SBIR and STTR programs likely to lapse.

[midnight armadillo]

Details are here:
http://www.zyn.com/sbir/insider/sb-insider08-22-11.htm

In a nutshell, the SBIR program provides fed. funding to small businesses to demonstrate and the then fund new technology in a 2 phase process. The STTR program is similar but requires a university partner and it's intended to move academic tech to the marketplace. It's been running for 30 years or so. Funding is a % of federal agency R&D budgets, so cutting the program doesn't save a dime.

The House reauthorization bill will allow VC and hedge fund backed firms to compete with sweat-equity-backed startups for federal $ (a huge gift to Wall St) along with other unsavory modifications to the highly successful program. The Senate tried to re-auth the program in the spring but it became a massive pork spending vehicle due to amendments and Reid let it die.

So now the House will likely wait until the last minute before sending their shitty version to the Senate, who will refuse to pass it, then Sept 30 hits and the SBIR program goes into hiatus...maybe for good.