This post was originally published by MassBio CEO & President Kendalle Burlin O’Connell on LinkedIn:
The clock is ticking on SBIR reauthorization.
Unless Congress acts, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program will expire on September 30th. For Massachusetts’s biotech startups and the entire U.S. life sciences ecosystem, SBIR isn’t just another program—it’s a lifeline for early-stage innovation that can lead to breakthrough therapies for patients
Over the past year, MassBio has been laser-focused on advocating for SBIR’s renewal:
- We convened members with Senate Small Business Committee Chair Sen. Joni Ernst and Ranking Member Sen. Ed Markey to share real-world impacts.
- We surveyed our member companies and used their feedback to shape formal testimony on the program’s importance.
- We worked with Biotechnology Innovation Organization’s Council of State Bioscience Associations (CSBA) to circulate a joint sign-on letter urging swift reauthorization.
- Just last week, we were back in conversation with Chair Ernst’s office about the latest redraft of the INNOVATE Act – which would expand Strategic Breakthrough Awards, empowering NIH and other agencies to make transformative investments in capital-intensive fields like biotech and medtech.
- And we’ll be in D.C. in two weeks to continue our advocacy.
The U.S. cannot afford to let SBIR lapse for even one day. MassBio calls on Congress to come together to prioritize American innovation by delivering on SBIR reauthorization before the September 30 deadline.
As valued MassBio members, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our policy team with questions (policy [at] massbio.org). We’re actively following debate and competing proposals and will provide updates as needed in this final stretch. And don’t forget to share your stories about what SBIR has meant to you, to your company, and to the patients you’re in the lab fighting for.