GrantEquity-free United States

SBIR/STTR – America’s Seed Fund

U.S. federal agencies coordinated via SBA

Typical funding

Phase I: about $50,000–$275,000; Phase II: about $400,000–$1.8M, with many agencies now allowed up to about $323,000 (Phase I) and $2.15M (Phase II) without waivers.

Maximum

Typical upper guidance: ~$323k Phase I, ~$2.15M Phase II (agency-specific; waivers possible).

Startup stage

R&D / proof-of-concept to advanced prototyping

Sector focus

Any technology area aligned with participating agency missions (energy, health, defence, space, etc.).

Overview

Flagship U.S. non-dilutive R&D funding programmes that provide equity-free capital to small businesses to develop innovative technologies and move them toward commercialization.

Who's eligible

For‑profit U.S. business with <500 employees, majority U.S.-owned and controlled; project must be innovative, have commercialization potential, and fit a specific agency solicitation.

How to apply

1) Find relevant open topics on SBIR agency sites, 2) register for UEI/SAM and other required IDs, 3) prepare technical and commercialization proposal, 4) submit via the specific agency’s SBIR/STTR portal before the closing date.

Good to know

Central gateway that maps to individual agency SBIR/STTR calls; many calls are highly startup-friendly but require careful topic matching and compliance.

Visit the official application page ↗

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