Small Business Administration proposed rule
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Restructuring small business size standards, better measurement of employees for grant-eligibility and participation by venture capital are topics on which SBA seeks public comment, following a Dec. 3 proposed rule. The Medical Device Manufacturers Associations and the National Venture Capital Association have bristled at the restrictions on venture capital assistance, which could exclude from Small Business Innovation Research grants companies that are majority-owned by VC firms (1"The Gray Sheet" Dec. 22, 2003, p. 13). SBA's proposed rule notes that a majority of commenters endorsed an earlier proposal in March that sought to alter size requirements for SBIR grants. Comments on the December proposal are due Feb. 1. With the consolidated appropriations bill's passage into law Dec. 8, SBA was reauthorized for two years...