19 Mar Bayh-Dole Coalition Applauds Congress in Passing SBIR, STTR Reauthorization
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 19, 2026) — This week, the House of Representatives followed the Senate in voting to pass the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act, which reauthorizes the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs through 2031. Joseph P. Allen, executive director of the Bayh-Dole Coalition, issued the following statement in response:
“Congress’ decisive action to reauthorize SBIR and STTR is a victory for America’s innovation system and small business community. These programs are essential components of the technology transfer framework created by the Bayh-Dole Act, helping transform federally funded research into practical products that improve day-to-day life, support America’s economy, and strengthen U.S. competitiveness.
For 45 years, Bayh-Dole has enabled universities, federal laboratories, and small businesses to own and license patents on inventions arising from federal research funding. SBIR and STTR are America’s seed funding — building on Bayh-Dole to provide early-stage capital to help small businesses develop their inventions and attract private investment. Together, these policies foster public-private partnerships that drive American innovation leadership.
The Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act reauthorizes SBIR and STTR through 2031, providing a crucial source of capital for small, privately backed innovators and incentivizing private-sector collaboration with federal laboratories. It also bolsters national security safeguards for research and establishes new awards to help scale the most promising technologies. Thanks to this law, countless small businesses and investors will gain the long-term financial security they need to take risks and pursue life-changing breakthroughs.
As competition for global technological leadership intensifies, supporting the SBIR and STTR programs is more critical than ever to America’s economic and national security. The Bayh-Dole Coalition commends Congress for protecting American innovation leadership, bolstering the Bayh-Dole system, and ensuring that the next generation of breakthrough technologies is developed and commercialized here at home.”