11-02 – Usefulness of the Small Business Innovation Research Tech-Net Database

This report summarizes the results of our limited-scope review of the usefulness of the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Tech-Net database. The database, which is publicly available, contains data on SBIR grants and contracts. SBA plans to expand Tech-Net to include a government-use section that would capture the data on the commercialization of SBIR results needed for better evaluation of the SBIR program. A prior review by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in 2006 and reports from various Offices of Inspectors General (OIG) have identified data gaps and weaknesses in Tech-Net that have prevented agencies participating in the SBIR program from using it to identify duplicative awards.