Small Business Innovation Research
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Small Business Innovation Research (or SBIR) program is a United States Government program, coordinated by the Small Business Administration, in which a portion of the extramural research budgets of several government agencies are reserved for contracts and grants to small businesses. Started with the passing of the Small Business Innovation Development Act in 1982, the goal of the program is to assist small businesses, providing competitive opportunities and stimulating innovation.
For the purposes of the SBIR program, the term "small business" is defined as an American-owned for-profit business with fewer than 500 employees.
A similar program, the Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR), uses a similar approach to the SBIR program to expand public/private sector partnerships between small businesses and nonprofit U.S. research institutions.
[edit] Participating Agencies
Currently, SBIR programs are in place at the following agencies:
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Commerce
- Department of Defense
- Department of Education
- Department of Energy
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of Transportation
- Environmental Protection Agency
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- National Science Foundation
- National Institutes of Health
