Sponsors (19)
The bill extends SBIR/STTR awards and pilot flexibilities for one year to avoid disrupting small-business R&D and university partnerships, but it delays long-term reauthorization or reform and keeps costs and uncertainty on taxpayers and firms.
Small businesses working on federally funded R&D keep access to SBIR/STTR awards through Sept. 30, 2026, preserving near-term funding and commercialization opportunities.
Maintains program continuity and avoids disruptive funding gaps or contract-planning interruptions for awardees and federal agencies.
Researchers and research institutions can continue competing for STTR funding and sustaining university–industry partnerships for another fiscal year.
The one-year extension prolongs uncertainty about long-term program rules and oversight, making planning, investment, and commercialization timelines harder for small firms and researchers.
The bill continues these programs and pilots for another year without substantive reform or permanent reauthorization, delaying decisions about program structure, oversight, and improvements.
Taxpayers bear the cost of extending SBIR/STTR awards and pilots for an additional year, increasing federal outlays without locking in long-term program changes.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Shifts SBIR/STTR statutory expiration dates and multiple pilot authorizations from 2025 to 2026, extending program authorities one year.
Extends the statutory authorization for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs by one year, moving expiration dates from 2025 to 2026. It also pushes back the expiration for a slate of temporary SBIR/STTR pilot authorities and deadlines — including commercialization-readiness pilots, accelerated awards, Phase 0, technical assistance, elevated performance standards, and related pilots — by one year so those authorities continue through fiscal year 2026. The bill does not change program scope, eligibility, or permanent statutory terms; it simply updates multiple expiration dates to keep existing programs and pilot authorities active for an additional year while Congress considers longer-term action.
Official title: To extend the SBIR and STTR programs, and for other purposes.
Introduced September 2, 2025 by Roger Williams · Last progress September 16, 2025