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Congress·In Committee·10 months ago

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

Also known as: SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2025

Legislative Progress

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Impact Analysis

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

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

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·10 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.

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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.

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BioWorld·5 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.

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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

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