Office of Investment and Innovation

Program Overview: The Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program helps mobilize long-term private investment into small businesses through equity, debt, and mezzanine financing.

Since 1958, the SBIC program has proven to be a resilient public-private mechanism that amplifies private investment while advancing key economic and national security objectives.

How the SBIC Program Works: SBICs are privately owned and managed funds licensed and regulated by the SBA. SBIC funds raise private capital from investors and may access low‑cost SBA‑guaranteed leverage—typically up to 2 times private capital, depending on license type—to amplify investments in eligible small businesses. In recent years, SBICs have deployed billions annually across thousands of financings supporting innovation, job creation, and growth in priority industries.

Established in 1982, the mission of the SBIR program is to stimulate technological innovation in the U.S. economy through the investment of federal research and development (R&D) funds into innovative high-tech US small businesses.  The SBIR statute requires federal agencies with extramural R&D budgets over $100 million to set aside a percentage of their annual extramural R&D budget for small businesses.

Established ten years after SBIR, the STTR program is similar, except that STTR awards require small businesses to partner with non-profit scientific and educational research institutions to pursue technological innovation through cooperative research and development.  STTR requires federal agencies with extramural budgets exceeding $1 billion to set aside an additional percentage of their annual extramural R&D budget for this work.

The Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program strengthens the technological competitiveness of small businesses across the country through SBIR/STTR technical and other assistance.

SBA launched the predecessor to SCALE – Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) –  in 2014 to stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship nationwide. Since then, over 500 prize awards have been made in all 50 states and three U.S. territories. These awards have funded a wide range of programs in different organizations.

Today, SCALE helps accelerate the capacity of organizations that help small businesses grow in critical industries. Through competitive awards, SCALE expands access to technical assistance, industry partnerships, and commercialization support that enable small businesses to scale production, strengthen domestic supply chains, and compete in strategic markets.

Visit America’s Seed Fund for more information. 

Email accelerators@sba.gov for more information on the Supply Chain Acceleration and Logistics Enablement program.