Dr. Couick spearheaded SBIR contracting via GSA’s Assisted Acquisition Services (AAS) that provides increased access to cutting-edge technology for the federal Government while helping small businesses meet their commercialization goals.
Dr. Couick is with US General Services Administration (GSA)’s Office of Assisted Acquisition Services ( AAS), which awards and administers contracts on behalf of federal agencies on a fee-for-service basis. He is also the GSA Subject Matter Expert for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. Having served as an Air Force acquisition officer prior to joining GSA, Dr. Couick was keenly aware of the challenges that can be associated with SBIR contract award timelines and offered a GSA solution—SBIR contracting via GSA’s Assisted Acquisition Services (AAS).
Dr. Couick conducted extensive research and wrote a convincing business case to gain GSA approval to conduct the AAS Phase III Pilot Program. Today, the AAS program helps manage SBIR Phase III contracts and in turn provides increased access to cutting-edge technology for the federal government while helping small businesses meet their commercialization goals. This program, spearheaded by Couick, encourages real-world applications for research and development, and addresses the President’s Management Agenda (PMA) Cross Agency Priority (CAP) goal to improve the transfer of federally-funded technology from the laboratory to the marketplace.