SBIR REAUTHORIZATION
REAUTHORIZATION REQUIRED
Every 7-10 years, the SBIR/STTR programs must be “reauthorized” by Congress or they will cease to exist. SBIR has survived three reauthorizations in the past, but the fourth one was very problematic and did not come until after a lengthy series of 14 "continuing resolutions" that kept the program alive.
Fortunately, the SBIR/STTR programs were finally reauthorized in December 2011 (more than 3 years after their previous reauthorization expired in September 2008), which will continue the programs through FY2017. The reauthorization was contained in the National Defense Authorization Act. The full reauthorization text can be found at
www.zyn.com/sbir/insider/SBIR_Pages_from-HR1540conf.pdf
We as well as other interested parties are still analyzing the many changes to SBIR/STTR that will occur because of the reauthorization. An early assessment of ours can be found at:
 | Click here for our January 2012 special Alert Svc article |
Suffice it to say that these programs will be different now than they have been in the past, and your decision whether to participate in them (and, if so, what your proposal needs to look like) needs to be based on that "new reality." Paraphrasing Rick Shindell, the reauthorization is truly a compromise and contains provisions that the SBIR/STTR community will not like, but there was a risk that these programs would be eliminated if this compromise wasn't struck. It is now up to us to learn how best to live with those compromises and changes that they bring to the SBIR/STTR programs.
In addition to checking our proposal writing tips for suggestions on how to cope with the new reality of SBIR/STTR, we recommend you stay on top of the changes coming from the reauthorization by going to www.zyn.com/sbir and www.sbtc.org. This will be especially important as the SBIR/STTR awarding agencies, and the Small Business Administration (SBA) implement the requirements placed upon them by the reauthorization. There are many such mandates, and how the agencies and SBA implement them will determine how onerous they are for those seeking SBIR/STTR funding. Many of the SBA mandates require that the agency publish and seek public comment before they issue directives and policy, so staying on top of this process will allow you to influence what SBA does.
Kudos go out for several persons who were very influential in the ultimate reauthorization of SBIR/STTR. They include Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Rick Shindell of the SBIR Gateway, and Jere Glover of the Small Business Technology Coalition.