SBA Role
The US Small Business Administration serves as the coordinating agency for the SBIR program. It directs the agencies' implementation of SBIR, reviews their progress, and reports annually to Congress on its operation. SBA is also the information link to SBIR program.
For more information on the SBIR Program, please contact:
US Small Business Administration
Office of Technology
409 Third Street, SW
Washington, DC 20416
(202) 205-6450
All of SBA's programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.
Congressional History
SBIR
The SBIR program was established under the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982 (P.L. 97-219) with the purpose of strengthening the role of innovative small business concerns in Federally-funded research and development (R&D). Through FY2009, over 112,500 awards have been made totaling more than $26.9 billion.
In December 2000, Congress passed the Small Business Research and Development Enhancement Act (P.L. 102-564) The program was reauthorized until September 30, 2008 by the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-554). Subsequently, Congress passed numerous extensions, the most recent of which extends the SBIR program through 2017.
STTR
Modeled after the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, STTR was established as a pilot program by the Small Business Technology Transfer Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-564, Title II). Government agencies with R&D budgets of $1 billion or more are required to set aside a portion of these funds to finance the STTR activity. In 2001, Congress passed the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-135). The program was reauthorized again until September 30, 2009, by the Small Business Technology Transfer Program Reauthorization Act of 2001 (P.L.107-50). Subsequently, Congress has passed numerous extensions, the most recent of which extends the STTR program through 2017. The goal of the STTR program is to facilitate the transfer of technology developed by a research institution through the entrepreneurship of a small business concern.
FAST Partnership Program
Congress sought to reduce the variation within state technology programs that foster economic development among small high-technology firms. In response, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2001, codified at 15 U.S.C. §657d(c), established the FAST program. The program expired on September 30, 2005 and was reestablished under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010.
Eligibility
SBIR
Only United States small businesses are eligible to participate in the SBIR program. An SBIR awardee must meet the following criteria at the time of Phase I and II awards:
- Organized for profit, with a place of business located in the United States;
- More than 50 percent owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the United States, or by another for-profit business concern that is more than 50% owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the United States; and
- No more than 500 employees, including affiliates
- For awards from agencies using the authority under 15 U.S.C. 638(dd)(1), an awardee may be owned and controlled by more than one VC, hedge fund, or private equity firm so long as no one such firm owns a majority of the stock.
- Phase I awardees with multiple prior awards must meet the benchmark requirements for progress toward commercialization.
See the Eligibility Guide for more detailed information.
STTR
Only United States small businesses are eligible to participate in the STTR program. The small business must meet all of the following criteria at time of award:
- Organized for profit, with a place of business located in the United States;
- At least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more individuals
who are citizens of, or permanent resident aliens in, the United States, and; - No more than 500 employees, including affiliates.
The nonprofit research institution must also meet certain eligibility criteria:
- Located in the US
- Meet one of three definitions:
- Nonprofit college or university
- Domestic nonprofit research organization
- Federally funded R&D center (FFRDC)
STTR differs from SBIR in three important aspects:
- The SBC and its partnering institution are required to establish an
intellectual property agreement detailing the allocation of intellectual
property rights and rights to carry out follow-on research, development
or commercialization activities. - STTR requires that the SBC perform at least 40% of the R&D and
the single partnering research institution to perform at least 30% of
the R&D. - Unlike the SBIR program, STTR does not require the Principal
Investigator to be primarily employed by the SBC.