PIPE — Innovative Research in Small Businesses (Pesquisa Inovativa em Pequenas Empresas)

PIPE Fase 1 (Seed)

Funds seed-stage innovation by startup teams in any technology field in São Paulo.

PIPE (Pesquisa Inovativa em Pequenas Empresas) is FAPESP's flagship program for supporting innovative research within small businesses based in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. The program operates via the SAGe online submission system and accepts applications year-round outside of themed Jornada Tecnológica competition cycles, making it one of the few Brazilian public science grants available on a continuous-flow basis. Phase 1 awards support feasibility studies of up to twelve months, enabling small businesses to validate whether a technological challenge has a viable solution before committing to a full development project.

Eligibility is restricted to micro and small enterprises legally registered in São Paulo state and employing at least one researcher with doctoral-level training or equivalent demonstrated scientific capacity. The technological challenge must be clearly defined, and the project must be led by an identified principal investigator affiliated with the company. FAPESP evaluates proposals on scientific and technological merit, the company's capacity to carry out the work, and the potential for commercial application in the Brazilian market.

FAPESP administers PIPE under a broader mandate to foster science, technology, and innovation in São Paulo, and the program has funded several hundred projects since its launch in the late 1990s. Phase 1 awards are typically modest in scale, with budgets calibrated to feasibility-stage work, and successful Phase 1 recipients may proceed to Phase 2 for development-stage funding. The continuous submission window means São Paulo small businesses can apply at any point in the year rather than waiting for periodic calls.