Outreach and support activities

Section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638) is amended by inserting after subsection (r) the following:

(s)

Outreach and support activities

(1)

In general

Subject to the other provisions of this subsection, the Administrator shall make grants on a competitive basis to organizations, to be used by the organizations to do one or both of the following: (A)To conduct outreach efforts to increase participation in the programs under this section. (B)To provide application support and entrepreneurial and business skills support to prospective participants in the programs under this section. (2)

Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator $10,000,000 to carry out paragraph (1) for each of fiscal years 2010 and 2011. (3)

Amount of assistance

For each of subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1), the amount of assistance provided to an organization under that subparagraph in any fiscal year— (A)shall be equal to the total amount of matching funds from non-Federal sources provided by the organization; and (B)shall not exceed $250,000. (4)

Direction

An organization receiving funds under paragraph (1) shall, in using those funds, direct its activities at one or both of the following: (A)Small business concerns located in geographic areas that are underrepresented in the programs under this section. (B)Small business concerns owned and controlled by women, small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, and small business concerns owned and controlled by minorities. (5)

Advisory board

(A)

Establishment

Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Administrator shall establish an advisory board for the activities carried out under this subsection. (B)

Non-applicability of FACA

The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the advisory board. (C)

Members

The members of the advisory board shall include the following: (i)The Administrator (or the Administrator’s designee). (ii)For each Federal agency required by this section to conduct an SBIR program, the head of the agency (or the designee of the head of the agency). (iii)Representatives of small business concerns that are current or former recipients of SBIR awards, or representatives of organizations of such concerns. (iv)Representatives of service providers of SBIR outreach and assistance, or representatives of organizations of such service providers. (D)

Duties

The advisory board shall have the following duties: (i)To develop guidelines for awards under paragraph (1), including guidelines relating to award sizes, proposal requirements, measures for monitoring awardee performance, and measures for determining the overall value of the activities carried out by the awardees. (ii)To identify opportunities for coordinated outreach, technical assistance, and commercialization activities among Federal agencies, the recipients of the awards under paragraph (1), and applicants and recipients of SBIR awards, including opportunities such as— (I)podcasting or webcasting for conferences, training workshops, and other events; (II)shared online resources to match prospective applicants with the network of paragraph (1) recipients; and (III)venture capital conferences tied to technologies and sectors that cross agencies. (iii)To review and recommend revisions to activities under paragraph (1). (iv)To submit to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives an annual report on the activities carried out under paragraph (1) and the effectiveness and impact of those activities. (6)

Selection criteria

In awarding grants under this subsection, the Administrator shall use selection criteria developed by the advisory board established under paragraph (5). The criteria shall include— (A)criteria designed to give preference to applicants who propose to carry out activities that will reach either an underperforming geographic area or an underrepresented population group (as measured by the number of SBIR applicants); (B)criteria designed to give preference to applicants who propose to carry out activities that complement, and are integrated into, the existing public-private innovation support system for the targeted region or population; (C)criteria designed to give preference to applicants who propose to measure the effectiveness of the proposed activities; and (D)criteria designed to give preference to applicants who include a Small Business Development Center program that is accredited for its technology services. (7)

Peer review

In awarding grants under this subsection, the Administrator shall use a peer review process. Reviewers shall include— (A)SBIR program managers for agencies required by this section to conduct SBIR programs; and (B)private individuals and organizations that are knowledgeable about SBIR, the innovation process, technology commercialization, and State and regional technology-based economic development programs. (8)

Per-State limitations

(A)

In general

To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, the applicant must have the written endorsement of the Governor of the State where the targeted regions or populations are located (if the regions or populations are located in more than one State, the applicant must have the written endorsement of the Governor of each such State). Such an endorsement must indicate that the Governor will ensure that the activities to be carried out under the grant will be integrated with the balance of the State’s portfolio of investments to help small business concerns commercialize technology. (B)

Limitation

Each fiscal year, a Governor may have in effect not more than one written endorsement for a grant under paragraph (1)(A), and not more than one written endorsement for a grant under paragraph (1)(B). (9)

Specific requirements for awards

In making awards under paragraph (1) the Administrator shall ensure that each award shall be for a period of 2 fiscal years. The Administrator shall establish rules and performance goals for the disbursement of funds for the second fiscal year, and funds shall not be disbursed to a recipient for such a fiscal year until after the advisory board established under this subsection has determined that the recipient is in compliance with the rules and performance goals.

Increased partnerships between SBIR awardees and prime contractors, venture capital investment companies, and larger businesses

Section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638), as amended, is further amended by adding at the end the following:

(cc)

Increased partnerships

(1)

In general

Each agency required by this section to conduct an SBIR program shall establish initiatives by which the agency encourages partnerships between SBIR awardees and prime contractors, venture capital investment companies, business incubators, and larger businesses, for the purpose of facilitating the progress of the SBIR awardees to the third phase. (2)

Definition

In this subsection, the term business incubator means an entity that provides coordinated and specialized services to entrepreneurial businesses which meet selected criteria during the businesses' startup phases, including providing services such as shared office space and office services, access to equipment, access to telecommunications and technology services, flexible leases, specialized management assistance, access to financing, mentoring and training services, or other coordinated business or technical support services designed to provide business development assistance to entrepreneurial businesses during these businesses’ startup phases.