Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I, Phase II, Fast-Track Programs (SBIR/STTR): A Pilot Emphasis on Scientific Instrumentation.
NSF’s SBIR/STTR pilot funds up to $2M for startups and small businesses developing next-generation scientific instruments and technologies to advance scientific discovery and innovation in the U.S.
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Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation
Due Dates: July 27, 2026 (Full proposal) | November 4, 2026 (Full proposal) | March 4, 2027 (Full proposal) | July 7, 2027 (Full proposal)
Funding Amounts: Phase I: up to $305,000 | Phase II: up to $1,250,000 | Fast-Track: up to $1,555,000 | Supplements and Strategic Breakthrough awards available
Summary: Supports startups and small businesses developing next-generation scientific instrumentation, experimental platforms, and enabling technologies for new scientific discoveries.
Key Information: Phase I and Fast-Track applicants must receive an official invitation following a Project Pitch.
Description
This NSF SBIR/STTR pilot, administered by the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, invests in startups and small businesses developing next-generation scientific instruments, novel experimental platforms, and other equipment that strengthens the U.S. scientific and engineering enterprise. It includes technologies that generate the high-quality, high-volume data needed for AI-enabled discovery.
The pilot prioritizes infrastructure that makes entirely new fields of scientific discovery possible, including instrumentation with small markets that may not attract traditional venture capital despite its importance to U.S. science and technology leadership or national security. Funding supports technical R&D at early stages of viability across enabling technology areas and market sectors. The program seeks intellectual merit, broader impacts, and commercial impact, rather than procuring goods or services for NSF.
