The Small Business Administration's (SBA) Regional Innovation Cluster (RIC) program is designed to strengthen industry through regional collaboration, shortening the distance between a small business with a product and the prime contractor, manufacturer, or buyer in need. Each RIC is organized around a single industry in a single geographic area. On October 6, 2026, SBA announced over $7 million to create nine new RICs.
With these nine newly awarded RICs, there are now 12 SBA-supported clusters spread across the country supporting small businesses in industries ranging across defense, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and more. Figure 1 below includes a table of all 12 current RICs, with past awardees highlighted in blue.
Figure 1: Table of all 12 SBA RICs, as of October 6, 2026