Under the new SBA rules, a business participating in the
SBIR program is no longer required to be majority owned and controlled by U.S.
citizens or permanent resident aliens or by a single business that is majority
owned and controlled by U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) recently amended
the rules relating to its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and
Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program.[1] The new SBA rules implement the provisions of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012,[2]
which included changes to the SBIR and STTR programs. These rule changes
increase the opportunity for private equity and venture capital investment in
SBIR program participants and may preview future revisions to the SBA's general
affiliation rules.
Background
Prior to the new SBA rules, businesses could not
participate in the SBIR program unless they were majority owned and controlled
by U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens or by a single business that was
majority owned and controlled by U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens. In
addition, such participating businesses could have no more than 500 employees,
including the employees of their affiliates.
Permitted Ownership by Venture Capital
Operating Companies, Hedge Funds and Private Equity Firms
Under the new SBA rules, a business participating in the
SBIR program is no longer required to be majority owned and controlled by U.S.
citizens or permanent resident aliens or by a single business that is majority
owned and controlled by U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens.[3]
A participating business may now be majority owned by
multiple domestic venture capital operating companies, hedge funds or private
equity firms, provided that: (i) no single domestic venture capital operating
company, hedge fund or private equity firm owns more than 50 percent of the
business; and (ii) each such venture capital operating company, hedge fund or
private equity firm must have a place of business located in the United States
and be created or organized in the United States or under the law of the United
States or of any state. By way of two examples, a business owned by two venture
capital operating companies, each owning 49 percent of the business, or a
business owned by four venture capital operating companies, each owning 25
percent of the business, would not be prohibited from participating in the SBIR
program due to such ownership structures.
Changes to Affiliation Rules
The SBA's affiliation rules provide that two businesses
are deemed to be affiliated if one business controls or has the power to
control another business or when a third party controls or has the power to
control both businesses. Depending on the holdings of any one investor in a
business relative to the holdings of the other investors in the business, the
application of such affiliation rules may result in a finding of affiliation
even if the initial investor owns less than 50 percent of the business. Such a
finding could result in the employees of the business being combined with the
employees of the portfolio companies of the investor, making such business
ineligible for the SBIR program. To mitigate this issue, the new SBA rules
include changes to the foregoing affiliation rules, which include new
limitations on when the portfolio companies of an investor will be deemed to be
affiliates of the business. While a determination of affiliation under the new
SBA rules remains a fact-dependent analysis and will need to be reviewed on a
case-by-case basis, with respect to portfolio companies, the new SBA rules
provide that if an investor is a minority investor in the business, the
business will not be deemed to be affiliated with a portfolio company of the
investor unless the investor owns a majority of the portfolio company or the
investor holds a majority of the seats on the board of directors of the
portfolio company.[4]
For affiliation purposes, the SBA also takes into account
whether a new business is an affiliated entity of an existing business. To add
clarification to this aspect of the affiliation rules, the new SBA rules
provide that a business that has been actively operating continuously for more
than one year will no longer be considered "new" for purposes of this
affiliation rule.[5] For affiliation purposes, the SBA may also find that affiliation exists if two
or more persons are economically dependent through contractual or other
relationships. The new SBA rules provide a clear rule that affiliation may be
found based upon economic dependence if the business receiving an SBIR/STTR
award relies upon another entity for 70 percent or more of its receipts.
Timing of Size and Eligibility Determination
Determination of a business' size and eligibility is made
at the time of the award. If a business' size and eligibility status changes
during the term of the award, the business may continue to perform the
activities for which the award was provided and will not need to re-certify its
size and eligibility status. However, a business must re-certify its status if the
business merges or if it is acquired by another entity. A business also has to
re-certify its status if the award agreement is for a period of longer than
five years.
For Further Information
If you have any questions about this Alert, please
contact Joel
N. Ephross, G. Matthew
Barnard, any member
of the Corporate
Practice Group or the attorney in the firm with whom you are regularly in
contact.
Notes
- See 77 Fed. Reg. 76215.
- See National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, Public Law 112-81.
- The determination of ownership is calculated on a
fully diluted basis.
- It is worth noting that a scenario now exists under
the SBA rules where a business may be small for SBIR purposes and large
for all other SBA purposes.
- If a business is "new," other factors will
continue to influence the finding of affiliation, including whether the
former or current officers, directors, principal stockholders, managing
members, general partners or key employees of one concern serve as the new
concern's officers, directors, principal stockholders, managing members,
general partners or key employees, and the one concern is furnishing or
will furnish the new concern with contracts, financial or technical
assistance, indemnification on bonds and/or other facilities, whether for
a fee or otherwise.
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published for informational purposes only and is not offered, or should be
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