(Washington, December 9) – Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today released a statement on the ongoing shutdown of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, which are responsible for awarding more than $4 billion annually in research and development funding to innovative small businesses nationwide. The statement comes after the House of Representatives released its version of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which did not include an extension of the SBIR and STTR programs.
“While Congress must reauthorize the SBIR and STTR programs as soon as possible, I am pleased that the House’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act does not include any rushed, sweeping changes that could harm innovation and kill jobs. These programs should reopen soon so that small businesses can continue important life sciences, energy efficiency, and defense research,” said Ranking Member Markey.
“While both the House and Senate continue to work toward reforms and a long-term reauthorization, we must take a realistic approach and temporarily reauthorize these vital programs. The Senate can do this immediately by passing the bipartisan legislation that was approved in the House to extend the programs until September 30, 2026. The Chairs and Ranking Members of the House Small Business Committee and House Science Committee and I all agree that moving this legislation forward is the most responsible path forward to avoid irreparable harm to America’s innovation ecosystem and the small businesses that power it. I remain committed to negotiating a long-term reauthorization of the SBIR and STTR programs.”
Both the SBIR and STTR programs expired on September 30th after Ranking Member Markey attempted to pass the bipartisan, one year extension by unanimous consent on the Senate floor.
Ranking Member Markey has been leading the fight for the extension and improvement of the SBIR and STTR programs. In September, Ranking Member Markey sounded the alarm about how a program lapse would harm small businesses and the American innovation ecosystem and amplified the voices of hundreds of small businesses, universities, and program experts, including a former Trump administration official, who all called for the passage of the bipartisan one-year extension.
Earlier this year, Ranking Member Markey tried to pass the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act, which would extend the SBIR/STTR programs, preserve the successful bipartisan foreign due diligence program that helps mitigate foreign risk in awards, and make necessary improvements to ensure that the American innovation ecosystem remains competitive and accessible for new entrants. The legislation was blocked by Senate Republicans. In August, Ranking Member Markey hosted a listening session with Massachusetts research and innovation small businesses, who all advocated for the protection of federal funding for research and development through programs such as SBIR and STTR.
