The U.S. Army has awarded nearly $3 million in new contracts to 11 small businesses to develop material-readiness solutions.

Each company will receive up to $250,000 in funding for up to six months in duration through the Army Applied Small Business Innovation Research Program, which releases contract opportunities on an ad hoc, rolling basis for U.S.-based small businesses and non-traditional defense vendors to take on some of the Army’s most critical technology challenges.

“We are curating our problem sets directly from our Army customers and transition partners,” said Dr. Matt Willis, director of Army prize competitions and the Army Applied SBIR Program in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology. “I’m looking forward to seeing the innovative technology and approaches these small businesses take as they mature their technologies and transition them for Soldiers’ use – all with the help of SBIR dollars.”

The following small businesses received Phase I awards:

• Advanced Offroad Trailer (Standpoint, Idaho) for “M997A3 Chassis Suspension Improvements”
• Bascom Hunter Technologies (Baton Rouge, La.) for “Fan Low Noise Kit for High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle”
• Force Engineering Inc. (Chandler, Calif.) for “Variable Response Tire Insert”
• Great Lakes Sound & Vibration, Inc. (Houghton, Mich.) for “Variable Speed Engine Cooling Fan”
• GS Engineering, Inc. (Houghton, Mich.) for “Chassis Suspension Improvements”
• Integrated Solutions for Systems (Huntsville, Ala.) for “Intelligent Variable Speed Engine Cooling Fan–Hydraulic”
• Lynntech Inc. (College Station, Texas) for “Carbon Fiber Hoops Embedded Tire”
• Oceanit Laboratories Inc. (Honolulu) for “Advanced Tire Technology for Manned and Unmanned Systems”
• Orbital Traction LTD (Houston) for “Silent Running Fan System for Engine Cooling”
• Rod Hall Licensed Products (Reno, Nev.) for “Enhanced Ride Performance-M997A3 Chassis”
• Shocktech Inc. (Mahwah, N.J.) for “Retrofitting Isolation for Automobile Suspension”

Through the Army Applied SBIR Program, selected small businesses work closely with technical points of contact, who serve as a resource for companies as they mature their technologies for insertion into Army programs of record.

“We are very interested in seeing innovative approaches developed and demonstrated for these particular topic areas, as they have either been unaddressed, or insufficiently addressed, to date,” said William Leonard, project engineer for Program Executive Office Combat Support and Combat Service Support and technical point of contact for the companies. “Each of these firms has stood up to the challenge with our perceived solution, and these solutions will enhance mobility, vehicle performance and survivability in its most basic function.”

In addition to benefiting the Army, the program also offers a valuable opportunity for small businesses to interact with Soldiers and technical and operational subject matter experts, who provide insight into technology needs and guide small businesses through the Army research and development ecosystem. Additionally, the program’s flexibility and timeliness in responding to the Army’s emerging technology needs maximize the initial cash flow for small businesses while minimizing the time to contract.

The Army Applied SBIR Program recently announced five new contract opportunities in clean technology and system monitoring and aerial/radar targeting sensors. Qualified small businesses can now submit proposals through Aug. 2 at noon EDT. Full proposal packages must be submitted through the DSIP Portal. Additional information, including eligibility information and how to apply, can be found on the Army SBIR|STTR website.