WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) and Troy Balderson (R-Ohio) today introduced legislation that would help innovative small businesses commercialize their technologies. The Research Advancing to Market Production (RAMP) for Innovators Act updates the SBIR/STTR program—often called “America’s seed fund”—to turn more technological research into to market-ready products. 

A companion bill was also introduced today in the Senate by Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Senator John Curtis (R-Utah).

“As an entrepreneur myself, I know the difficulties that small businesses in our Commonwealth and country face in scaling their operations and getting their products to the shelves,” said Representative Houlahan. “Federal programs that support our small businesses need to be both more efficient and more effective in order to make the American dream a reality for small business owners. The RAMP for Innovators Act provides entrepreneurs with streamlined access to the resources, intellectual property protections, and capital they need to scale, compete, and succeed. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan, bicameral legislation to ensure that more of the amazing, innovative technologies developed by American entrepreneurs become a reality, helping our nation maintain its competitive edge.”

“America’s strength has always come from our ability to foster innovation and empower those willing to take risks,” said Representative Balderson. “The RAMP for Innovators Act ensures that our tech entrepreneurs have the tools they need to grow, compete globally, and transform bold ideas into real products, good-paying jobs, and lasting economic growth in places like Central Ohio and across the country.”

“In Delaware, we know that innovation comes from both the largest companies and the smallest,” said Senator Coons. “That’s why we must give small businesses the tools they need to bring their ideas to customers quickly. The bipartisan RAMP for Innovators Act helps bring the best ideas to the market—strengthening our place as the global leader in innovation and helping small businesses thrive.”

“Utah's small businesses are the backbone of our state's economy, representing over 99% of all companies,” said Senator Curtis. “To sustain our economic strength and preserve Utah's exceptional quality of life, it's crucial that we empower these businesses to succeed. By improving programs that foster innovation and commercialization, our bipartisan legislation helps entrepreneurs develop new technologies and bring them to market—strengthening our economy and our competitiveness on the world stage.”

The RAMP for Innovators Act builds on the success of two competitive programs for developing small business innovation: the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs––collectively known as “America’s seed fund.”

Specifically, the legislation would:

1. Streamline and accelerate the SBIR/STTR application and award process.
2. Provide agencies a fast-track option for making awards to promising small businesses.
3. Designate a Technology Commercialization Officer at each agency with an SBIR/STTR program.
4. Provide awardees with robust and flexible technical assistance.
5. Provide awardees with access to I-Corps training to help bring their technologies to market.
6. Increase clarity on SBIR/STTR commercialization performance by requiring a metrics-based assessment.
7. Establish a fast-track patent examination process for awardees.

This bill has been endorsed by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the University City Science Center, and BPC Action.

“ITIF supports RAMP for Innovators, the Research Advancing to Market Production for Innovators Act, which will further bolster the commercialization potential of SBIR/STTR programs through improvements such as making commercialization potential a stronger consideration in project selection, clarifying that all awardees may use a share of Phase I and II funds for commercially oriented activities, and supporting the ability of innovators to secure intellectual property rights underpinning their inventions through stronger linkages with the PTO,” said Dr. Rob Atkinson, President of ITIF.

“The University City Science Center heartily endorses the Research Advancing to Market Production for Innovators Act introduced by Senators Coons and Curtis and Representatives Houlahan and Balderson. This legislation would codify language that has already been signed into law to ensure that commercialization is central to the goals of SBIR and STTR. The RAMP for Innovators Act fulfills the mission of the 2016 SBIR/STTR recommendations from the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE) at the Department of Commerce. I was honored to serve as a member of NACIE during this time and believe these recommendations are necessary to fulfill our commercialization needs in this country,” said Tiffany Wilson, CEO of the University City Science Center.

“American innovation is the foundation upon which U.S. economic competitiveness is built. Commercializing more new technologies helps the United States strengthen its edge over our competitors and ensures taxpayers get a good return on their investment in research and development. BPC Action applauds Senators Coons and Curtis, and Representatives Houlahan and Balderson, for their bipartisan leadership in reintroducing the RAMP for Innovators Act,” said Michele Stockwell, President of BPC Action.

You can read the one-pager here. 

You can read the full text of the bill here.