When the proposal submission deadline for DoD SBIR Solicitation 2003.1 arrived at 5:00 PM EST on January 15, 2003 over 7,200 proposals were submitted. A number of companies were not able to submit their proposals because of heavy traffic on the DoD Electronic Submission Site.

The solicitation is clear that the deadline for electronic proposals was 5:00 PM on January 15, 2003, and that the deadline is firm. The solicitation also cautions that "As the close date draws near, heavy traffic on the web server may cause delays. Plan ahead and leave ample time to prepare and submit your proposals." Accordingly, after careful consideration of the factors involved in the submission of proposals for this solicitation, it has been determined that proposals not received in the manner prescribed in the solicitation by the specified proposal submission deadline will not be accepted.