The Office of the Governor of the State of Wisconsin
09/16/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/16/2025 08:34
Gov. Evers Urges Trump Administration, Congress to Save Federal Programs that Support Small Businesses
READ: Gov. Evers Urges Trump Administration, Congress to Save Federal Programs that Support Small Businesses
State of Wisconsin sent this bulletin at 09/16/2025 05:00 AM CDT| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 16, 2025 |
| Contact: [email protected] |
| READ: Gov. Evers UrgesTrump Administration, Congress to Save Federal Programs that Support Small Businesses |
| Critical programs supporting small businesses and technology innovationset to end this month unless reauthorized by Republican-controlled Congress |
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MADISON - Gov. Tony Evers sent a letter to the Trump Administration andevery member of Wisconsin's Congressional delegationurgingfederal leadershipto support reauthorizing the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs, which are instrumental in supporting the success and growth of Wisconsin small businesses, entrepreneurs, and innovative technology industry. "Wisconsin has been a national leader in implementing and supporting SBIR/STTR recipients, and continuing thispartnership is essential to Wisconsin's small businesses, entrepreneurs,and our innovative technology industry," wrote Gov. Evers. "Small businesses are the backbone of Wisconsin's Main Streets and communities across our state and country," Gov. Evers continued. "Allowing this important program to lapse will create significant uncertainty,disrupt existing projects,and weaken our nation's leadership in advancing important technological and scientific industries, on top of hurting businesses and our local economies in Wisconsin and across our country." According to the SBA, SBIR/STTR programs help advance research and development in a wide variety of technology areas by providing funding to technology-focused entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses to develop their ideas andcreatea pathway to commercialization. Since 2018, Wisconsin businesses have been awarded over $100 million in SBIR/STTR funding, and Wisconsin has been a proud partner with the federal government in providing matching dollars for SBIR/STTR recipients via the SBIR Advance program through the Wisconsin Center for Technology Commercialization and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation(WEDC). Overall, SBIR Advance awardees have created nearly 1,000jobs across 18 Wisconsin communities, ensuring Wisconsin SBIR/STTR grant recipients are supported as they implement innovative projects in defense, healthcare, energy, and more. BioForwardInc., which leads the Wisconsin BiohealthTech Hub Consortium, a consortium of 18 public and private partners organized by the Evers Administration through the WEDC, is helping to support these projects and continue to grow the state's personalized medicine and biohealthtechnology sector, including expanding lab space, increasing coordination and collaboration across the industry, boosting the supply chain, and developing apprenticeship programs to bolster the industry's workforce. "The SBIR/STTR programs are critical to sustaining Wisconsin's thriving biohealth ecosystem. These funds enable small businesses and innovators to translate bold ideas into real-world solutions, create high-quality jobs, and strengthen our communities," said Lisa Johnson, CEO of BioForward Wisconsin. "Reauthorizing these programs is not just an investment in Wisconsin's economy-it's an investment in our nation's leadership in science, health, and technology innovation." According to BioForward, Wisconsin's biohealthindustry alone generates$37.7 billion in annual economic impact and supports more than 141,000 high-quality jobs, making it one of the state's greatest economic engines and high-growth industries. Additionally, since 2018, Wisconsin's biohealthemployment has grownby 25 percent-outpacing the U.S. industry's 17 percent growth rate-underscoring the state's competitive edgeand the importance of continuing SBIR/STTR programs and other opportunities thatsupport research, development, and innovationin the state's technology sectors and other critical fields. Support for innovative small businesses is more important than ever as theTrump Administration continues to recklessly cut critical funding for research and technology advancement, including up to $500 million for mRNA vaccine development and broader recissions of National Institutes of Health funding and programs, underscoring the vital need for the reauthorization of the SBIR/STTR programs in fiscal year 2026. A copy of the governor's letter to SBAAdministrator Kelly Loeffler is available here, and a transcript of the letter is available below. Dear Administrator Loeffler: As governor of Wisconsin, I write to emphasize the importance of the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs for Wisconsin businesses, share the successes we've had in implementing SBIR/STTR here in Wisconsin, and request that the U.S. Small Business Administration continue to advocate for this important program as Congress considers federal fiscal year 2026 appropriations and other legislative priorities. Wisconsin has been a national leader in implementing and supporting SBIR/STTR recipients, and continuing this partnership is essential to Wisconsin's small businesses, entrepreneurs, and our innovative technology industry. As you know, for decades federal agencies with large research and development budgets have been required to set aside a small percentage of funds for small business support through the SBIR/STTR programs. Small businesses are the backbone of Wisconsin's Main Streets and communities across our state and country. Since 2018, Wisconsin businesses have been awarded over $100 million in SBIR/STTR program funding. Here in Wisconsin, we have been proud to partner with the federal government and provide matching dollars for SBIR/STTR recipients via the SBIR Advance program through the Universities of Wisconsin Center for Technology Commercialization and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. SBIR Advance awardees have created nearly 1,000 jobs across 18 Wisconsin communities, ensuring Wisconsin SBIR/STTR grant recipients are supported as they implement innovative projects in defense, healthcare, energy, and more. Support for innovative small businesses is more important than ever as the Trump Administration continues to cut critical funding for research and technology advancement, including up to $500 million for mRNA vaccine development and broader rescissions of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding and programs. To be clear, vaccines save lives, and these continued cuts will have harmful consequences for Wisconsin businesses and institutions, and Americans everywhere. SBIR/STTR programs require periodic reauthorization by Congress to continue operation and will need to be reauthorized in the federal fiscal year 2026 appropriations legislation or other legislation before September 30, 2025, in order to continue. Allowing this important program to lapse will create significant uncertainty, disrupt existing projects, and weaken our nation's leadership in advancing important technological and scientific industries, on top of hurting businesses and our local economies in Wisconsin and across our country. I respectfully ask that you join me in recognizing the importance of the SBIR/STTR programs and urging Congress to include a timely, clean, long-term reauthorization in the final fiscal year 2026 appropriations package or separate legislation. Thank you for your attention to this important program, and please do not hesitate to reach out to my office with any questions. Sincerely, Tony Evers Governor |
| An online version of this release is available here. |
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| Office of the Governor • 115 East Capitol, Madison, WI 53702 | |
| Press Office Email: [email protected] | |
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The Office of the Governor of the State of Wisconsin published this content on September 16, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 16, 2025 at 14:34 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]