Understanding SBIR and STTR is sponsored by National Institutes of Health (NIH). Innovation/small business research opportunity from National Institutes of Health (NIH): Understanding SBIR and STTR. This opportunity supports small business innovation and technology development.

Visit the agency page for full solicitation details and application instructions.

Understanding SBIR and STTR | Seed U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health NIH has no active Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs); therefore, there is no April 5, 2026 receipt date (see NOT-OD-26-006 ). Any future NOFOs will be forecasted at Grants. gov prior to opening for applications.

Learn if your company is eligible for NIH SBIR or STTR funding, how to apply , and what to expect during each step of the application process. Multiple registrations are required to prepare your application and apply for funding.

Small Business Program Basics Understanding SBIR and STTR Foreign Disclosure and Risk Management SBIR and STTR Grants (NOFO s ) SBIR Contract Solicitations Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) Small Business Transition Grant for New Entrepreneurs Navigate NIH's Research Areas Applicant Assistance Programs --> Transition Award (Coming Soon) PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT Our team can help you maximize the benefits from NIH programs and resources which help you bring your innovations to life.

NIH's Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) Partnering & Investment Opportunities Concept to Clinic Commercializing Innovation (C3i) The NIH is actively turning discovery into health by helping small businesses develop innovative technologies that improve health and save lives. See how .

Small Business Portfolio Overview Active Small Business Awards Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hubs (REACH) Search Technologies from Academic Centers and Hubs Our team can help you maximize the benefits from NIH programs and resources which help you bring your innovations to life. We value biomedical innovation and strive to empower scientists and entrepreneurs to bring their discoveries to patients.

HHS Small Business Program Managers Understanding SBIR and STTR Understand the basics of the Small Business Programs, including: Different funding paths and phases of the program Budget and timelines for funding Foreign disclosure and risk management The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR), collectively the Small Business Programs, are also known as America’s Seed Fund.

By setting aside more than $1. 4 billion from its Research & Development Funding specifically for our Small Business Programs, the NIH provides support to early-stage small businesses throughout the nation. Many companies leverage NIH funding to attract the partners and investors needed to take an innovation to market.

We focus on a variety of high-impact technologies ranging from research tools to diagnostics, digital health, drugs, medical devices, and others. The NIH SBIR and STTR programs can provide the seed funding you need to bring your scientific innovations from the bench to the bedside.

The goals of our program are to: Stimulate technological innovation Use small business to meet Federal research/research and development (R/R&D) needs Foster and encourage participation by emerging and undercapitalized small business concerns (SBCs) in technological innovation Increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal R/R&D funding Watch this webinar recording from June 2025 to learn more about the NIH Small Business Program.

Our staff is equipped to guide you through every part of the process to maximize success. Without taking any ownership of your small business, the NIH provides funding for the research and development of innovations and supports commercialization efforts for your product. It is important to note that the NIH is generally not the final purchaser of technologies generated through the programs.

View our Program Descriptions for more information. Comparing the Small Business Programs - SBIR and STTR Although the scope of the work is the same, there are a few critical differences between the SBIR and STTR regarding whether partnerships with a non-profit research institution are allowed (SBIR) or required (STTR). The money always goes to the small business.

Comparing the Small Business Programs Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Percent of R&D budget 3. 2% 0.

45% Partnerships Research partnerships are allowed Partnership with a non-profit research institution is required (e.g. university) Work Requirement Small businesses may outsource: Minimum work requirements: 30% by research institution partner The remaining work may be done by either or outsourced Principal Investigator (PI) Primary employment (> 50%) should be with the small business PI must be employed by either the partnering research institution or small business We Have Several Funding Paths Within the Small Business Program Phases at NIH Our programs provide funding based on milestones achieved during given phases.

Please note that the NIH Small Business funding phases are separate from and not aligned with clinical trial phases. Below is an overview of application types within NIH Small Business phases that fund research and provide commercialization support. You can begin with either a Phase I, Fast Track, or Direct to Phase II.

Which path you choose depends on the amount of preliminary research and technology development you have done in advance of applying to NIH. Reach out to program staff to discuss which path is right for your small business. Small Business Program Phases Budget and Timelines for Funding The budget guidelines are the same for both the SBIR and STTR programs, but individual NIH Institutes and Centers can set their own budget limits.

A Phase I budget is $314,363 for a project timeline between 6 months to 2 years. A Phase II budget is $2,095,748 for a project timeline between 1 to 3 years. A Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) Program budget is limited to $4,191,495 for a project timeline of up to 3 years.

We recognize that some biomedical innovations require additional funding to reach the marketplace. For those topics, the NIH has a waiver from the Small Business Administration (SBA) to allow larger awards (Phase I and Phase II only). Please refer to a list of SBA approved waiver eligible topics .

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact program officials before submitting any application in excess of the total award amounts listed above and early in the application planning process. View additional Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on SBIR and STTR budgets . Learn which criteria are evaluated for your business to be eligible for the small business programs and other considerations NIH takes into account.

We also offer a variety of support and resources, including Technical and Business Assistance (TABA), at each application point. Explore our support for awardees . Financial support from the NIH as part of their SBIR program was very much a critical component to the early start of this company [and] it continues to be a component of our success.

The NIH SBIR program has been invaluable. There'd be no other way that this would have been an option to provide to the autism community. [The SBIRs] have allowed us to pursue new ideas and approaches to solving this long-standing problem of organ shortage.

Litron Laboratories’ rate of innovation would not be possible without the benefit of SBIR funding. The SBIR program is significantly important for disseminating, not just information, but actual interventions, especially for underrepresented populations. [NIH small business funding] gave us the preliminary data that allowed us to approach investors and Big Pharma to fund the amount needed to move into phase two and phase three.

The grant gave us the funding to hire curriculum writers, to pay teachers to do pilot testing of the kits, and to go to science education conferences and present the kits; it gave us money to pay stipends for teachers who wanted to hold their own workshops, and money to provide the kits for the workshop. It really allowed the company to grow much more dramatically. [SBIR] funding was absolutely critical to getting us off the ground.

Our very first funding came from the NIH. The origins of our success came from an NIH-funded project, and since then, we have been able to build on and expand our knowledge and tackle other pollutants. We’re staunch supporters of this program.

If anyone asks me about the NIH Small Business program, I give them nothing but encouragement to apply. We were awarded a $1. 5 million Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in 2018.

That grant came at a time when follow-on funding was uncertain, and it allowed us to accelerate the development process and cover critical commercialization costs for our novel, bioabsorbable surgical clip. We’ve since focused our energy and resources on bringing this technology to market sooner, which will ultimately benefit patients and improve public health. I would love to see more Native American representation in the SBIR program.

Including entrepreneurs from different backgrounds is key to solving “unsolvable” problems and is critical to forging new paths in science and healthcare. In terms of venture capitalists for minority businesses, it is a really unfair playing field. So, the fact that SBIR funds minority businesses like ours is huge because otherwise, we would not get any investments.

This funding allowed me to achieve a scientific breakthrough and now I can talk about early detection, and I can talk about cancer, fibrosis, and changing the industry. National Institutes of Health Product Development Support Looking for the NIH SBIR & STTR site? The new seed.

nih. gov has everything you’re looking for about the NIH small business research and development programs (SBIR & STTR) . In addition, you can learn about other types of product development and commercialization support for NIH award recipients .

Questions? Check out About the NIH SEED Office or email us at [email protected] .