Small biz defense showdown intensifies

The fight over renewing two small business grant programs key to delivering new technology to the U.S. military is heating up as a potential lapse looms.

A week out from the programs’ expiration, both camps appear to be far apart. That’s not a good sign for advocates who had hoped to avoid another down-to-the-wire battle to extend the complementary Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR).