Regaining Ground: Business Development and the SBIR Program in Texas

The Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) is a $2 billion federal set-aside for small, technology-oriented business development. SBIR funding helps young firms bring their products to market. Texas, despite a richly deserved and growing reputation as a technology hub for business start-ups, lags behind many other states in the rate of participation in this vast program. This article examines the reasons for this and explores some ways to bolster the state economy by promoting entrepreneurship through greater participation in the SBIR program.