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The U.S. Small Business
Administration, established in
1953, provides financial,
technical and management
assistance to help Americans
start, run, and grow their
businesses. SBA has a portfolio
of business loans, loan
guarantees, disaster loans and
equity investments worth more
than $50 billion.
Last year, SBA offered
management and technical
assistance to more than one
million small business owners.
The SBA also plays a major role
in the government's disaster
relief efforts by making low-interest
recovery loans to both
homeowners and businesses.
America's 25 million small
businesses employ more than 50
percent of the private work
force, generate more than half
of the nation's gross domestic
product, and are the principal
source of new jobs in the U.S.
economy.
In support of SBA’s overall
mission, the Office of
Technology (OT) supports the
Administrator by devising policy
and oversight of activities
related to small business
participation in Federal
research and development. The
principal goal is to increase
the competitiveness and success
of small American firms engaged
in technological innovation,
with emphasis on participation
by
women-owned and socially and
economically disadvantaged small
business concerns.
OT accomplishes this goal by
encouraging the participation of
small innovative technology
firms in Federal, state, and
local markets for research and
development; facilitating
commercialization of the
products of research and
development requirements;
conducting research on small
firm innovative activity, and
promoting transfer of technology.
OT has broad government-wide
policy and oversight
responsibilities for two major
Federal research and development
acquisition programs, the Small
Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
and the Small Business
Technology Transfer (STTR)
Programs (15 U.S.C. § 638).
The Agency’s responsibilities
under these programs include: |
