About the SBIR Program

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) is a highly competitive phased program that encourages domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) with the potential for commercialization. Through a competitive awards-based program, SBIR enables small businesses to explore their technological potential and provide the incentive to profit from its commercialization. By including qualified small businesses in the nation's R&D arena, high-tech innovation is stimulated, and the United States gains entrepreneurial spirit as it meets its specific research and development needs.

SBIR Phases:

Phase I: Establishes the technical merit, feasibility, and commercial potential of the proposed R&D efforts and to determine the quality of performance of the small business awardee organization prior to providing further Federal support in Phase II.

Phase II: Continues the R&D efforts initiated in Phase I. Funding is based on the results achieved in Phase I and the scientific and technical merit and commercial potential of the project proposed in Phase II.

Phase III: Focuses on small businesses pursuing commercialization objectives resulting from the Phase I/II R&D activities. The SBIR program does not fund Phase III. At some Federal agencies, Phase III may involve follow-on non-SBIR funded R&D or production contracts for products, processes or services intended for use by the U.S. Government.

The Challenge

Segue Technologies faces the complex challenge of modernizing legacy systems for federal customers and migrating them to a cloud environment. Early legacy system Cloud migration efforts showed that a simple ‘lift and shift’ approach is wholly inadequate. The result is simply recreating the existing legacy IT ‘stove-piped’ systems with all their inherent inefficiencies, inadequacies, high maintenance costs, slow to change technology and risks. These challenges demand a more strategic, capability-focused approach to modernization to meet the evolving needs of federal missions effectively.

The Solution

Segue Technologies leverages their Phase III SBIR initiative to address these challenges. Our approach is to identify critical ‘capabilities’ that are required for mission success (and not systems) and migrate or implement those capabilities on a proven common Cloud platform. Through this approach, Federal organizations can realize the following:​

Application Rationalization​

• Consolidate legacy systems capability to streamline workflow​
• Eliminate redundant/overlapping systems​

Migrate to the Cloud / Re-Engineer Legacy Capability in the Cloud​

• Increase scalability and flexibility​
• Eliminate hardware costs and support requirements​

Integration of Advanced Tools​

• Leverage Process Automation (Robotic and Digital)​
• Provision Advanced Data Capabilities (Analytics, Machine Learning (ML) / Artificial Intelligence (AI)) ​

Transition to a Low/No Code platform​

• Reduce dependence on development teams to update process flows, data feeds, and business rules​
• Prototype / Development platform that supports and includes tools for Agile methods​