The SBIR Phase III Contracting Guide
A reference for awarding and accepting follow-on contracts under 15 U.S.C. §638(r). Statutory authority, process, data rights, and the answers to the questions Contracting Officers actually ask.
Statute, FAR, GAO
The legal framework, data rights, and how Phase III compares to other contracting authorities.
ProcessFive steps to award
Requirements through award, with a worked logical-connection example and answers to common objections.
ReferenceChecklists & FAQ
Pre-award, award, post-award and closeout checklists. Glossary, acronyms, and answers at a glance.
For Contracting Officers
This guide assembles statutory authority, FAR sections, the SBA Policy Directive, and GAO precedent into a single defensible reference. The Common Objections page addresses the questions that come up in protest scenarios.
For SBIR Awardees
If you're positioning for a Phase III, this guide is what you'd want your Contracting Officer to read. The Process page walks the logical-connection narrative the CO needs to draft a defensible administrative record.
What this is
SBIR Phase III is a statutory authority — under 15 U.S.C. §638(r)(4) — that lets a federal agency award a follow-on contract to an SBIR Phase I or II awardee for work that derives from, extends, or completes the prior SBIR effort. No competition. No dollar limit. No formal J&A. This guide explains how to use that authority correctly.
It is structured for Contracting Officers as the primary reader and SBIR awardees as the secondary reader. It is a reference, not a marketing document. Where SBIR Connect can help — drafting a logical connection narrative, structuring a defensible award, advising on data rights — that's the Get Help page.