Congress·In Committee·H.R. 3169

Congress Proposes Doubling Research Grants for Small Businesses to Boost Innovation and Security

SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2025

11 months ago·View on Congress.gov

Part of: Congress Proposes Extending and Reforming SBIR/STTR Programs Through 2030

⏸

Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Key Points

This bill extends two major programs that give federal grants to small businesses for scientific research and high-tech development. It ensures these programs keep running through at least 2030, providing steady support for American startups working on new inventions.
The plan would gradually double the amount of money large federal agencies must set aside for small business research. By 2032, agencies like the Department of Defense and NASA would have to spend 7% of their research budgets on these small business grants, up from the current 3.2%.
To help the next generation of scientists, the bill creates new internship and fellowship opportunities. Small businesses that win these grants could hire students from college through the doctoral level, with a special focus on recruiting women and people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The bill adds new security rules to protect American technology. It would ban any small business from receiving these grants if they are mostly owned or controlled by certain foreign governments or entities, such as those from China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran.
Federal agencies would be required to do more outreach to minority-serving colleges and Hispanic-serving institutions. This is intended to help more diverse researchers partner with small businesses and win a larger share of the available grant money.
Small businesses would get more help turning their inventions into real products. The bill increases funding for business and cybersecurity advice and requires agencies to appoint a specific official to help guide companies through the process of selling their tech to the government or the public.

Economy FinanceTechnology DigitalNational Security Foreign Policy

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

May 1, 2025House

Referred to the Committee on Small Business, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

May 1, 2025

Introduced in House

Related News

4 articles

MeriTalk·11 months ago

Expiring SBIR/STTR Programs Get Lifelines From Congress

Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Nydia Velázquez introduced the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2025 to make the programs permanent and increase research funding. The bill would double agency set-asides to 7% for SBIR and 1% for STTR over seven years to provide long-term certainty for small innovators.

C+

Politico·6 months ago

House Small Business advances innovation and tech funding legislation

The House Small Business Committee unanimously advanced a one-year extension of the SBIR/STTR programs. However, Senate Small Business Chair Joni Ernst opposes the 'clean' extension, pushing instead for the INNOVATE Act to reform 'SBIR mills' and strengthen foreign influence safeguards.

CL=

BioWorld·6 months ago

More US federal layoffs, future of SBIR on the table

Biotech and medtech startups face a 'valley of death' as Congress debates competing SBIR reauthorization bills. The Markey-Velázquez bill seeks to expand the program to 7% of R&D budgets, while the Ernst bill focuses on structural reforms and cutting STTR funding to prioritize first-time winners.

Related Bills

9 bills

H.R. 5212Related bill

SBIR/STTR Innovation Workforce Act

Sep 8 — Referred to the Committee on Small Business, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

H.R. 7217Related bill

SBIR Administrative Funding Act

Jan 22 — Referred to the Committee on Small Business, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

H.R. 4520Related bill

SBIR/STTR Application Assistance Act

Jul 17 — Referred to the Committee on Small Business, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

H.R. 4775Related bill

SBIR/STTR Foreign Interference Safeguard Act

Jul 25 — Referred to the Committee on Small Business, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

H.R. 4842Related bill

SBIR Commercialization Improvement Act

Aug 1 — Referred to the Committee on Small Business, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

H.R. 5001Related bill

SBIR/STTR Oversight Act

Aug 19 — Referred to the Committee on Small Business, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

S. 1573Related bill

SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2025

May 1 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

H.R. 3851Related bill

SBIR/STTR Pilot Extension Act

Jun 9 — Referred to the Committee on Small Business, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

H.R. 3953Related bill

SBIR/STTR Website Improvement Act

Jun 12 — Referred to the Committee on Small Business, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2025

Bill NumberHR 3169

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the Committee on Small Business, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(3)

D: 3

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.