Auriga Microwave

Auriga Microwave has been profitable for 13 consecutive quarters. Over that time, we have migrated from PPT slides, to simulations, to measurements; and, the really good news is that they all have matched.

During that time, a very large part of our funding has come from SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) awards, where we have won an outstanding 11 of 15 Phase I SBIRs (we are told that this is an "incredible" success rate), 7 of 9 Phase IIs ("incredible" squared!), 2 Phase 2.5s, and 3 Phase IIIs. Much of our technology is now at TRL Level 4/5.

Needless to say, a huge part of Auriga's success has resulted from SBIR funding.  We are now under NDA with more than 10 Primes and moving forward with several proofs-of-concepts and prototypes. Without the SBIR program, I am sure we would not be where we are today, i.e., poised to successfully aid our warfighters.

This President Corner's note, however, is about the Reauthorization Act of 2011 and to pay homage to those people in Congress who led the battle for extended funding of the SBIR program and for providing small businesses a program they can rely on. Of course, you have to win the awards!

For the past several years, i.e., 14 continuing 6-month resolutions, the SBIR program was always a stone’s throw away from ending. Effective December 31, 2011, however, when signed by President Obama, the SBIR program was reauthorized for a period of 6 years, ending September 30, 2017.

Important Reauthorization highlights, other than just being approved, include:

• Increased Allocation. SBIR allocation will increase each year by 0.1% of the DoD budget; in 2017, it will increase by 0.2%
• Increased Award Levels. SBIR Phase I awards will increase to $150k (from typically $75k) and Phase II awards to $1,000,000 (from $750k)
• Increased Agency and Program Flexibility. A firm may be awarded a Phase II from an agency, or for a program, that is not the one from which they were awarded their Phase I

Regardless of what you may have seen in the press about people taking credit for SBIR Reauthorization, one person, Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, towered over all others. I was lucky enough to hear her speak at the Navy Opportunity Forum this past year and was impressed. I wouldn't want to be on the other side of an issue she felt strongly about, and she felt strongly about this one. There's no question that the long-term Reauthorization Act would not have happened without her extraordinary doggedness. "Innovation takes time. The creative small businesses that develop technology that advance our Country's leadership require the knowledge that funding will be there for them as they progress towards commercialization," said Senator Landrieu. Landrieu continued, "Studies have shown us that the SBIR program continues to produce incredible returns on the government's investment."

In the Senate, Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Carl Levin (D-MI), and John McCain (R-AZ) were helpful and supportive. In the House, U.S. Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (D-MA), a major long-time SBIR champion, played a yeoman role to get key support from Buck McKeon (R-CA) and Adam Smith (D-WA) of the House Armed Services Committee. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Peter Welch (D-VT) also played significant supportive roles in bringing this important Act to fruition.

Auriga Microwave is extraordinarily appreciative of the SBIR program and we thank Senator Landrieu and Congresswoman Tsongas, our local Representative in Congress, in particular, for keeping the program very much alive…and, thereby aiding Auriga and our valiant warfighters.

STTR stands for Small Business Technology Transfer and is targeted at opportunities for nonprofit research institutions, e.g., universities, and is more focused on moving technology forward as opposed to commercialization. We have chosen not to pursue this funding avenue, as we are committed to developing technology that may be deployed as soon as possible.