Larger Portions

Entrepreneur, Oct, 2001 by Stephen Barlas

CONGRESS MAY SERVE THE TECH SECTOR A BIGGER BUDGET SHARE.

IN THE DEPTHS OF A TECH SLUMP, CONGRESS WANTS to pump up new-product pipelines. A bill from Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Kit Bond (R-MO) would increase five federal agencies' set-asides for the Small Business Technology Transfer (SBTT) program from 0.15 to 0.5 percent of their R&D budgets by fiscal 2007, upping annual awards from $65 million to $150 million.

SBTT requires the Departments of Defense and Energy, the National Institutes of Health, NASA, and the National Science Foundation to set aside a small portion of their budgets for small companies that partner with nonprofit universities, research organizations and foundations. The Bush administration opposes an increase in the set-aside percentage.

STEPHEN BARLAS is a freelance business reporter who covers the Washington beat for 15 magazines.

88% of Americans believe small businesses have too Little influence on politicians.