SBIR Phase I Grants (Multiple Agencies)

Federal R&D funding up to $295,000 for early-stage technology research. Non-dilutive grants from agencies like NIH, NSF, DOE, DOD, NASA. Phase I funds feasibility research; Phase II ($1M-$2M) funds development.

Eligibility

US small business (<500 employees), majority US-owned, conducting R&D. Specific topic areas vary by agency.

US small business
<500 employees
US-owned
R&D focus

Application requirements

1Technical proposal
2Commercialization plan
3Budget
4Team CVs

Similar opportunities

NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I & II (America's Seed Fund) — National Science Foundation

grant

Featured

National Science Foundation

NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I & II (America's Seed Fund)

Non-dilutive R&D grants of up to $275k (Phase I) and $1M+ (Phase II) for U.S. small businesses commercializing high-impact deep-tech innovations. Covers software, hardware, AI, climate, biotech, and more. No equity taken.

$275,000–$1,750,000Rolling

accelerator

MassChallenge

MassChallenge Accelerator (Equity-Free)

Four-month accelerator program with no equity taken. Provides mentorship, curriculum, expert services, and access to over $3M in cash prizes for top U.S. startups. Programs run in Boston, Houston, Providence, Dallas, and other U.S. cities.

$1,000,0003d left

fellowship

Climate Finance Lab

Climate Finance Innovation Lab

Annual program supporting innovative climate finance instruments. Selected projects receive grant support, expert advisory, and connections to investors. Targets scalable solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation.

$50,000–$150,000Sep 30, 2026

tax_credit

US Internal Revenue Service

US Research & Development Tax Credit

Federal tax credit equal to ~6-14% of qualified R&D expenses (wages, supplies, contract research). Eligible startups can apply up to $500,000 against payroll taxes. Highly underutilized by founders.

$5,000–$500,000Rolling