Implementation of the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982

In response to a congressional request, GAO discussed its report on the extent to which agencies complied with the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982. GAO found that: (1) most agencies complied with the act's funding requirements but did not adhere to its reporting requirements; (2) the Small Business Administration (SBA) actively pursued and fulfilled its responsibilities to set policy for small business innovation research (SBIR) programs, to coordinate agency solicitations, and to oversee and report on program implementation; (3) the Office of Science and Technology Policy conducted a very limited review of the programs; (4) the Department of Defense, in response to the Comptroller General's opinion concerning its classification of its research appropriations' operational systems development category, will explain to SBA which funds it has excluded from its SBIR funding base and the reason for the exclusions; (5) fewer than half of the agencies followed GAO recommendations for setting and achieving goals; and (6) the Department of the Interior dropped its SBIR program when its extramural research budget fell below the required minimum. GAO is studying the SBIR proposal review and award process and has sent a questionnaire to SBIR recipients to obtain information on the firms receiving awards and their experiences with the program.