PUBLIC LAW 102-564—OCT. 28, 1992 106 STAT. 4261

that is required to make expenditures under the STTR program
thatr-

(1) sets forth the Comptroller General's assessment, with
respect to each such agency, of—

(A) the quality of research performed under funding
agreements awarded by that agency under the STTR pro-
gram since the beginning of the program;

(B) whether or not the STTR program has affected
the performance of that agency^ research programs; and

(C) the commercial potential of research conducted
under the STTR program, if sufficient data is available;

(2) contains the Comptroller General's assessment as to
the effects of the STTR program, if any, on the research quality
and goals of the SBIR program; and

(3) determines the agencies and the federally-funded
research and development centers' compliance with the proce-
dures developed under section 9(g)(10) of the Small Business
Act, as amended by this section.

TITLE III—MISCELLANEOUS
PROVISIONS

SEC. 301. DISCRETIONARY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO SBIR
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 agree-
ment with a vendor selected under paragraph (2) to provide
small business concerns engaged in SBIR projects with tech-
nical assistance services, such as access to a network of sci-
entists 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 fa in para-
graph (1) may provide services described in paragraph
(1) to first phase SBIR award recipients in $n ambunt
equal to not more than $4,000, which sha'l be in addition
to the amount of the recipient's award.