The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program encourages small businesses to advance their technical potential from funds committed by federal agencies with large extramural research and development budgets. The SBIR program serves to fund the critical startup and development stages for a technology and encourages commercialization of the technology, product or service. In turn, this stimulates the U.S. economy. Each year, the following eleven federal departments and agencies are required to reserve 2.5 percent of their extramural R&D funds for award to small businesses through the SBIR program: Departments of Agriculture; Commerce; Defense; Education; Energy; Health and Human Services; Homeland Security; Transportation; Environmental Protection Agency; National Aeronautics and Space Administration; and National Science Foundation.