Federal Research: Lessons Learned From the Pilot Technology Access Program

Abstract

TAPP was established originally by section 232 of the Small Business Administration Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 1990 (P. L. 101-574). In October 1991, Congress repealed the earlier authorization in section 609 of Public Law 102-140 and replaced it with the current program. Intended from the start to be a pilot program, the law authorized funding for 4 years, not to exceed $5 million a year. In mid-1994, the Congress decided that it would not reauthorize TAPP beyond fiscal year 1995. TAPP was modeled after Minnesota Project Outreach, a state program that provided small businesses with access to computerized databases and technical experts. Services for Project Outreach were provided under contract by Teltech Resource Network Corporation (Teltech), a Minnesota-based, national supplier of technical and business knowledge. The Minnesota program was regarded as a success in providing user-friendly services to small businesses that would not otherwise have the means or the ability to obtaln needed technical information. Its success provided the stimulus for the TAPP legislation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1995
Accession Number
ADA344809

Entities

People

  • F. L. Fulton
  • J. P. Hunt
  • R. M. Nazzaro

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Business Administration
  • Commerce
  • Congress
  • Contracts
  • Economic Development
  • Information Systems
  • Intellectual Property
  • International Trade
  • Law
  • Lessons Learned
  • Manufacturing
  • Market Research
  • Marketing
  • Product Development
  • Small Business
  • Technology Transfer
  • United States

Readers

  • Defense Technology Research and Development.
  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) EDI Research and Innovation.