- NASA and the Small Business Administration have teamed up to help attract investment in the domestic space sector
- The initiative between NASA and the Small Business Investment Company program will seek qualified investment funds to commit more than half of their capital to space technology projects
- The memorandum of agreement is expected to help small businesses in the space industry
NASA announced that it has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Small Business Administration to launch an initiative through the Small Business Investment Company program.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler, both Wash100 awardees, signed the agreement on Monday as part of a joint effort to create more small business opportunities in the space sector.
Government and industry will meet at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30, where representatives from NASA and other air and space officials will share current and prospective initiatives affecting these highly contested domains from 2027 onward. You can still register here to be part of the event.
What Are the Details of the SBIC-NASA Initiative?
Under the terms of the partnership, NASA’s Office of Strategic Capital will identify supply chain needs in areas including scaled launch infrastructure, avionics, inhospitable environment infrastructure, nuclear power, energy storage, advanced software and biomedical technology. The SBIC will identify and license private investment funds that will commit a minimum 60 percent of their capital to funding projects focused on those technologies. NASA’s missions to the Moon and Mars are expected to create business opportunities from the memorandum of agreement.
What Did the NASA and SBA Leaders Say About the MoA?
Isaacman said the partnership “will help small businesses access the capital they need to scale, strengthen critical supply chains, rebuild America’s industrial might, and deliver the outcomes necessary to ensure the United States leads the next era of space exploration.”
“The SBA and NASA are partnering to supercharge the industrial base behind our space program and connect the innovators building critical technologies with needed capital,” Loeffler remarked. “Through this partnership with NASA, the SBA is mobilizing private sector investment to fuel the small businesses, manufacturers, and innovators that are driving American space dominance,” she added.
