Gov. Tony Evers sent a letter to the Trump Administration and every member of Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation urging federal leadership to support reauthorizing the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs.
The program funds a state matching grant program that provides assistance to companies in the process of completing a project in the federal Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer programs. There have been 24 rounds of funding since the collaboration by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and the Center for Technology Commercialization began in 2014.
Over the past decade 183 awards totaling over $15.5 million have been awarded. Those businesses reported obtaining $80 million in follow on funding since receiving the SBIR Advance matching grants.
“Wisconsin has been a national leader in implementing and supporting SBIR/STTR recipients, and continuing this partnership is essential to Wisconsin’s small businesses, entrepreneurs, and our innovative technology industry,” wrote Gov. Evers.
“Allowing this important program to lapse will create significant uncertainty, disrupt existing projects and weaken our nation’s leadership in advancing important technological and scientific industries, on top of hurting businesses and our local economies in Wisconsin.”
A copy of the governor’s letter to SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler is available here.
