I already have materials, machines, and expertise. What I don't have is a business-zoned building or money for ITAR. The FFL is the cheap part, and it's none too cheap...
If not for those laws, just for the purpose of argument, I could walk into my garage right now and start making the prototypes for many, many items.
But a $900,000 study? I'm just not outraged. There are far, far larger wastes of money to be outraged over. This is a minor annoyance, in comparison to where big money is going.