The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released a comprehensive study of the SBIR/STTR programs at the DOD.  This study underscores how successful the SBIR and STTR programs have been in both generating new technologies for the warfighter as well as outsize commercialization returns.  Amongst the findings in the study are:
  • Firms that have participated in DOD’s SBIR/STTR programs ultimately meet a significant and growing fraction of DOD’s extramural R&D needs and represent nearly one-third of participants in the defense R&D base.
  • DOD SBIR/STTR firms ultimately attract more than 4 dollars in non-SBIR/STTR funding from DOD for each dollar of DOD SBIR/STTR funding.
  • DOD SBIR/STTR awardees register a significant rate of knowledge transfer to prime contractors.
The NASEM study also investigated the role of multiple award winners or “experienced firms” in the DOD’s SBIR/STTR program.  They found that these small businesses play a critical role in the DOD small business innovation ecosystem, and that “restricting experienced firms from participating in the SBIR/STTR Programs…is a detriment to DOD’s efforts”.  The study has also recommended that,
  • Congress should ensure that program executive officers and program managers have the flexibility to choose among applicants with the best technologies and those that can quickly deliver results for the warfighter. Congress should not mandate strict benchmarks restricting the receipt of awards based simply on the number of previous awards or prior Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) funding received by a small business.
As negotiations over the future of the program continue in Congress, this study is a timely and important reminder of how essential the SBIR/STTR programs are to America’s innovative ecosystem.  It further reinforces the important role and unique value that experienced firms play in the DOD’s SBIR/STTR innovation ecosystem.
Follow the link below to download and review the NASEM study:

Review of the SBIR and STTR Programs at the Department of Defense (2026)