In 1977, an NSF program manager (Roland Tibbetts) with research-funding responsibility took the initiative to allocate a small percentage of his available funding to be made available to a very different population of technology development researchers: small, high-tech firms business. Intrigued and impressed by some of the achieved outcomes, two-three years later (1980) a retired Army General (Horace Crouch) assigned to DOD sought funding from his brother-in-law (Senator Strom Thurmond)

On July 21, 1982 President Reagan signed SBIR enabling Legislation effective 1983-1988

First SBIR Reauthorization primarily simply changed sunset. Tackled 2 years early to allow agencies to receive & to fund Phase II

Second SBIR Reauthorization: major operational changes and substantial budget increases effective immediately

Third SBIR Reauthorization: first use of Continuing Resolution (CR) Passage in closing minutes of 106th Congress

Fourth SBIR Reauthorization: dragged-out - often very nasty fight - primarily around VC eligibility issue, 15(?) CRs; Implementation: raft of administrative and regulatory elements

Fifth SBIR Reauthorization: Incorporated & signed into law as part of 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. Simply extended SBIR-STTR to September 30, 2022

Sixth SBIR Reauthorization: President Biden Has Signed S.4900, officially making SBIR reauthorization Law.

On September 29, TWO days before the program was set to lapse, House passed legislation reauthorizing SBIR program by a vote of 415-9. The SBIR and STTR Extension Act of 2022 (S.4900) was passed by Senate on September 21and was sent to the President, for his signature.