Senator Mary Landrieu’s Letter to SBIR/STTR Advocates

We’ve posted Senator Mary Landrieu’s press release to SBIR/STTR Advocates today on her work to push SBIR Re-Authorization through.  We’ve also included some information on how you can do your part, and urge Congress to help pass the Bill and engage in a compromise with the Senate before it goes to President Obama for passage.

Read the Press Release below and take part in urging Congress to Re-Authorize:

From: Senator Mary L. Landrieu, Chair, Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship

Subject: Spread the Word: SBIR/STTR One Step Closer to Finish Line

Date: December 1, 2011

Dear SBIR/STTR Advocates,

This week, by a unanimous voice vote, the Senate amended the National Defense Authorization bill to include a reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs for another eight years giving small businesses confidence that the program is going to go on.

Prior to this vote, Congress had passed 14 temporary extensions of the SBIR and STTR programs since 2008. Unfortunately, the fight is not over. There is one more hurdle to jump over to make it to the finish line. We must make sure our colleagues on the House side do not strip this crucial legislation as with years past.

You may think this bill will easily pass the House with bipartisan support given the overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate and broad support from groups such as the National Small Business Association, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the U.S Chamber of Commerce and BIO. The Senate version has the most support and we hope the House will join us in getting a long-term SBIR/STTR reauthorization across the finish line.

Please call your Member of the House and urge them to speak to their colleagues who will be involved in these negotiations to reach a compromise before the National Defense bill is sent to the President. We must stress the importance of this legislation; we must make sure they understand the necessity of these programs to keep our nation on the forefront of defense technology and scientific innovation.

You can read more about this wonderful news below.

All the best,

[Mary L. Landrieu]

Did you know?

• This reauthorizes the programs for 8 years.
• The amendment increases the SBIR program allocation by one percent, from 2.5 to 3.5 percent, over ten years, and increases the STTR program allocation from .3 percent to .6 percent over six years.
• It makes firms majority owned and controlled by multiple venture capital firms eligible for up to 25 percent of the SBIR funds at NIH, NSF and DoE and up to 15 percent of the funds at the other eight agencies. The authority is in effect for five years, as modified by Sen. McCain.
• 3 percent of the SBIR allocation will go to administrative, oversight and processing costs if there is an allocation increase.
• The amendment increases the award guidelines for SBIR and STTR awards from $100,000 to $150,000 for Phase I and from $750,000 to $1 million for Phase II, allowing for one sequential Phase II.

[—- end of letter —-]

The Small Business Technology Council (SBTC), an advocacy group working hard to help support SBIR Re-authorization, created a letter which you can forward to your congressional leadership.  (Read that letter to Conress here) If you’d like to include your signature to support this letter to Congress,  email ALEC@SBTC.ORG with your name, company name and company location.

December 16th is coming quickly, and much work is left to be done, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

–Tom Pistone
Business Development Manager

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