(a) Establishment

The Administration, in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Technical Information Service, shall establish a Pilot Technology Access Program, for making awards under this section to Small Business Development Centers (hereinafter in this section referred to as “Centers”).

(b) Criteria for selection of Centers

The Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall establish competitive, merit-based criteria for the selection of Centers to receive awards on the basis of—

(1) the ability of the applicant to carry out the purposes described in subsection (d) of this section in a manner relevant to the needs of industries in the area served by the Center;

(2) the ability of the applicant to integrate the implementation of this program with existing Federal and State technical and business assistance resources; and

(3) the ability of the applicant to continue providing technology access after the termination of this pilot program.

To be eligible to receive an award under this section, an applicant shall provide a matching contribution at least equal to that received under such award, not more than 50 percent of which may be waived overhead or in-kind contributions.

(d) Purpose of awards

Awards made under this section shall be for the purpose of increasing access by small businesses to on-line data base services that provide technical and business information, and access to technical experts, in a wide range of technologies, through such activities as—

(1) defraying the cost of access by small businesses to the data base services;

(2) training small businesses in the use of the data base services; and

(3) establishing a public point of access to the data base services.

Activities described in paragraphs (1) through (3) may be carried out through contract with a private entity.

(e) Renewal of awards

Awards previously made under section 648a 1 of this title may be renewed under this section.

(f) Interim report

Two years after the date on which the first award was issued under section 648a 1 of this title, the General Accounting Office shall submit to the Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, an interim report on the implementation of the program under such section and this section, including the judgments of the participating Centers as to its effect on small business productivity and innovation.

(g) Final report

Three years after such date, the General Accounting Office shall submit to the Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation of the Senate, a final report evaluating the effectiveness of the Program under section 648a 1 of this title and this section in improving small business productivity and innovation.

(h) Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Small Business Administration $5 million for each of fiscal years 1992 through 1995 to carry out this section, and such amounts may remain available until expended.

(i) Funding from other sources; employment of Centers by Federal agencies

Centers are encouraged to seek funding from Federal and non-Federal sources other than those provided for in this section to assist small businesses in the identification of appropriate technologies to fill their needs, the transfer of technologies from Federal laboratories, public and private universities, and other public and private institutions, the analysis of commercial opportunities represented by such technologies, and such other functions as the development, business planning, market research, and financial packaging required for commercialization. Insofar as such Centers pursue these activities, Federal agencies are encouraged to employ these Centers to interface with small businesses for such purposes as facilitating small business participation in Federal procurement and fostering commercialization of Federally-funded research and development.