NASA and SBA launch SBIC initiative to boost small space economy businesses

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NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, right, and Administrator of the Small Business Administration Kelly Loeffler, left, pose for a photo after signing a Memorandum of Agreement Monday, June 29, 2026, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. This Memorandum of Agreement will provide the framework for NASA and the Small Business Administration Office of Investment and Innovation to support the growth of the Small Business Investment Company-NASA Initiative.

Credit: NASA/Keegan Barber

NASA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) launched the SBIC-NASA Initiative on Monday to increase investment in American manufacturers of industrial components and providers of technologies critical to space exploration to support a sustained presence on the Moon and Mars.

Under the Memorandum of Agreement, NASA will identify technology priorities and connect businesses to funding opportunities through the agency’s new NASA Office of Strategic Capital. The initiative also will be a part of SBA’s Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) Program, which provides leverage that matches private capital raised by investment funds and is designed to enhance fund-level investment returns.

“To achieve President Trump’s National Space Policy, NASA needs a stronger industrial base capable of moving at the speed this new space race demands,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “Through the NASA Office of Strategic Capital, this partnership with the SBA 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.”

By augmenting the investable capital for investment funds licensed by the SBA under this SBIC-NASA Initiative, the new initiative expands access to capital for small businesses within the space industry.

“To meet President Trump’s objective of securing American leadership on every frontier, 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,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “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. By aligning capital with strategic national priorities, this exciting effort will help launch the next great era of space exploration.”

Under the agreement, NASA will define strategic aerospace technology focus areas and identify supply chain needs. The SBA will use those priorities to attract and license qualified private investment funds that commit to invest at least 60% of their capital into NASA-identified focus areas, including:

Energy production, infrastructure, and storage

Nuclear power and propulsion

Advanced software, avionics, and communications systems

Specialized materials and components

Inhospitable environment infrastructure

Scaled launch infrastructure

Biomedical and life support technology

Through this partnership between NASA and SBA, capital will flow into space industry sectors and upstream supply chain components vital to the National Space Policy and critical to national and economic security.

For details about the new initiative and NASA’s Office of Strategic Capital, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/strategiccapital

-end-

Camille Gallo / Cheryl Warner

Headquarters, Washington 

202-358-1600 

camille.m.gallo@nasa.gov / cheryl.m.warner@nasa.gov

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Last Updated

Jun 29, 2026

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Jessica Taveau

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