Title: An act relating to small business and entrepreneurial development.

Brief Description: Concerning small business and entrepreneurial development.

Sponsors: Senators Delvin and Mulliken.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: International Trade & Economic Development: 1/12/06.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Staff: Jack Brummel (786-7428)

Background: The federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program awards grants to small technology-based businesses to explore the technical merits and commercial potential of new ideas and technologies. A small firm can leverage an SBIR award into a commercial business success.

Federal funds have been available to train small businesses on how to participate in the SBIR program but those funds were eliminated last year. Nearly half of the small businesses that received such training won SBIR awards, whereas less than 10 percent of companies that did not get the training got SBIR funding.

The Washington Technology Center (WTC) had been a recipient of the federal training funds. Last year, the Legislature enacted a statute and provided forty-five thousand dollars in state funds so WTC could continue providing the SBIR application training and assist small businesses to win phase I SBIR awards. Priority is to be given to first-time applicants, new businesses, and firms with fewer than ten employees. A fee for the services provided to applicants may be charged.

Summary of Bill: The statute directing the WTC to establish a small business innovation research assistance program is amended to provide that the WTC and Washington State University are each to establish such a program.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: New fiscal note requested on January 11, 2006.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.