WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) today announced that key provisions from her bipartisan Research Advancing to Market Production (RAMP) for Innovators Act have been included in final legislation to reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The bill has now passed both the House and Senate and will head to the President’s desk to be signed into law. 

The legislation delivers a major win for small businesses, startups, and research institutions in Pennsylvania’s Sixth District and across the country by strengthening the federal government’s support for innovation and commercialization. 

SBIR and STTR—often referred to as America’s “seed fund”—help small businesses develop cutting-edge technologies while addressing federal research and development needs. The final bill incorporates Houlahan’s RAMP provisions that will expand and improve small businesses’ access to the technical and business assistance they need to bring their innovations to market while integrating the SBIR and STTR programs with other key federal innovation programs. The effort was led in the Senate by Senator Chris Coons (D-DE). 

WATCH Rep. Houlahan Speak on Bill Passage 

“Pennsylvania’s Sixth District is home to world-class research institutions and innovative small businesses, but too often great discoveries struggle to reach the marketplace,” said Representative Houlahan. “I’m proud that key provisions from my bipartisan RAMP for Innovators Act will soon become law, giving entrepreneurs more flexibility to access the expertise they need to scale and opening the door to Innovation-Corps training that helps turn promising research into real products and companies. I’m grateful to Senator Chris Coons and Representative Troy Balderson for their partnership in advancing this work and helping ensure American innovators can bring the next generation of technologies to market.” 

“Delaware’s incredible small businesses are making discoveries, inventing new products, supporting our communities, and growing our economy every day,” said Senator Coons. “When the federal government helps small businesses access research funding—and those businesses can deliver cutting-edge solutions back to the government—everybody wins. I’m glad Congress passed this crucial bill and urge the President to sign it.” 

Representative Houlahan has long championed bipartisan policies that help entrepreneurs, researchers, and manufacturers scale their ideas, create jobs, and strengthen U.S. competitiveness. Her RAMP for Innovators Act, introduced with Representative Troy Balderson (R-OH), focuses on helping small businesses successfully commercialize federally funded innovations. 

This legislation ensures more American innovations are developed, scaled, and manufactured here at home. 

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