinate their efforts in this rapidly growing field. The  MATES Interagency Working Group was organized  under the auspices of the Subcommittee on  Biotechnology of the National Science and Technology  Council.
section_title: Focus of interagency effort Participating agencies
paragraphs: Twenty-eight federal agencies participate in the NNI  including the Office of Science Technology Policy,  Office of Management and Budget, Consumer Product  Safety Commission, Environmental Protection Agency,  Intelligence Technology Innovation Center,  International Trade Commission, National Aeronautics  and Space Administration, National Science  Foundation, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, two  agencies within the Department of Agriculture  (Cooperative State Research Extension and Education  Service and Forest Service), the Department of  Defense, four agencies within the Department of  Commerce (Bureau of Industry and Security, National  Institute of Standards and Technology, Technology  Administration, and U.S. Patent and Trademark  Office), the Departments of Education and Energy,  three agencies within the Department of Health and  Human Services (Food and Drug Administration,  National Institutes of Health, and National Institute for  Occupational Safety and Health), one agency within  Department of the Interior (U.S. Geological Survey),  and the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice,  Labor, State, Transportation, and Treasury.
The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) is a  federal research and development (R&D) program  established to coordinate multi-agency efforts in  nanoscale science, engineering, and technology.  Thirteen participating agencies have an R&D budget for  nanotechnology. Other Federal organizations contribute  with studies, applications for the results from agencies  that perform R&D, and other collaborations. The NNI is  managed within the framework of the National Science  and Technology Council, the Cabinet-level council that  coordinates science, space, and technology policies  across the federal government. In addition to funding  research, federal support through the NNI provides  crucial funds for the creation of university and  government nanoscale R&D laboratories, and helps  educate the workforce necessary for the future of  nanotechnology. The NNI also plays a key role in  fostering cross-disciplinary networks and partnerships,  and disseminating information. Finally, it enables small  businesses to pursue opportunities offered by  nanotechnology, and encourages all levels of business  to exploit those opportunities.
Six participating agencies within the Department of  Commerce including the Technology Administration,  the National Institute of Standards and Technology,  the National Telecommunications and Information  Administration, the International Trade Administration,  the Economics and Statistics Administration and the  U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Commerce has a leading role within the federal  government to ensure that RFID is understood, that  both industry and consumer concerns and views are  heard, and that accurate information about the features  and abilities of RFID are disseminated.
section_title: Focus of interagency effort Participating agencies
paragraphs: Twenty participating agencies including the  Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense,  Energy, Homeland Security, Interior, Labor,  Transportation, and Treasury, and the Council of  Economic Advisors, Environmental Protection Agency,  Export-Import Bank of the United States, National  Economic Council, National Security Council, Office of  Management and Budget, Overseas Private  Investment Corporation, Small Business  Administration, U.S. Agency for International  Development, U.S. Trade and Development Agency,  and United States Trade Representative.
The Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC)  is composed of all the federal government’s agencies  involved in export promotion. The present TPCC was  formed in 1993 by Executive Order No. 12870, 58 Fed.  Reg. 51753 (Sept. 30, 1993), pursuant to the Export  Enhancement Act of 1992, Pub. L. No. 102-429 § 201,  106 Stat. 2186 (Oct. 21, 1992); 15 U.S.C. § 4727. The  Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC) is  composed of all the federal government’s agencies  involved in export promotion. The Secretary of  Commerce is the designated chairperson. The TPCC is  mandated to streamline export programs, leverage  resources across agencies, develop a national export  strategy, and report annually to Congress. Recent  initiatives include joint marketing such as Export.gov;  joint training such as the TPCC Interagency Trade  Officer Training Program; program integration such as  through the Small Business Administration and Export- Import Bank Co-Guarantee Program; strategic  partnerships to broaden business outreach, such as  with states, associations, and corporate partners; and  coordination in priority markets, such as in key  emerging markets.
section_title: Appendix XXII: Studies of Programs that Support Small Businesses Engaged in Manufacturing
subsections: section_title: List of Studies
subsections: section_title: Studies on Programs at the Department of Commerce
paragraphs: Davila, Natalie A. “Evaluating Manufacturing Extension: A  Multidimensional Approach.” Economic Development Quarterly. Vol. 18,  no. 3 (2004): 286-302.
Ehlen, Mark A. “The Economic Impact of Manufacturing Extension  Centers.” Economic Development Quarterly. Vol. 15, no. 1 (2001): 36-44.
Feldman, Maryann P., and Maryellen R. Kelley. “Leveraging Research and  Development: Assessing the Impact of the U.S. Advanced Technology  Program.” Small Business Economics. Vol. 20, no. 2 (2003): 153-165.
Commerce Information Technology Solutions Next Generation  Governmentwide Acquisition Contract. GAO-06-791R. Washington, D.C.:  June 14, 2006.
Trade Adjustment Assistance: Experiences of Six Trade-Impacted  Communities. GAO-01-838. Washington, D.C.: August 24, 2001.
Trade Adjustment Assistance: Impact of Federal Assistance to Firms Is  Unclear. GAO-01-12. Washington, D.C.: December 15, 2000.
Reeder et al. The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s  Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program – Report 1: Re-examining  the Core Premise of the MEP Program. Washington, D.C.: National  Academy of Public Administration, 2003.
Shapira, Philip. “US Manufacturing Extension Partnerships: Technology  Policy Reinvented?” Research Policy. Vol. 30 (2001): 977-992.
Voytek, Kenneth P., Karen L. Lellock, and Mark A. Schmit. “Developing  Performance Metrics for Science and Technology Programs: The Case of  the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program.” Economic  Development Quarterly. Vol. 18, no. 2 (2004): 174-185.
section_title: Studies on Programs at the Department of Defense
paragraphs: Ahmad, Mohamad, Radostin Krastev, and Arkadiusz Puciato.  Military  Business Success. MBA Professional Report.  Monterey, CA: Naval  Postgraduate School, 2004.
Contract Management: Benefits of the DoD Mentor-Protégé Program Are  Not Conclusive. GAO-01-767. Washington, D.C.: July 19, 2001.
Defense Commissaries: Additional Small Business Opportunities Should  Be Explored. GAO-03-160. Washington, D.C.: December 12, 2002.
Defense Manufacturing Technology Program: More Joint Projects and  Tracking of Results Could Benefit Program. GAO-01-943. Washington,  D.C.: September 28, 2001.
Green, Gregory Sean. Army Small Business Innovation Research: A  Survey of Phase II Awardees. Thesis. Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate  School, 2001.
Peete, Danny A., and Paul J. Componation. “Predicting USMC SBIR Phase  I to II Transition Success by Evaluating Use of Systems Engineering  Capabilities.” Engineering Management Journal. Vol. 15, no. 3 (2003): 21- 27.
section_title: Studies on Programs at the Department of Energy
paragraphs: Department of Energy: Achieving Small Business Prime Contracting  Goals Involves Both Potential Benefits and Risks. GAO-04-738T.  Washington, D.C.: May 18, 2004.
DOE Contracting: Improved Program Management Could Help Achieve  Small Business Goal. GAO-06-501. Washington, D.C.: April 7, 2006.
Small Business Participation in the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline  Project. GAO-05-860R. Washington, D.C.: August 4, 2005.
Technology Transfer: Several Factors Have Led to a Decline in  Partnerships at DOE’s Laboratories. GAO-02-465. Washington, D.C.: April  19, 2002.
section_title: Study on Programs at the Department of Health and Human Services
paragraphs: Toole, Andrew A., and Dirk Czarnitzki. Biomedical Academic  Entrepreneurship Through the SBIR Program. Cambridge, MA: National  Bureau of Economic Research, 2005.
section_title: Study on Programs at the Department of Transportation
paragraphs: Disadvantaged Business Enterprises: Critical Information Is Needed to  Understand Program Impact. GAO-01-586. Washington, D.C.: June 1,  2001.
section_title: Studies on Programs at the Appalachian Regional Commission
paragraphs: Greenwood Consulting Group, Inc. A Survey of Business Incubators in  Appalachia.  A report prepared at the request of the Appalachian Regional  Commission. July 2005.
Plishker, Laurie, Gary Silverstein, and Joy Frechtling.  Evaluation of the  Appalachian Regional Commission’s Vocational Education and  Workforce Training Projects.  A report prepared by Westat at the request  of the Appalachian Regional Commission. January 2002.
section_title: Study on Programs at the Export-Import Bank
paragraphs: Export-Import Bank: Changes Would Improve the Reliability of  Reporting on Small Business Financing. GAO-06-351. Washington, D.C.:  March 3, 2006.
section_title: Studies on Programs at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
paragraphs: Archibald, Robert B., and David H. Finifter. “Evaluating the NASA small  business innovation research program: preliminary evidence of a trade-off  between commercialization and basic research.” Research Policy. Vol. 32,  no. 4 (2003): 605-619.
U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Commercial  Technology Division. Office of Aerospace Technology.  NASA SBIR  Program: Commercial Metrics.  Washington, D.C.: 2002.
section_title: Studies on Programs at the Small Business Administration
paragraphs: Major Management Challenges and Program Risks: Small Business  Administration. GAO-03-116. Washington, D.C.: January 1, 2003.
SBA Disaster Loan Program: Accounting Anomalies Resolved but  Additional Steps Would Improve Long-Term Reliability of Cost  Estimates. GAO-05-409. Washington, D.C.: April 14, 2005.
Small Business: HUBZone Program Suffers From Reporting and  Implementation Difficulties. GAO-02-57. Washington, D.C.: October 26,  2001.
Small Business: More Transparency Needed in Prime Contract Goal  Program. GAO-01-551. Washington, D.C.: August 1, 2001.
Small Business: Status of Small Disadvantaged Business Certifications.  GAO-01-273. Washington, D.C.: January 19, 2001.
Small Business Administration: Actions Needed to Provide More Timely  Disaster Assistance. GAO-06-860. Washington, D.C.: July 28, 2006.
Small Business Administration: Disaster Loan Program. GAO-02-210R.  Washington, D.C.: November 16, 2001.
Small Business Administration: Improvements Made, but Loan  Programs Face Ongoing Management Challenges. GAO-06-605T.  Washington, D.C.: April 6, 2006.
Small Business Administration: Management Practices Have Improved  for the Women’s Business Center Program. GAO-01-791R. Washington,  D.C.: June 13, 2001.
Small Business Administration: Model for 7(a) Program Subsidy Had  Reasonable Equations, but Inadequate Documentation Hampered  External Reviews. GAO-04-9. Washington, D.C.: March 31, 2004.
Small Business Administration: New Service for Lender Oversight  Reflects Some Best Practices, but Strategy for Use Lags Behind. GAO-04- 610.  Washington, D.C.: June 8, 2004.
Small Business Administration: Observations on the Disaster Loan  Program. GAO-03-721T. Washington, D.C.: May 1, 2003.
Small Business Administration: Response to September 11 Victims and  Performance Measures for Disaster Lending. GAO-03-385. Washington,  D.C.: January 29, 2003.
Small Business Administration: Section 7(a) General Business Loans  Credit Subsidy Estimates. GAO-01-1095R. Washington, D.C.: August 21,  2001.
Small Business Administration: SBA Followed Appropriate Policies and  Procedures for September 11 Disaster Loan Applications. GAO-04-885.  Washington, D.C.: August 31, 2004.
Small Business Administration: Small Business Government  Contracting Programs; Subcontracting. GAO-05-268R. Washington, D.C.:  January 24, 2005.
Small Business Administration: The Commercial Marketing  Representative Role Needs to Be Strategically Planned and Assessed.  GAO-03-54. Washington, D.C.: November 1, 2002.
Waivers of the Small Business Administration’s Nonmanufacturer Rule  Have Limited Effect. GAO-03-311R. Washington, D.C.: December 19, 2002.
Ong, Paul M. “Set-aside contracting in SBA’s 8(a) program.” The Review of  Black Political Economy. Vol. 28, no. 3 (2001): 59-71.
section_title: Studies on Programs at Multiple Agencies
paragraphs: Anonymous. “Analyzing SBIR.” Regulation Magazine. Vol. 23, no. 4 (2000):  14-15.
Audretsch, David B., Juergen Weigand, and Claudia Weigand. “The Impact  of the SBIR on Creating Entrepreneurial Behavior.” Economic  Development Quarterly. Vol. 16, no. 1 (2002): 32-38.
Contract Management: Impact of Strategy to Mitigate Effects of Contract  Bundling on Small Business Is Uncertain. GAO-04-454. Washington, D.C.:  May 27, 2004.
Export Promotion: Government Agencies Should Combine Small  Business Export Training Programs. GAO-01-1023. Washington, D.C.:  September 21, 2001.
Export Promotion: Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee’s Role  Remains Limited. GAO-06-660T. Washington, D.C.: April 26, 2006.
Federal Procurement: Trends and Challenges in Contracting With  Women-Owned Small Businesses. GAO-01-346. Washington, D.C.:  February 16, 2001.
Federal Research: Observations on the Small Business Innovation  Research Program. GAO-05-861T. Washington, D.C.: June 28, 2005.
Federal Research and Development: Contributions to and Results of the  Small Business Technology Transfer Program. GAO-01-867T.  Washington, D.C.: June 21, 2001.
Federal Research and Development: Contributions to and Results of the  Small Business Technology Transfer Program. GAO-01-766R.  Washington, D.C.: June 4, 2001.
Information on the Number of Small Business Set-Asides Issued and  Successfully Challenged. GAO-03-242R. Washington, D.C.: November 1,  2002.
International Trade: Experts’ Advice for Small Businesses Seeking  Foreign Patents. GAO-03-910. Washington, D.C.: June 26, 2003.
Small and Disadvantaged Businesses: Most Agency Advocates View  Their Roles Similarly. GAO-04-451. Washington, D.C.: March 22, 2004.
Small Business Contracting: Concerns About the Administration’s Plan  to Address Contract Bundling Issues. GAO-03-559T. Washington, D.C.:  March 18, 2003.
Small Business Innovation Research: Agencies Need to Strengthen  Efforts to Improve the Completeness, Consistency, and Accuracy of  Awards Data. GAO-07-38. Washington, D.C.: October 19, 2006.
Small Business Subcontracting Report Validation Can Be Improved.  GAO-02-166R. Washington, D.C.: December 13, 2001.
Pretorius, Jacob V.R., and Christopher L. Magee. “Observations on  collaborative practices and relative success of small technology-innovating  firms supported by the US SBIR initiative.” Entrepreneurship and  Innovation Management. Vol. 5, nos. 1/2 (2005): 4-19.  van der Vlist, Arno, Shelby Gerking, and Henk Folmer. “What Determines  the Success of States in Attracting SBIR Awards?” Economic Development  Quarterly. Vol. 18, no. 1 (2004): 81-90.
section_title: Appendix XXIII: GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments
subsections: section_title: GAO Contact
section_title: Staff Acknowledgments
paragraphs: In addition to the contact named above, Cheryl Williams, (Assistant  Director); Stephen Cleary; Bernice Dawson; Holly Gerhart; Cindy Gilbert;  Nicole Harris; Matt Michaels; Rosario Montemayor; Alison O’Neill; and  Jerome Sandau made key contributions to this report.