Advocacy seeks small business researchers, or researchers who want to become small businesses, to perform economic research via a request for quotations (RFQ). The topics are chosen because they are researchable, show the status or role of small businesses, can be a springboard for further research, and can affect public policy. These RFQs are for competitive contracts and are not research grants. 

For ideas of topics Advocacy has funded in the past, see http://www.sba.gov/advo/research/chron.html.  The proposal solicitations and synopses are listed in FedBizOpps   (If this link is not active, go to http://www.fedbizopps.gov and search for SmallBusiness Administration listings.)

The following solicitations are currently open:

• SBAHQ-07-Q-0008: Small Business Tax Credits Research
• SBAHQ-07-Q-0009: Small Business Issues Surrounding U.S. Military Reservists*
• SBAHQ-07-Q-0010: An Analysis of Small Business Patents by Industry and Firm Size
• SBAHQ-07-Q-0012: Other Small Business Research Topics using Large Databases
• SBAHQ-07-Q-0013: Rural Small Business Research
• SBAHQ-07-Q-0015: Graduate Student Research
• SBAHQ-07-Q-0016: The Importance of Angel Investment in Financing the Growth of Entrepreneurial Ventures
• SBAHQ-07-Q-0017: Low-Wage Worker Characteristics by Firm Size & Industry
• SBAHQ-07-Q-0018: Office of Advocacy Research Academic Citation Study
• Competition on this solicitation is restricted to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.

It is important that all respondents follow the instructions provided for submitting proposals. The deadline for submitting proposals is June 22, 2007. There will be a question and answer period from May 21 to May 25, 2007. Questions should be directed to the appropriate contracting specialist: Elizabeth Aviles-Wynkoop, Sharon Brown, Maria Manga, and Brenda Mealer. Each is located at: U.S. Small Business Administration, 409 Third Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20416.

Please note that regular mail to government offices in Washington, D.C., experiences significant delays. Other methods, such as overnight and certified mail, are preferred and are more timely. Proposals cannot be
submitted via fax or email.

If you have further questions or are unfamiliar with the government contracting process, please view frequently asked questions from the Office of Government Contracting within the U.S. Small Business Administration.