Sen. Markey Works to Advance NEC-Backed SBIR/STTR Reauthorization
On September 29, 2025, Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) spoke on the Senate floor in support of his legislation, the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2025. The legislation would permanently reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology (STTR) programs, which expired on September 30, 2025.
Earlier this year the New England Council sent a letter to the region’s Senators and Representatives urging them to support Sen. Markey’s Senate bill, as well as companion legislation introduced in the House by Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY). Unfortunately, due to objections raised by other Senators, the legislation did not advance to a vote, and the SBIR/STTR programs have now expired.
SBIR and STTR programs authorize federal agencies to distribute competitive awards to early-stage small businesses with innovative proposals that address federal research and development objectives. These popular, bipartisan programs focus on spurring innovation in high-impact technology sectors – such as healthcare, energy, and defense, and ensuring that the United States remains competitive internationally. The SBIR and STTR programs have been critically important to small businesses in New England – earning over 33,000 awards valued at over $12 billion since the programs’ inception.
We thank Senator Markey for his efforts on this issue and again urge the Senate to pass a one-year extension for the SBIR/STTR programs which would avoid an overall programmatic lapse and passed unanimously in the House.
For more information on this issues, or the Council’s Technology & Innovation Working Group, please contact Mariah Healy.