Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Arkansas General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
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1 State of Arkansas A Bill
2 95th General Assembly
3 Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 218
4
5 By: Senator Irvin
6 By: Representative Steimel
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS SMALL BUSINESS
10 INNOVATION RESEARCH MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM; AND FOR
11 OTHER PURPOSES.
12
13
14 Subtitle
15 TO AMEND THE ARKANSAS SMALL BUSINESS
16 INNOVATION RESEARCH MATCHING GRANT
17 PROGRAM.
18
19 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
20
21 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 15-3-703(2), concerning the definitions to
22 be used in relation to the Arkansas Small Business Innovation Research
23 Matching Grant Program, is amended to read as follows:
24 (2) "Matching grant" means a discretionary grant of up to fifty
25 percent (50%) of the amount of a federal Small Business Innovation Research
26 grant or Small Business Technology Transfer grant for each approved matching
27 grant application;
28
29 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 15-3-703(4), concerning the definitions to
30 be used in relation to the Arkansas Small Business Innovation Research
31 Matching Grant Program, is amended to read as follows:
32 (4) "Small Business Innovation Research Program" means the
33 federal program administered by the United States Small Business
34 Administration according to regulations adopted pursuant to 15 U.S.C. � 638,
35 as it existed on October 1, 2016, which provides funds for Phase I and Phase
36 II Small Business Innovation Research grants and Small Business Technology
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1 Transfer grants through participating federal agencies.
2
3 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code �� 15-3-704 -- 15-3-707 are amended to read as
4 follows:
5 15-3-704. Administration.
6 (a)(1) The Arkansas Small Business Innovation Research Matching Grant
7 Program is created.
8 (2) The Division of Science and Technology of the Arkansas
9 Economic Development Commission shall administer the program.
10 (b) The division commission shall:
11 (1) Create application forms to be submitted by eligible
12 businesses seeking a matching grant from the program;
13 (2) Devise an application process that:
14 (A) Defines the eligibility criteria for a matching grant;
15 and
16 (B) Establishes application submittal and review
17 processes;
18 (3) Define a process by which matching grants may be awarded;
19 and
20 (4) Execute standard legal grant agreements and other
21 documentation governing the disbursement and use of matching grants.
22
23 15-3-705. Eligibility.
24 (a) To be eligible for a matching grant under this subchapter, an
25 applicant shall:
26 (1) Be an eligible business; and
27 (2) Certify that:
28 (A) The eligible business:
29 (i) For Phase I applications, has received a Small
30 Business Innovation Research grant or a Small Business Technology Transfer
31 grant from a sponsoring agency in response to a specific federal
32 solicitation; or
33 (ii) For Phase II applications, has:
34 (a) Submitted a final Phase I report to the
35 sponsoring agency;
36 (b) Demonstrated that the sponsoring agency
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1 has interest in the Phase II proposal; and
2 (c) Submitted a Phase II proposal to the
3 sponsoring agency; and
4 (B) All cognizant federal Small Business Innovation
5 Research grant requirements will be met.
6 (b) An eligible business awarded a matching grant under this
7 subchapter shall:
8 (1) Remain in Arkansas for the duration of the matching grant
9 project award period;
10 (2) Designate an Arkansas resident or employee as the principal
11 investigator/project manager during the duration of the matching grant award
12 period; and
13 (3) Be principally engaged in one (1) or more of the following
14 targeted business activities:
15 (A) Advanced materials and manufacturing systems;
16 (B) Agriculture, food, and environmental sciences;
17 (C) Biotechnology, bioengineering, and life sciences;
18 (D) Information technology;
19 (E) Transportation logistics; and
20 (F) Bio-based products.
21
22 15-3-706. Application requirements.
23 (a) To request a matching grant under this subchapter, an applicant
24 shall complete and submit the application forms prescribed by the Division of
25 Science and Technology of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission under
26 � 15-3-704.
27 (b) An applicant shall submit an application for each federal Phase I
28 and federal Phase II grant proposal for which the applicant is requesting a
29 matching grant.
30 (c) The division commission shall:
31 (1) Review applications:
32 (A) In order of receipt, as determined by the date and
33 time stamp of receipt; and
34 (B) In accordance with rules promulgated by the division
35 commission under � 15-3-709; and
36 (2) Not consider an incomplete or noncompliant application and
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1 shall return an incomplete or a noncompliant application without further
2 review;
3 (3) Review each application with the advice and recommendation
4 of the Commercialization Committee of the Board of Directors of the Division
5 of Science and Technology of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission;
6 and
7 (4) Provide advice to the Director of the Arkansas Economic
8 Development Commission concerning the applications for matching grants
9 reviewed by the division.
10 (d)(1) Applications submitted to the division commission are subject
11 to the Freedom of Information Act of 1967, � 25-19-101 et seq.
12 (2) To the extent an applicant believes that information in an
13 application is confidential or otherwise exempt under the Freedom of
14 Information Act of 1967, � 25-19-101 et seq., the applicant shall
15 specifically designate in writing the information the applicant believes to
16 be confidential or exempt and the basis for the confidentiality or exemption
17 on that portion of the application in which the information appears.
18
19 15-3-707. Matching grant awards.
20 (a) A matching grant awarded under this subchapter:
21 (1) Shall not:
22 (A) Be awarded under this subchapter unless offered in
23 writing by the Director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission; and
24 (B) Exceed fifty percent (50%) of the federal Small
25 Business Innovation Research award or the Small Business Technology Transfer
26 award, up to:
27 (i) Fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for a matching
28 grant awarded to match a federal Phase I award; and
29 (ii) One hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for a
30 matching grant awarded to match a federal Phase II award; and
31 (2) Subject to funding and the discretion of the director, may
32 be offered to an eligible applicant that successfully completes the
33 application process.
34 (b) The matching grant agreement between the Division of Science and
35 Technology of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the eligible
36 applicant shall delineate all requirements of the matching grant.
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1 (c) At least fifty-one percent (51%) of the amount awarded for the
2 matching grant shall be spent in Arkansas.
3 (d) Disbursements for matching grants shall be made on a reimbursable
4 basis, payable when invoices and financial reports are submitted to and
5 approved by the division commission.
6 (e) An eligible business shall not receive more than three (3)
7 matching grants under this subchapter.
8
9 SECTION 4. Arkansas Code � 15-3-709 is amended to read as follows:
10 15-3-709. Rules.
11 The Division of Science and Technology of the Arkansas Economic
12 Development Commission shall promulgate rules to carry out the purposes of
13 this subchapter.
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5 02/11/2025 4:43:03 PM JLL188Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.