The Small Business Technology Council has drafted a new white paper for 2017 covering SBTC’s positions on SBIR/STTR policies and issues. With a new Congress and Administration incoming, and with Congress expected to take up SBIR/STTR issues in 2017, it is vital that we start educating those in government unfamiliar with these programs how important and essential they are, not just to small businesses, but to the American high-tech economy in general.
With this in mind, this white paper focuses particularly on the economic benefits of the SBIR/STTR programs, and the role SBIR and STTR play in the American economy. The paper also goes over the programs purpose generally, to serve as a primer for those in government that are new to the programs. We also list 7 key recommendations for improving the SBIR/STTR programs, including increasing the allocation size and strengthening the Phase III preference requirements.
This paper will serve as the foundation of SBTC’s education efforts in 2017, and we encourage you to distribute this paper to every elected and administration official you meet with, as well as any staffers in Congress or elsewhere working on SBIR/STTR policies. You can also use the executive summary as a brief 2-page handout. We are hopeful that our education and advocacy efforts can lead to Congress further strengthening the law, and the new Administration understanding and utilizing these vital innovation programs. Given that some are proposing to eliminate SBIR in the upcoming budgets we urge everyone to make sure their Senators and Representatives know how well the SBIR program works.