NSF 26-511: Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I, Phase II, Fast-Track Programs : A Pilot Emphasis on Scientific Instrumentation.

Program Solicitation NSF 26-511

U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships

Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization’s local time):

     July 27, 2026

     November 04, 2026

     First Wednesday in November, Annually Thereafter

     March 04, 2027

     First Thursday in March, Annually Thereafter

     July 07, 2027

     First Wednesday in July, Annually Thereafter

Important Information and Revision Notes

Proposals must be prepared in accordance with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Specific instructions on Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program requirements are here. In the event of a conflict between the instructions in the SBIR/STTR funding opportunity and the PAPPG, the SBIR/STTR funding instructions supersede the PAPPG. Use the version of the instructions that is in effect on the proposal's due date.

Proposals must be prepared in accordance with the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Use the version of the guide that is in effect on the proposal's due date.

Summary of Program Requirements

General Information

Program Title:

Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I, Phase II, Fast-Track Programs (SBIR/STTR): A Pilot Emphasis on Scientific Instrumentation.

Synopsis of Program:

NSF invests in scientific discoveries, technological breakthroughs, and transformative innovations that strengthen economic growth, enhance security, and improve the lives of Americans and people around the world. Our ability to support that mission requires a robust scientific and engineering (S&E) enterprise in the United States that allows scientists to innovate at the frontier. In addition to funding scientists, America needs next-generation scientific instrumentation that allows scientists to pursue new innovations. In many fields, it is critical that this new scientific instrumentation is developed in the United States.

In support of this mission, NSF is initiating a pilot emphasis area for its SBIR/STTR programs to invest in startups and small businesses that are specifically developing enabling technologies that include next-generation instrumentation, novel experimental platforms, and other scientific equipment to advance the frontiers of scientific discovery and strengthen the American scientific and engineering enterprise. This encompasses novel instrumentation necessary for the coming era of AI-driven discoveries. This pilot will prioritize investing in the necessary infrastructure to support entirely new fields of scientific discovery, making new technological breakthroughs and transformative applications possible. Through this approach, NSF will continue to lead in propelling the scientific enterprise to new frontiers.

This pilot emphasis area for the NSF SBIR/STTR programs funds across enabling technology areas and market sectors in alignment with the above goals; the programs do not solicit specific technologies for the purpose of procuring goods and services for the agency from startups and small businesses.

NSF will continue to invest in other deep-tech ventures through the historic NSF SBIR/STTR programs available here.

Funding opportunities are available through the NSF SBIR/STTR programs: Phase I, Phase II, Fast-Track, and Supplements. Each company can receive up to $2.0 million for R&D. Separately, NSF welcomes Strategic Breakthrough proposals, upon recommendation from the Program Officer, for Phase II awardees. NSF takes no equity and awardees keep full ownership of their company and intellectual property.

Expanding Participation in STEM and Gold Standard Science:

NSF prioritizes cutting-edge discovery science and engineering research, advancing technology and innovation, and creating opportunities for all Americans. NSF also expects the highest standards of scientific rigor, integrity and adherence to tenets of Gold Standard Science in proposals, as appropriate for the field of science and research modality.

Expanding Participation in STEM and Gold Standard Science:

NSF prioritizes cutting-edge discovery science and engineering research, advancing technology and innovation, and creating opportunities for all Americans. NSF also expects the highest standards of scientific rigor, integrity and adherence to tenets of Gold Standard Science in proposals, as appropriate for the field of science and research modality.

Cognizant Program Officer(s):

Please note that the following information is current at the time of publishing. See program website for any updates to the points of contact.

• SBIR/STTR Inbox, telephone: (703) 292-5111, email: sbir@nsf.gov

Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):

• 47.084 --- NSF Technology, Innovation and Partnerships

Award Information

Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant

Estimated Number of Awards: 83 to 86

• Estimated Number of Awards:

  • Approximately 57-59 awards for SBIR Phase I per year
  • Approximately 11-12 awards for STTR Phase I per year

Phase II Awards

Anticipated Type of Award: Fixed Amount Cooperative Agreement up to $1,250,000

Estimated Number of Awards:

• Approximately 10 awards for SBIR Phase II per year
• Approximately 2 awards for STTR Phase II per year

Fast-Track Awards

Anticipated Type of Award: Fixed Amount Cooperative Agreement up to $1,555,000

Estimated Number of Awards:

• Approximately 1-3 awards for SBIR Fast-Track per year
• Approximately 1-2 awards for STTR Fast-Track per year

Anticipated Funding Amount:

up to $40,000,000 total anticipated budget for SBIR and STTR awards in this pilot emphasis area, spanning various proposal types.

Estimated program budget, number of awards and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds.

Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

• Letters of Intent: Not required

• Preliminary Proposal Submission: Not required

• Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: This solicitation contains information that deviates from the standard NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) proposal preparation guidelines. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

B. Budgetary Information

• Cost Sharing Requirements:

  Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

• Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations:

  Not Applicable

• Other Budgetary Limitations:

  Not Applicable

C. Due Dates

• Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitting organization’s local time):

       July 27, 2026

       November 04, 2026

       First Wednesday in November, Annually Thereafter

       March 04, 2027

       First Thursday in March, Annually Thereafter

       July 07, 2027

       First Wednesday in July, Annually Thereafter

Proposal Review Information Criteria

Merit Review Criteria:

National Science Board approved criteria. Additional merit review criteria apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Award Administration Information

Award Conditions:

Additional award conditions apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

Reporting Requirements:

Additional reporting requirements apply. Please see the full text of this solicitation for further information.

I. Introduction

The NSF SBIR/STTR programs are relaunching to include a pilot emphasis area to invest in startups and small businesses that are developing enabling technologies to include next-generation instrumentation, novel experimental platforms, and other scientific equipment to advance the frontiers of scientific discovery and strengthen the American scientific and engineering enterprise. The ability for the United States to support scientific discovery and technological breakthroughs requires a robust S&E enterprise, including the next-generation scientific instrumentation that allows scientists to innovate at the frontier and generate the high-quality, high-volume data necessary for AI-enabled discovery. In many fields, it is critical that this cutting-edge scientific instrumentation is developed in the United States.

This SBIR/STTR program pilot emphasis area will prioritize investing in companies developing the necessary infrastructure to support entirely new fields of scientific discovery, making new technological breakthroughs and transformative applications possible. In some cases, traditional venture capital may not be incentivized to support next-generation scientific instrumentation due to a small market, even if building the capability domestically is critical for U.S. national security and science and technology leadership. This new NSF SBIR/STTR program pilot emphasis area is particularly aiming to invest in proposals for these scientific instrumentation companies. Through this approach, NSF will continue to lead in propelling the scientific enterprise to new frontiers.

The NSF SBIR/STTR and Fast-Track programs fund R&D costs and are designed to invest in startups and small businesses developing technologies at their earliest stages of viability. Additional information can be found at www.sbir.gov/about.

The NSF SBIR/STTR and Fast-Track programs are housed within the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships.

II. Program Description

The NSF SBIR/STTR and Fast-Track programs assist startups and small businesses in developing next-generation scientific instrumentation to support the S&E enterprise. These programs aim to spur innovation by investing in the development of critical and emerging technologies that advance basic science, innovation, and commercialization, thereby making entirely new fields of scientific discovery possible.

In alignment with the goals articulated above, NSF seeks SBIR/STTR proposals that represent success in three criteria: Intellectual Merit, Broader Impacts, and Commercial Impact. NSF funding is dedicated to the accomplishment of technical R&D activities. Successful proposals will also convey the potential of NSF investment to advance the viability of startups and small businesses by addressing other key risk areas, such as by strengthening the team, proving out the business model, engaging customers and other stakeholders, positioning the company for follow-on funding, and/or solidifying the intellectual property position of the innovation.

The SBIR/STTR program provides funding via four mechanisms: 1) Phase I awards, 2) Phase II awards, 3) Fast-Track awards; and 4) Supplement Awards for either SBIR or STTR type proposals as discussed below under Award Information.

SBIR proposals permit, but do not require, that the applicant small business partner with any other institution. However, STTR proposals require that the startup issue a subaward to a not-for-profit research institution (RI). SBIR and STTR proposal budgets have unique requirements in terms of how the budget funds are allocated; see the “Proposal Preparation Instructions” pages for more details. For complete information about the unique requirements for STTR awards, please refer to the “Key Information for Submitting a Full SBIR/STTR Proposal” page.

The NSF SBIR/STTR programs are expected to result in the creation of next-generation scientific instrumentation and novel platform technologies that address unmet needs for the scientific enterprise.

III. Award Information

• NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I proposals may be submitted for up to $305,000 in R&D funding intended to invest in projects for 6-18 months. This amount is inclusive of all direct and indirect costs as well as the small business fee, Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) funding, and the optional, but highly encouraged Innovation Corps (I-Corps). These awards are subject to available funds.
• NSF SBIR/STTR Phase II proposals may be submitted for funding up to $1,250,000. This amount is inclusive of all direct and indirect costs as well as the small business fee and optional TABA funding. NSF SBIR/STTR Phase II projects typically run for 24 months. These awards are subject to available funds.
• NSF SBIR/STTR Fast-Track proposals may be submitted for up to $400,000 in R&D funding for Phase I, with a duration of 6 to 12 months, and up to $1,155,000 for Phase II over an additional 18 to 24 months.
• Phase IIB supplement proposals may be submitted between $50,000 to $500,000. The Phase IIB Supplement enables an awardee to build on Phase II development achievements and expedite the path from lab to market with matching funds from NSF’s Phase IIB supplement to funds from investors or customers. These awards are subject to available funds.
• Technology Enhancement for Commercial Partnerships (TECP) supplement proposals may be submitted for up to 20% of the Phase II award. This funding supports additional research that goes beyond the Phase II project’s objectives to meet the technical specifications or additional proof-of-concept requirements. Additional research is anticipated to enhance commercial potential and lead to partnerships with customers, industrial partners, and investors. These awards are subject to available funds.
• Strategic Breakthrough proposals, upon recommendation from the cognizant NSF Program Officer, may be submitted for an award. To accelerate the success of SBIR/STTR funded companies, the 2026 reauthorization of the NSF SBIR/STTR program referenced above allows a strategic breakthrough award for Phase II awardees which is designed to help bridge the "valley of death" between the prototype and commercial development. Strategic Breakthrough proposals may be submitted for award amounts up to $30,000,000 and should be submitted using Research.gov. Strategic Breakthrough proposals will be evaluated using the merit review principles and criteria as well as the additional solicitation specific review criteria included in VI section A below. Additionally, the review and selection process outlined in VI section B below will be used to evaluate Strategic Breakthrough proposals. These awards are subject to available funds.
• Also, the SBIR/STTR programs may support additional funding opportunities described within the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG).

IV. Eligibility Information

Who May Submit Proposals:

Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

• Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

  • For all NSF SBIR/STTR funding opportunities, Proposals may only be submitted by: Firms qualifying as a small business concern are eligible to participate in the NSF SBIR/STTR programs (see the Guide to SBIR/STTR Program Eligibility for more information). Please note that the size limit of 500 employees includes affiliates. The firm must be in compliance with the SBIR/STTR Policy Directive and the Code of Federal Regulations. For STTR proposals, the proposing small business concern must also include a partner research institution in the project.
    • For Phase I: Proposers must obtain an official invitation to submit a proposal. To receive the invitation, potential proposers must submit a Project Pitch and receive an official response (via email) from the program staff. Invitations are valid for the next two submission deadlines after the date of the initial official invitation. Submission deadlines are at the top of the funding opportunity. If the Project Pitch expires, the Principal Investigator (PI) is required to recomplete the Project Pitch process. Note: that NSF places strict limits in terms of the number of Project Pitches and full proposals that can be under consideration from a given small business as described in the Project Pitch details using the link above.
      • Two Project Pitches are the maximum number of submissions per company per year (12-month period). In addition, NSF limits the total number of Project Pitches for the same project/technology, regardless of topic to no more than 3 submissions.
    • For Phase II: Only NSF Phase I SBIR/STTR awardees are permitted to submit a Phase II proposal to NSF. Proposers must submit their SBIR/STTR Phase II proposal between 6 to 24 months after the start date of their relevant NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I award.
    • For Fast-Track: Proposers must obtain an official invitation to submit a proposal. To receive the invitation, potential proposers must submit a Project Pitch and receive an official response from program staff. A full proposal must be submitted within four months of the Fast-Track Project Pitch invitation. Additional details are available here.
    • For Supplemental Funding Opportunities: All active SBIR/STTR Phase II awardees are invited to participate in the full range of supplemental funding opportunities related to strategic partners and outside investors, including the Phase IIB funding opportunity (see:https://seedfund.nsf.gov/resources/awardees/supplement/overview/).

  For Strategic Breakthroughs: SBIR/STTR Phase II awardees are eligible to submit Strategic Breakthrough proposals upon the recommendation of their cognizant Program.

Who May Serve as PI:

The primary employment of the Principal Investigator (PI) must be with the small business at the time of award and for the duration of the award, unless a new PI is named. Primary employment is defined as at least 51 percent employed by the small business. NSF normally considers a full-time work week to be 40 hours and considers employment elsewhere greater than 19.6 hours per week to conflict with this requirement. Occasionally, deviations from this requirement may occur, and must be approved in writing by the Funding Agreement program officer after consultation with the agency SBIR/STTR program manager/coordinator.

The PI must have a legal right to work for the proposing company in the United States, as evidenced by citizenship, permanent residency, or an appropriate visa. The PI does not need to be associated with an academic institution. There are no PI degree requirements (i.e., the PI is not required to hold a Ph.D. or any other degree). A PI must devote a minimum of one calendar month of effort per six months of performance to an NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I project.

The PI must devote the following levels of effort:

• For Phase I: a minimum of one calendar month per six months of performance
• For Phase II: a minimum of one calendar month per six months of performance
• For Fast-Track: a minimum of three calendar months per six months of performance.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 1

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 1

• For NSF SBIR: 1 PI, co-PIs are not allowed.
• For NSF STTR: 1 PI and 1 co-PI are required (the PI must be an employee of the proposing small business for at least 51% of his/her time (as stated above), and the co-PI must be part of the STTR partner research institution). An individual may act as the co-PI on an unlimited number of proposals.
• An individual may be listed as the PI for only one proposal submitted at a time to this NSF SBIR/STTR funding opportunity.

V. Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions

Full Proposals: Proposers must submit proposals in response to this Program Solicitation via Research.gov.

You must prepare your proposal according to Chapter II.D.2 of the PAPPG, unless this solicitation specifies different instructions. Always use the version of the PAPPG in effect on your proposal's due date.

This solicitation contains instructions that supplement the standard PAPPG guidelines. Follow both the PAPPG guidelines and those outlined in this document when preparing your proposal.

A. Proposal Preparation Instructions

This funding opportunity contains information that deviates from the standard PAPPG guidelines.

Please see the NSF SBIR/STTR proposal instructions for further information. If this solicitation and the links therein do not include sufficient guidance on a given issue, please reference NSF’s Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures guide (PAPPG). In the event of a conflict between the instructions in this funding opportunity and the PAPPG, use this funding opportunity’s instructions as a guide.

B. Research.gov Requirements

All NSF SBIR/STTR proposals must be submitted through Research.gov. NSF SBIR/STTR proposals will NOT be accepted in Grants.gov. Information on how to prepare and submit proposals is available on the Submitting Your Proposal page on Seedfund.nsf.gov.

C. Budgetary Information

Cost Sharing:

Inclusion of voluntary committed cost sharing is prohibited.

D. Research.gov Requirements

You can submit proposals in response to this solicitation through Research.gov.

Information on how to prepare and submit proposals is available on the Submitting Your Proposal page on NSF.gov.

VI. NSF Proposal Processing and Review Procedures

Information on NSF's proposal processing and review procedures is available on the Overview of the NSF Proposal and Award Process page on NSF.gov.

A. Merit Review Principles and Criteria

All NSF SBIR/STTR proposals are evaluated through use of three merit review criteria:

• Intellectual Merit, which encompasses the potential to advance knowledge.
• Broader Impacts, which encompass the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes.
• Commercial Impact, which encompasses the potential of the project to lead to significant outcomes in the commercial market.

Information on NSF's merit review criteria and process can be found on the Proposal Review and Decisions page on Seedfund.nsf.gov.

B. Review and Selection Process

Proposals submitted in response to this program solicitation will be reviewed by

Ad hoc Review and/or Panel Review, Internal NSF Review, or External or internal subject-matter-expert(s) may also review the proposal.

Proposal Review Method will include Ad Hoc, Panel Review, and/or Internal NSF Reviews

After a proposal passes an initial compliance check, it will be reviewed by an NSF Program Officer. In most cases, three or more external experts will also review it (either as ad hoc reviewers, panelists or both).

Visit the Overview of the NSF Proposal and Award Process page for more information on the proposal review and selection process.

In alignment with Executive Order 14332 (Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking), all else being equal after merit review, NSF may give preference to institutions with lower indirect cost rates.

VII. Award Administration Information

A. Notification of the Award

Notification of an award is made to the submitting organization by an NSF Grants and Agreements Officer.

B. Award Conditions

Information on NSF award conditions can be found on the Award Terms and Conditions page on NSF.gov and Chapter VII of the PAPPG.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements:
Information on administrative and national policy requirements can be found on the National Policy Requirements for Recipients of NSF Awards page on NSF.gov.

Special Award Conditions:

NSF SBIR/STTR recipients are subject to special sets of terms and conditions. The current terms and conditions language for Phase I, Phase II, and Fast-Track awards can be accessed here.

In compliance with the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, Section 10636 (Person or entity of concern prohibition) (42 U.S.C. 19235): No person published on the list under section 1237(b) of the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 (Public Law 105-261; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note) or entity identified under section 1260H of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (10 U.S.C. 113 note; Public Law 116-283) may receive or participate in any grant, award, program, support, or other activity under the U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. See here for more details.

NSF follows all federal guidance on assessing and mitigating foreign risk as related to countries of concern during the required due diligence process for SBIR/STTR awards. See updates to NSF research security policies for more information.

NSF is required to conduct a due diligence process when evaluating proposal submissions, thus, receiving due diligence-related questions are not a negative indicator in terms of the probability of receiving an award.

C. Reporting Requirements

Unless your award notice says otherwise, NSF requires the principal investigator of every grant to submit annual project reports and project outcomes reports for the general public. For complete reporting requirements, see Chapter VII of the PAPPG.

NSF SBIR/STTR recipients are subject to specialized reporting requirements as noted here for Phase I Awardees and here for Phase II awardees.

VIII. Agency Contacts

For questions related to the use of NSF systems contact:

• Research.gov: NSF IT Service Desk at rgov@nsf.gov or 1-800-381-1532. The Service Desk is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday (except for federal holidays).

IX. Other Information

For information on NSF directorates, programs and funding opportunities, go to NSF.gov.

About the National Science Foundation

The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency created by the "National Science Foundation Act of 1950." More information about NSF can be found on NSF.gov.

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