Stop S.853: Protect America's Innovation Ecosystem

Why This Matters

SBIR Insider is a public-service resource dedicated to providing accurate, non-commercial information about the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, the proposed S.853 "Innovate Act," and their implications for U.S. innovation policy and national security.

The SBIR program represents America's largest seed fund, providing over $4 billion annually to small businesses developing cutting-edge technologies for national defense and federal agencies. Recent legislative proposals threaten to dismantle this successful program under the guise of "reform."

Our mission is to cut through the political noise, present the facts, and help Americans understand what's really at stake when politicians propose to fundamentally alter a program that has been central to U.S. technological superiority for over four decades.

Explore Key Issues

Core Flaws in S.853

The "Innovate Act" is not reform—it's dismantlement disguised as modernization, crafted to favor venture capital interests while penalizing successful small businesses.

Read the Analysis →

Hall of Fame vs Hall of Shame

See which legislators are standing up for American innovation and which are blocking critical support for small businesses and national defense.

View the Lists →

China's VC Infiltration

How Chinese capital flowing into U.S. venture capital funds creates a backdoor to American technology and undermines national security.

Investigate the Threat →

The Ernst Obstruction

A side-by-side comparison revealing striking similarities between Senator Ernst's SBIR blockade and partisan government shutdowns.

See the Comparison →

By The Numbers

$75 Million

Lifetime Cap Proposed by S.853 could have been written by China's VC backers

The $75 million lifetime cap doesn't merely "limit" SBIR participation—it eliminates America's most innovative SBIR companies outright. While often described as an arbitrary cutoff, its real-world effect is anything but arbitrary. Any mid-level Chinese defense analyst would instantly recognize that this provision weakens the U.S. by sidelining the very firms that deliver advanced, hard-to-replicate technologies to the DoD. In practical terms, the cap helps China more than it helps the United States.

65-70 Companies

Targeted for Elimination

These firms are responsible for the majority of successful SBIR innovations. The cap is specifically designed to punish success and drive them out of the program.

Critical Developments

🚫 Stop Chinese Access to U.S. Tech Via VCs & University Labs

Chinese biotech companies have acted as limited partners in 178 U.S.-based VC and private equity funds since 2020. Learn how this threatens national security.

⚠️ Ernst's VC-backed Change Would Deprive DoD of Best Problem-Solvers

Former Director of Navy SBIR/STTR Programs explains why the proposed changes are a poison pill for defense innovation.

Read DefenseOne Article →

S.853 Violates Presidential Executive Order 14219

The proposed legislation directly contradicts the President's directive to reduce burdens on small businesses and advance innovation.

See the Analysis →

Protecting America's Innovation Pipeline

🏆 SBIR Reauthorization Hall of Fame

⚠️ Is Ernst a Schumer-Like Democrat in a Republican's Clothing?