BIRD General Program

BIRD General Program

Supports United States and Israel partners to jointly commercialize hi-tech innovation, including cybersecurity, life sciences, and manufacturing.

Eligibility · United States, Israel

The BIRD Foundation General Program provides conditional grants to pairs of unrelated companies — one U.S.-registered, one Israel-registered — to jointly develop innovative hi-tech products with significant commercial potential. BIRD is a bilateral foundation established in 1977 jointly by the U.S. and Israeli governments; since inception it has approved over 1,000 projects. The program covers all hi-tech sectors including advanced manufacturing, agrotechnology, cleantech, energy, communications, construction technology, cybersecurity, electronics, fintech, foodtech, healthcare IT, homeland security, life sciences, nanotechnology, semiconductors, software, and water. The maximum conditional grant per project is $1.5 million, covering up to 50% of joint R&D costs. Grants are repaid via royalties on commercial revenues only; if the project fails commercially, no repayment is required. BIRD takes no equity.

For the 2026 cycle, Executive Summaries were due May 14, 2026; Full Proposals are due July 9, 2026 at 5:00 pm EST; decisions are expected in September 2026. The General Program is restricted to companies — universities and research institutes are not eligible for this track (they may participate in BIRD's vertical programs). Each project must be a joint bilateral application by exactly two companies. In the past 12 months, BIRD approved 10 projects totaling approximately $11.5 million across two decision rounds (five in December 2024, five in September 2025).

The application process requires completing BIRD's Executive Summary template and uploading via https://upload.www.birdf.com. Full proposals must detail the technical approach, commercial plan, and projected project costs. The strongest applications demonstrate genuine innovation, clear joint ownership of the technology, and a credible commercialization pathway in both the U.S. and Israeli markets. Contact for U.S. East Coast and Midwest inquiries is Andrea Yonah; for the West Coast, Anat Bujanover; for the South, Anat Ben Yosef; and for Israeli applicants, Tal Nahari at taln@birdf.com.