Small Business Research Programs: Agencies Have Improved Compliance with Spending and Reporting Requirements, but Challenges Remain
Abstract
Federal agencies have awarded contracts and grants totaling more than $40 billion through the SBIR and STTR programs to small businesses to develop and commercialize innovative technologies. The Small Business Act requires agencies with extramural R and D obligations that meet certain thresholds - $100 million for SBIR and $1 billion for STTR - to spend a percentage of these funds on the programs. The agencies are to report on their activities to SBA, and in turn, SBA is to report to Congress. The 2011 reauthorization of the programs includes a provision for GAO to review compliance with spending and reporting requirements and other program aspects. This report examines, for fiscal year 2014, (1) the extent to which participating agencies complied with spending requirements, (2) the extent to which agencies and SBA complied with certain reporting requirements, (3) the potential effects of basing spending requirements on total R and D budget authority, and (4) what is known about the amounts spent to administer the programs. GAO reviewed agency spending data and reports and interviewed program officials from SBA and the 11 participating agencies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1149531
Entities
People
- John Neumann
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office