UPDATES:
NSBA and SBTC have put out a joint press release urging Congress to act swiftly to pass HR 5100 and continue the SBIR/STTR programs.
NSBA/SBTC Press Release on SBIR/STTR Lapse
The Leaders of the House Small Business and Science Committees issued a bipartisan press release expressing disappointment that HR 5100 was not passed in the Senate, allowing the SBIR/STTR programs to lapse:
House Small Business and Science Committee React to Imminent Lapse of SBIR/STTR Programs
Original Post:
The SBIR and STTR programs have lapsed as of October 1, 2025 after a last-minute effort in the Senate to pass a short-term extension failed.
On September 30, there was a last-minute effort to continue the programs when Senate Small Business Committee Ranking Member Ed Markey (R-MA) introduced HR 5100 on the floor and asked for it to be passed by unanimous consent. This bill is a simple, 1-year extension of SBIR and STTR that contains no programmatic changes to the programs and simply pushes the termination date back to 2026. It was passed unanimously in the House earlier this month, and had the support of both Republicans and Democrats in the House Small Business and Science Committees. SBTC supports this legislation, and has sent a letter to the Senate urging its passage.
Unfortunately, passage of HR 5100 was blocked when Small Business Chair Joni Ernst (R-IA) objected to it, instead introducing another bill as an amendment, which included only a 1-month extension of the programs, but that also contained several major changes to the SBIR program that Senator Markey had previously voiced opposition to. Senator Markey objected to Senator Ernst’s bill, and it was blocked.
The result is that SBIR and STTR authority has now lapsed as Congress continues to negotiate over the future of the program. We expect that there will be no more solicitations released or awards made until Congress can pass an extension. Contracts that are already signed should be honored, but there may be no more Phase III contracts issued during the lapse. There is a lot of uncertainty as to how the Agencies are going to manage and maintain their programs during this period. The expectation is that the programs will be extended by Congress sometime, but no one knows when. The imminent government shutdown will only add to the uncertainty.
The SBTC will continue to work with Congress to get an extension to SBIR and STTR passed. We continue to support HR 5100 as a common-sense, bipartisan extension that will give negotiators the time they need to resolve the many differences between the various interests and parties involved.