U.S. Small Business 

Administration Office of 

Investment and Innovation

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OII

Technology-Driven 

Innovation 

High-Growth 

Entrepreneurship 

Finance & 

Capital Research Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Technology Transfer Research 

(STTR) programs support the R&D and financing of cutting-edge technologies

~$42 billion since inception | ~$2.5 billion annual set aside | >150,000 awards granted |

~10 patents per day

Innovation Programs - Support the American high growth entrepreneurial ecosystem

Multi-million dollar Accelerator and Incubator Competition | Start-Up America | Crowdfunding

Office of Investment and Innovation @30,000 Feet

SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation (OII) leads programs that provide the high-growth small 

business community with access to two things: financial capital and R&D funds to develop 

commercially viable innovations. 

Our work is underpinned by public-private partnerships that operate on or along a very dynamic and 

economically important intersection.

Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) Program is an investment program that 

increases access to capital for growth stage businesses

$4 billion authorization per year | $26 billion of assets under management | 303 active SBICs

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The SBIC is one of the largest fund-of-funds in the United States and can invest up to $4 billion annually. The SBIC 

program issues debt to venture capitalists, private equity funds and other vehicles that invest in America’s small, but 

scaling, businesses. Over the past five years, the program has channeled more than $21 billion of capital to more than 

6,400 U.S. small businesses spanning a variety of industries across the country. Some of America’s most iconic brands, 

including those you see below, have received funding from SBICs.

 303 licensees managing over $26 billion in assets

 Provided $6.2 billion in financing to 1,200 small businesses in 2015

 Helped to sustain 130,000 jobs just in the past year

SBIC Program  Outreach and Impact

Key Program Statistics:

 Hosted and attended over 50 unique events in 2016

 SBICs in 34 states

 Commissioned Library of Congress to study diversity in the SBIC program

Outreach Activities:

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The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is a competitive awards-based program that enables small 

businesses to explore their technological and market potential. 11 different federal agencies participate in the program, 

including: DoD, DOE, HHS, NSF, NASA, DOC, USDA, EPA, DOT, ED, and DHS. Collectively the agencies award ~$2.5 billion a 

year in research grants to small innovative technology businesses.

 5,000 awards granted per year

 70,000 patents created

 $41 billion invested since program inception in 1982

SBIR Program  Outreach and Impact

Key Program Statistics:

 Road tour across 20 states to connect local innovators to federal SBIR program managers

 Provided $6.2 billion in financing to 1,200 small businesses in 2015

 Helped to sustain 130,000 jobs just in the past year

Outreach Activities

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The Growth Accelerator Fund Competition is a yearly initiative with the goal of the supporting organizations that seek to 

foster startup and entrepreneurial ecosystems across the country. Specifically, the competition looks to award 

organizations that are supporting startup growth in underserved geographies and demographics groups. Since 2014, the 

SBA has made 223 awards totaling over $11 million dollars to organizations in 47 states plus the District of Columbia and 

Puerto Rico. 

• Deployed more than $11 million in $50,000 grants to 207 organizations

• 14,158 jobs created or sustained from 2014 and 2015 alone

• Awards in 2014 and 2015 went to organizations that supported 3,437 startups

Growth Accelerator Fund Competition Outreach and Impact

Key Program Statistics:

• Partnered internally with offices focused on Native American and Veteran Affairs to 

better reach those target constituencies

• Partnered with four federal agencies to augment total awards and reach broader 

audiences

• Focus on finding organizations that support women and diverse entrepreneurs

Outreach Activities

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ONBOARD is a partnership between the U.S. Small Business Administration, LinkedIn and a growing number of 

professional organizations passionate about addressing the lack of women and underrepresented talent in the 

leadership of U.S. small businesses. This initiative aims to increase the number of underrepresented groups on 

corporate boards and C-suites of high growth small businesses, particularly those in which SBICs invest.

• 17 official partner organizations

• An online platform created and maintained by SBA and LinkedIn 

that connects corporations with potential new board members

• Gender and racially diverse professionals, are added to the platform each 

day through the recommendations of leading organizations concerned 

with diversity in the arenas of private equity, venture capital and 

alternative.

• Top tier talent will be accessible via this LinkedIn platform to 

corporations, small businesses, investors and members of associations

ONBOARD Outreach and Impact

Key ONBOARD Facts:

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