The National Science Foundation is currently accepting proposals for its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, part of America’s Seed Fund. These highly competitive programs provide early-stage, non-dilutive funding to small businesses pursuing high-risk, high-reward research and development with strong commercial potential.

This opportunity is designed for U.S.-based startups and small businesses working on transformative technology across all areas of science and engineering. To begin the application process, companies must first submit a Project Pitch (a brief overview of their innovation) to determine fit for the program. If the pitch is accepted, applicants are invited to submit a full Phase I proposal, which includes more detailed technical and commercial information.

The proposal submission deadlines is November 5, 2025 at 5:00 PM in the submitter’s local time zone. To learn more, visit the NSF webpage here.