SBIR_2016_Year_in_Review-FINAL-WEB-with_links-PACleared

FRAUD
COUNTERMEASURES
Operational changes to the program have created a
strong deterrent for by making it more difficult to
commit fraud on Air Force SBIR/STTR contracts and
providing better evidence when it does happen. The
changes are expected to make a significant impact
by putting the government in the strongest possible
position to hold a fraudulent contractor accountable.
Also among the improvements is a new clause that
requires companies to identify the principal investigator
for each SBIR/STTR contract and secure written
approval from the Air Force prior to making a change.
This is designed to deter “bait and switch” schemes, in
which contractors propose an experienced researcher
as the principal investigator then use a lower-qualified,
lower-cost employee to serve in that role.
team at WPAFB in Ohio. The team included Air Force
Materiel Command’s Law Office Procurement Fraud
Division, the AFRL Contracting Office and the Air Force
SBIR/STTR Program Office.
AFRL’s Contracting Office implemented the
recommended changes for the first round of Air Force
SBIR/STTR proposals in 2016 and the program office
has since integrated these changes Air Force-wide into
SBIR/STTR contracts.
Questions about the new fraud-fighting measures should
be directed to Air Force SBIR/STTR Contracting Officer
Gail Nyikon (gail.nyikon@us.af.mil).
Fighting fraud protects the integrity of the government’s
procurement process, saves taxpayer dollars and
mitigates significant threats to the safety of warfighters.
The initiative was led by the Air Force Office of
Special Investigations - Office of Procurement Fraud
Investigations Directorate, which partnered with a
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