DISCRETIONARY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO $BIR AWARDEES.

SEC. 301. DISCRETIONARY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO $BIR AWARDEES. (a) In General.— Section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: “(q) Discretionary Technical Assistance.— “(1) In general.— Each Federal agency required by this section to conduct an SBIR program may enter into an agreement with a vendor selected under paragraph (2) to provide small business concerns engaged in SBIR projects with technical assistance services, such as access to a network of scientists and engineers engaged in a wide range of technologies, or access to technical and business literature available through on-line data bases, for the purpose of assisting such concerns in— “(A) making better technical decisions concerning such projects; “(B) solving technical problems which arise during the conduct of such projects; “(C) minimizing technical risks associated with such projects; and “(D) developing and commercializing new commercial products and processes resulting from such projects. “(2) Vendor selection.— Annually, each agency may select a vendor for purposes of this subsection using competitive, merit-based criteria, to assist small business concerns to meet the goals listed in paragraph (1). “(3) Additional technical assistance.— “(A) First phase.— Each agency referred to in paragraph (1) may provide services described in paragraph (1) to first phase SBIR award recipients in an amount equal to not more than $4,000, which shall be in addition to the amount of the recipient’s award. 106 STAT. 4262 “(B) Second phase.— Each agency referred to in paragraph (1) may authorize any second phase SBIR award recipient to purchase, with funds available from their SBIR awards, services described in paragraph (1), in an amount equal to not more than $4,000 per year.