The Small Business Technology Council’s Executive Director Jere Glover testified in a hearing before the House of Representatives’ Committee on Small Business on February 26th regarding SBIR/STTR programs.  Titled “Fostering American Innovation: Insights into SBIR and STTR Programs”, the hearing focused on the importance of the SBIR and STTR programs in leveraging innovative small businesses by the Federal government, the urgency in reauthorizing these programs and keeping them merit-based, and the importance of protecting the research generated by SBIR from foreign adversaries such as China.

The SBIR and STTR programs currently set to expire on September 30, 2025, and must be reauthorized before then to avoid a statutory lapse in authority.  Both the House and Senate are moving to try to get bills passed before then using Regular Order.  This standard process for getting bills passed requires a hearing, followed by introduction of a draft bill, then a markup hearing for adding amendments, a vote in Committee, and a vote on the floor.  This House Small Business Committee hearing is the first step in this process.

In his testimony, Jere highlighted the remarkable successes that the SBIR/STTR programs have generated in the 40+ years of its existence, both in terms of technological innovations and economic returns on the taxpayer dollar.  He urged Congress to reauthorize and strengthen the programs promptly to ensure that America’s technological advantage doesn’t continue to shrink.  Jere laid out four major legislative recommendations for a reauthorization bill:

  1. Simplify and Streamline the Process to lower barriers of entry and encourage more new entrants into the programs
  2. Grow the Programs by increasing the set-aside for both SBIR and STTR
  3. Make the Programs Permanent, ending the insecurity and unpredictability that every reauthorization cycle generates, and
  4. Ensure that the risk management provisions are fair and transparent, so that small businesses can comply with new risk protocols without being harmed or made to guess why they were flagged.

In addition to Jere, two other SBTC members were invited to testify at the Hearing.  Dr. William Marinelli, CEO of Physical Sciences, Inc., and ML Mackey, CEO of Beacon Interactive Systems both spoke about the impact SBIR has had on their businesses and how essential it is to for Congress to quickly reauthorize and strengthen the programs.  All witnesses agreed that the programs should be made permanent.

To read Jere’s testimony and watch a full replay of the hearing, follow the links below:

Jere Glover Written Testimony Before House Small Business Committee

Video Replay of February 26, 2025 House Small Business Hearing on SBIR/STTR