To improve commercialization activities in the SBIR and STTR programs, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
The Research Advancing to Market Production for Innovators Act (RAMP for Innovators Act) overhauls the federal SBIR and STTR programs to emphasize commercialization of government-funded research. Key reforms include: requiring peer reviewers to evaluate commercialization likelihood alongside scientific merit (Sec 2); expanding phase flexibility authority to all federal agencies through FY2027 with 10% spending caps (DOD exempt, NIH gets 30% cap) (Sec 3); mandating each participating agency designate a Technology Commercialization Official to guide awardees and report on outcomes (Sec 4); upgrading technical assistance with mandatory authorization, expanded vendor choice, cybersecurity assistance, and higher funding caps (,500 Phase I, ,000 Phase II) (Sec 5); requiring agencies with I-Corps programs to offer participation to SBIR/STTR awardees (Sec 6); creating an annual commercialization impact assessment tracking revenue, patents, jobs, and follow-on investment for frequent Phase II awardees (Sec 7); and establishing prioritized patent examination and USPTO outreach for awardees (Sec 8).
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Improve commercialization outcomes in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs by reforming peer review, expanding phase flexibility, creating technology commercialization officials, enhancing technical assistance, and establishing impact assessment reporting.
Who Benefits
- Small technology businesses receiving SBIR/STTR awards
- Federal agencies seeking technology transfer
- Venture capital and follow-on investors
Who Bears Costs
- Federal agencies (new reporting and official designation requirements)
- SBA (coordination and assessment duties)
Key Policy Areas
{'domain': 'Small Business', 'evidence': ['2', '3', '4', '5']}, {'domain': 'Science & Technology', 'evidence': ['2', '6', '7']}, {'domain': 'Intellectual Property', 'evidence': ['8']}
Primary Purpose
Improve commercialization outcomes in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs by reforming peer review, expanding phase flexibility, creating technology commercialization officials, enhancing technical assistance, and establishing impact assessment reporting.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Shift SBIR/STTR programs from pure research funding toward commercialization outcomes by embedding market-readiness criteria throughout the award lifecycle."
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMs. Houlahan (for herself and Mr. Balderson) introduced the following …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Department of Defense, Federal agencies with I-Corps programs, Federal agencies with SBIR/STTR programs
Positive-direction: Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health
Negative-direction: Federal agencies with I-Corps programs, Federal agencies with SBIR/STTR programs, SBA and federal agencies, USPTO
Small businesses receiving SBIR/STTR awards, Small businesses seeking commercialization guidance, Small businesses with 50+ Phase II awards
Positive-direction: Small businesses receiving SBIR/STTR awards, Small businesses seeking commercialization guidance
Negative-direction: Small businesses with 50+ Phase II awards
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_administrator"
- → Administrator of the Small Business Administration
- "the_administrator"
- → Administrator of the SBA
- "the_director"
- → Under Secretary of Commerce for IP / Director of USPTO
- "the_administrator"
- → Administrator of the SBA
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology