Everything you Need to Know about SBIR Reauthorization, with Jerry Hollister, BBCetc

From October 2025 through April 2026, the SBIR program went dark. Now that it's back, what is different?In this episode, Jerry Hollister, Co-Owner of BBCetc, joins Dan Mazzucco to pull back the curtain on the SBIR reauthorization fight, including the political dynamics that delayed it for months, the new foreign influence provisions now written into law, and the strategic breakthrough authority that allows awards up to $30 million without SBA approval. They also cover which of the 11 SBIR agencies is right for which stage of company, why NSF and NIH have fundamentally different expectations, the practical difference between SBIR and STTR for academics who are not ready to leave their university, and why the "solution in search of a problem" mentality is still the fastest path to rejection.This conversation is for life science founders and academic researchers who run toward federal funding and want to understand the system well enough to actually win.Jerry Hollister is Co-Owner of BBCetc, a 30-year-old SBIR support organization that grew out of the University of Michigan Medical School and now helps companies navigate the full SBIR program across all 11 federal agencies. Jerry began his career as a U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps officer, serving as a warranted contracting officer, and went on to lead the NIA Wave team to more than 45 SBIR awards. He joined BBCetc in 2017 and became co-owner in 2023. Both NIA Wave and BBCetc have received the Tibbets Award, the highest national recognition for SBIR awardees. Jerry serves as a reviewer for four different SBIR agencies, has been a trusted advisor to federal agencies and congressional staff, and was boots on the ground throughout the 2025 reauthorization fight, meeting directly with staffers and organizing the advocacy community that helped get the program relaunched.Theme Music: Prelude, composed and performed by Benjamin Mazzucco, © 2026. Used with permission.