Small Business Innovation Voucher Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9050 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9050

 To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to
             establish an Innovation Voucher Grant Program.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 29, 2026

Mr. Crow (for himself and Mr. Burchett) introduced the following bill;
         which was referred to the Committee on Small Business

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to
             establish an Innovation Voucher Grant Program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Small Business Innovation Voucher
Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
        Administrator of the Small Business Administration.
            (2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) an institution of higher education, as defined
                in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
                U.S.C. 1001); or
                    (B) a nonprofit research lab, institution, or other
                similar organization in the United States associated
                with educational or research activities, including a
                federally funded research and development center.
            (3) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the Innovation
        Voucher Grant Program established under section 3.
            (4) Small business concern.--The term ``small business
        concern'' has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the
        Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).

SEC. 3. INNOVATION VOUCHER GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish a program to
be known as the ``Innovation Voucher Grant Program'' under which the
Administrator shall, on a competitive basis and in accordance with
subsection (f), award grants to small business concerns for the Federal
share of the cost of purchasing from eligible entities technical
assistance and services necessary to carry out projects to advance
research, development, or commercialization of new or innovative
products and services.
    (b) Purposes of Program.--The purposes of the Program are--
            (1) to foster collaboration between small business concerns
        and research institutions or other similar organizations;
            (2) to facilitate access by small business concerns to
        capital-intensive infrastructure and advanced research
        capabilities;
            (3) to enable small business concerns to access technical
        expertise and capabilities that will lead to the development of
        innovative products;
            (4) to promote business dynamism and competition;
            (5) to stimulate United States leadership in advanced
        research, innovation, and technology;
            (6) to accelerate the development of an advanced workforce;
        and
            (7) to preserve and create new jobs.
    (c) Application.--
            (1) In general.--A small business concern desiring a grant
        under the Program shall submit to the Administrator an
        application with the eligible entity from which the small
        business concern will purchase technical assistance and
        services using funds awarded under the grant.
            (2) Selection.--Not later than 180 days after the deadline
        established by the Administrator to submit applications under
        paragraph (1), the Administrator shall select the recipients of
        the grants under the Program.
    (d) Evaluation.--In evaluating an application for a grant under the
Program, the Administrator shall take into consideration--
            (1) the likelihood that funds awarded under the grant will
        be used to create or advance a novel product or service;
            (2) the feasibility of creating or advancing a novel
        product or service proposed to be created or advanced using
        funds awarded under the grant; and
            (3) whether creating or advancing a product or service
        proposed to be created or advanced using funds awarded under
        the grant could be accomplished without a grant awarded under
        the Program.
    (e) Amount.--A grant made under the Program shall be made in an
amount of not less than $15,000 and not more than $75,000, which shall
remain available to the grantee until expended.
    (f) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of purchasing
technical assistance and services described in subsection (a) using
funds awarded under a grant made under the Program shall be--
            (1) not more than 75 percent, if the amount of the grant is
        less than $50,000; and
            (2) not more than 50 percent, if the amount of the grant is
        not less than $50,000.
    (g) Reports.--
            (1) Reports from grant recipients.--Not later than 180 days
        after the date on which a project carried out under a grant
        awarded under the Program is completed, the recipient of the
        grant shall submit to the Administrator a report on the
        project, including--
                    (A) whether and how the project met the original
                expectations for the project;
                    (B) how the results of the project were
                incorporated in the business of the grant recipient;
                and
                    (C) whether and how the project improved innovation
                practices of the grant recipient.
            (2) Report of the administrator.--Not later than 2 years
        after the date on which the Administrator establishes the
        Program, and every 2 years thereafter until the date on which
        the amounts appropriated for the Program are expended, the
        Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Small Business
        and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small
        Business of the House of Representatives a report on grants
        awarded under the Program, including--
                    (A) a description of the grants awarded;
                    (B) the estimated number of products or services
                created or advanced under grants awarded under the
                Program that could have been created or advanced
                without grants awarded under the Program; and
                    (C) a description of the impact of the Program on
                knowledge transfer and commercialization.
            (3) Final report of the administrator.--Not later than 180
        days after the date on which amounts appropriated for the
        Program are expended, the Administrator shall submit to the
        committees described in paragraph (2) a final report containing
        the information described in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of
        that paragraph.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the
Administrator to carry out the Program $10,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2026 through 2030, to remain available until expended.
    (b) Administrative Costs.--Not more than 5 percent of amounts
appropriated under subsection (a) may be used for administrative costs.
                                 <all>