SBIR grants extended through April

Monday, January 10, 2011

In a last-minute vote last week, Congress voted to continue temporary funding for both the federal Small Business Innovation Research and the Small Business Technology Transfer programs through April 30.

Without the resolution, both programs would have run out of funding on Jan. 31. President Obama signed the measure into law on Jan. 29.

The portion of the SBIR program specific to the Department of Defense was extended last year through Sept. 30 in a separate resolution.

While the most recent continuing resolution for SBIR/STTR was welcome by small tech companies, they were hoping for a much longer extension.

It was the sixth short-term continuing resolution to fund the program since 2008.

The House and the Senate have been working for over a year to forge a compromise bill giving long-term funding to SBIR/STTR programs, but have yet to reach an agreement.

Eleven federal agencies – including the Department of Defense and National Science Foundation — participate in the SBIR, STTR and related programs, which provide millions of dollars in grants — with awards reaching upwards of $750,000 to individual businesses meeting specific criteria. — CINDY KIBBE/NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS REVIEW

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