Senate Committee, Witnesses Want SBIR/STTR Programs Permanent

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and its companion tech transfer program should be made permanent, Senate committee members said during a Jan. 28 hearing on reauthorizing the programs.

Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), chairman of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, said at the hearing, “These programs are vital to the success of many small businesses and have ultimately helped create thousands of new jobs by fostering innovation and stimulating the economy through public-private partnerships.”

The programs are funded by set-asides from the extramural research and development budgets of participating federal agencies and provide grants to small businesses through ...