Feedback on the INNOVATE Act

Feedback on the INNOVATE Act

The INNOVATE Act is a bill before congress to reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program which expires September 30, 2025. It proposes substantial changes to modernize and reform the program. The Alliance for Commercial Technology in Government has issued a letter of support for the INNOVATE Act (embedded below) with some suggestions for improvement. Please complete the following survey to convey your organization’s views and level of support. Responses will be aggregated and shared with congress to provide industry perspectives. In addition, we encourage you to reach out to your own representatives and voice your support/concerns, especially if they are on the House or Senate Small Business committee.
Company Name
Is your company...

A current participant in the SBIR programAn aspiring participant in the SBIR programAn investor in companies that participate in the SBIR programOther
How many employees are in your company?

1 - 1011 - 2525 - 5051 - 200201+
In which state is your corporate headquarters located?

Street Address

Street Address Line 2
CityStateZip Code
Your Name*

First NameLast Name
Email Address*
example@example.com
Which of the following policies included in the INNOVATE Act do you support (pick all that apply):

Strategic Breakthrough funding up to $60M ($30M SBIR plus $30M matching)Mandating all SBIRs be Firm Fixed Price aligning with commercial practicesLifetime funding limit of $75M per company for Phase I and II (unlimited Phase III)Commercialization benchmarks (Requirement for minimum non-SBIR revenue that exceeds SBIR awards after 25 Phase IIs). This only appears in the Senate version.Limits on number of proposals any one company can submit to a topic or agencyLimits on number of proposals a single Principal Investigator can appear inIncrease SBIR program budget from 3.25% of overall government research funding to 7% (appears in Democratic bill)
How concerned are you over these policies in the INNOVATE Act:
Excessive administrative burden on foreign risk compliance associated with analysis of all parties on a capitalization table even if they have no information or IP rights

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5

1 is Unconcerned, 5 is Very Concerned
Vague definitions of Technology License Agreement, Contractual or Financial Arrangement, and Business Arrangement that may forbid arms-length sales or purchases of products from foreign entities

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1 is Unconcerned, 5 is Very Concerned
Claw back of SBIR funds when found in violation of a forbidden foreign interaction

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1 is Unconcerned, 5 is Very Concerned
Lack of feedback or recourse when a company is flagged for a foreign risk

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1 is Unconcerned, 5 is Very Concerned
Possible misinterpretation of undefined terms "Spinout" and "Subsidiary"

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1 is Unconcerned, 5 is Very Concerned
Exclusion of fact-checking, disinformation detection, and OSINT analytics companies from participating in SBIR (SEC 203)

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1 is Unconcerned, 5 is Very Concerned
Endorsement of the INNOVATE Act:

We enthusiastically endorse the INNOVATE Act if the above concerns are addressedWe do not endorse the INNOVATE Act and prefer SBIR be reauthorized with just the changes (if any) endorsed aboveWe do not support the SBIR program at all and believe it should be canceled
Please provide any additional comments or suggestions:
Should be Empty:

Feedback on the INNOVATE Act

How concerned are you over these policies in the INNOVATE Act: