Small Business Research Programs: More Guidance and Oversight Needed to Comply with Spending and Reporting Requirements
Abstract
Federal agencies have awarded more than 156,000 contracts and grants, totaling nearly $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 budgets that meet certain thresholds for participation - $100 million for SBIR and $1 billion for STTR - must spend a percentage of these annual budgets 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 mandated GAO to review compliance with spending and reporting requirements, and other program aspects. This report addresses, for fiscal year 2012, (1) the extent to which 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 agencies total R and D budgets, and (4) what is known about the amounts spent administering the programs. GAO reviewed agency spending data and required reports for fiscal year 2012 and interviewed program officials from SBA and the participating agencies. GAO recommends, among other things, that SBA revise program policy directives to accurately summarize spending requirements and request that agencies submit their methodology reports on time. SBA and participating agencies generally agreed with GAOs findings and recommendations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- AD1179136
Entities
People
- Antoinette Capaccio
- Armetha Liles
- Cindy Gilbert
- Cynthia Norris
- Daniel Semick
- Frank W. Rusco
- Hilary Benedict
- Rebecca Makar
- Richard Johnson
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office