NEW SBIR/STTR Fast-Track Pilot
The SBIR/STTR Fast-Track program enables companies with NSF lineage (as defined below and in the solicitation) to submit a single proposal that can provide a pathway for up to $1,555,000 in non-dilutive funding, access to the full suite of NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I and Phase II funding opportunities, and enable a rapid, seamless transition from Phase I to Phase II.
Please watch a webinar recorded in July 2024 for more information or download the slides.
The Fast-Track program is intended for small businesses with a complete team at the time of proposal submission and a more fully defined business model than is required of a traditional SBIR/STTR Phase I awardee. In Fast-Track awards, the underlying scientific or technical readiness can be validated by the prior NSF research support (see below).
A single Fast-Track proposal 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 $1,135,000 for Phase II over an additional 18 to 24 months. For more information, view the solicitation.
Eligibility Requirements: To qualify to apply for Fast-Track funding, the proposing small business must satisfy all the following conditions:
- Have submitted a SBIR/STTR Fast-Track Project Pitch and received an official invitation from a cognizant NSF SBIR/STTR Program Director, within the 4 months preceding the proposal submission date.
- Have received research funding from current NSF-funded research or research that has been funded by NSF within five years prior to the proposal submission date, as defined in the solicitation. (For the purposes of Fast-Track eligibility, I-Corps funding and NSF SBIR/STTR funding do not count as NSF research funding, while Partnerships for Innovation funding does count as NSF research funding.)
- Have received formal customer discovery training (such as I-Corps) within the previous two years, as measured from the date of the Fast-Track proposal submission.
- Have a confirmed and complete team in place at the time of Fast-Track proposal submission.
- Have met the small business eligibility requirements as noted in the Eligibility Guide and must be in compliance with the SBIR/STTR Policy Directive(s) and the Code of Federal Regulations (13 CFR Part 121). For STTR proposals, the applicant small business must also include a partner research institution in the project.
- The NSF-funded R&D must be performed within the United States. Startups and small businesses funded by NSF must be majority U.S.-owned and U.S.–operated companies, as defined in the SBIR/STTR Program Eligibility Guide.
- “Collaborative Proposal from Multiple Organizations” (a special proposal type in Research.gov) are not allowed.