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NIA Start-Up Challenge and Accelerator

NIA Start-Up Challenge

Funds US entrepreneurs and small businesses developing healthy-aging technologies through NIA's Start-Up Challenge cash prizes and accelerator.

Opens 2025National Institute on AgingUnited StatesDeep-tech · core fit

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), runs the Start-Up Challenge and Accelerator as a cash-prize competition, not a research grant. NIA's Office of Strategic Extramural Programs administers it alongside NIA's SBIR/STTR grant program, and the Challenge is explicitly designed to feed entrepreneurs and early technology into that SBIR/STTR pipeline.

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Technologies and products that aim to improve healthy aging, addressing aging biology and age-related diseases in the older adult population, with a focus on increasing the impact and reach of NIA-funded small-business R&D.

CycleiHow often this grant runs — e.g. annually, on a rolling basis, or a one-off call.Annual
Next deadlineiThe next date applications are due. Rolling means you can apply any time.—
Decision timeiTypical time from the deadline to the funder's decision.—
Project durationiHow long the funded work is expected to run.—
Award typeiThe form of funding — grant, equity, loan, tax credit, etc.Prize
Match fundingiThe share of project costs you must cover yourself. 0% = fully funded.0%
Funding pooliThe total budget available across all awards in this round.—

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Last verified: 29 Jul 2026Source: www.nia.nih.gov