SBIR/STTR Pilot Extension Act

The SBIR/STTR Pilot Extension Act would extend and expand several pilot and flexibility provisions of the Small Business Act related to the SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) and STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) programs. The bill broadens the use of “phase flexibility authority” to all federal SBIR agencies (not just NIH, DoD, and Education), extends the period for direct-to-Phase II awards through 2030 (with a funding cap), and adds a new reporting requirement. It also renames and extends the commercialization-focused pilot program for civilian agencies, and stretches two other pilots (Phase 0 Proof of Concept Partnerships and Commercialization Assistance) to 2030. Overall, the bill aims to give federal SBIR programs more time and broader access to flexible funding pathways to speed up development and commercialization of small business innovations, while imposing limits and requirements to monitor use. Key changes include: extending the pilot and flexibility authorities to 2030; enabling more federal agencies to use direct-to-Phase II authority with annual funding caps (10% of an agency’s SBIR funds, NIH at 15%); renaming and extending the civilian-agency commercialization readiness program; and pushing the end dates of the Phase 0 PoC and commercialization assistance pilots to September 30, 2030. Agencies would have to report the number and amount of these awards in their annual SBIR/STTR reports.