U.S. CODE

U.S. Code

§ 17824. NASA outreach program

(a) Establishment

NASA shall competitively select an organization to partner with NASA centers, aerospace contractors, and academic institutions to carry out a program to help promote the competitiveness of small, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses in communities across the United States through enhanced insight into the technologies of NASA’s space and aeronautics programs. The program shall support the mission of NASA’s Innovative Partnerships Program with its emphasis on joint partnerships with industry, academia, government agencies, and national laboratories.

(b) Program structure

In carrying out the program described in subsection (a), the organization shall support the mission of NASA’s Innovative Partnerships Program by undertaking the following activities:

(1) Facilitating the enhanced insight of the private sector into NASA’s technologies in order to increase the competitiveness of the private sector in producing viable commercial products.

(2) Creating a network of academic institutions, aerospace contractors, and NASA centers that will commit to donating appropriate technical assistance to small businesses, giving preference to socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, and HUBZone small business concerns. This paragraph shall not apply to any contracting actions entered into or taken by NASA.

(3) Creating a network of economic development organizations to increase the awareness and enhance the effectiveness of the program nationwide.

Not later than 1 year after October 15, 2008, and annually thereafter, the Administrator shall submit a report to the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate describing the efforts and accomplishments of the program established under subsection (a) in support of NASA’s Innovative Partnerships Program. As part of the report, the Administrator shall provide—

(1) data on the number of small businesses receiving assistance, jobs created and retained, and volunteer hours donated by NASA, contractors, and academic institutions nationwide;

(2) an estimate of the total dollar value of the economic impact made by small businesses that received technical assistance through the program; and

(3) an accounting of the use of funds appropriated for the program.

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