March 31, 2004—The US Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology division recently announced that 66 small businesses in 23 states have been selected for contract negotiations. The DHS is partnering with these small businesses to find new technologies to improve national security. The sixty-six firms will receive a total of $6.5 million, with individual firms each receiving up to $100,000. Awardees will define the scientific, technical, and commercial merit of a particular concept. Firms whose concepts prove successful may be invited to apply for a second award to further develop the concept, usually to the prototype stage.
