HR5100-119

What This Bill Does

This bill is a one-year bridge for the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. Section 1 extends the core SBIR authority in section 9(m) of the Small Business Act from September 30, 2025 to September 30, 2026, and extends the STTR authority in section 9(n)(1)(A) through fiscal year 2026. These authorities require participating federal agencies with qualifying extramural research budgets to reserve portions of research funding for competitive awards to small businesses and, for STTR, small businesses working with nonprofit research institutions.

Section 2 extends a set of related SBIR/STTR program activities from fiscal year 2025 or September 30, 2025 to fiscal year 2026 or September 30, 2026. The extended provisions include commercialization and technical-assistance authorities, mentor-protege or partnership activities, data collection, ownership and venture-capital participation rules, agency reporting, Inspector General or fraud-prevention oversight, and other program administration provisions in section 9 of the Small Business Act. The bill does not redesign the programs; it prevents a lapse while leaving the existing structure in place for one additional year.

Who Benefits and How

SBIR small business awardees, STTR small business awardees, small businesses commercializing federally funded research, university research partners, nonprofit research institutions, venture-capital-backed small businesses eligible under SBIR/STTR ownership rules, commercialization-assistance providers, defense technology startups, biomedical startups, energy technology startups, NASA technology vendors, and federal mission offices that use small-business research awards benefit because the bill preserves award authority, collaboration pathways, and support programs through September 30, 2026.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Small Business Administration SBIR/STTR policy office, Department of Defense research offices, National Institutes of Health extramural research offices, National Science Foundation research offices, Department of Energy research offices, NASA research offices, federal Inspector General offices, agency SBIR/STTR program managers, large research contractors, and federal taxpayers must continue administering set-asides, solicitations, reporting, oversight, fraud-prevention measures, commercialization assistance, and one more year of program funding and compliance.

Key Provisions

• Extends core SBIR authority from September 30, 2025 to September 30, 2026.
• Extends STTR authority through fiscal year 2026.
• Extends related SBIR/STTR program activities and pilot authorities through fiscal year 2026 or September 30, 2026.
• Extends commercialization, technical-assistance, ownership, venture-capital participation, reporting, and oversight provisions for one year.
• Preserves existing SBIR/STTR award pathways rather than changing award eligibility or program design.