Illinois SBIR/STTR Match
Supports Illinois companies that already hold federal innovation awards with complementary state funding for research project development.
The Illinois SBIR/STTR Match Program is a state supplemental grant offered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to small companies based in Illinois that have won competitive federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards. The programme is designed to extend the R&D budgets of Illinois's technology-oriented small businesses by layering a state matching award on top of a federal Phase I or Phase II grant. Because SBIR and STTR span virtually all technology sectors funded by federal agencies — including defense, health, energy, advanced manufacturing, AI, and materials — the Illinois match is effectively sector-agnostic, following wherever the federal award was granted. The 2026 application round closes 30 June 2026.
Eligibility requires that the applicant be a for-profit small company with Illinois headquarters or operations and hold an active federal SBIR or STTR award at the time of application. Nonprofit organisations, universities, and individuals are not eligible; this is a state supplement to a competitive federal programme, not a standalone grant. Specific match ratios, award floors, and award ceilings are not published in the DCEO grants catalog page; applicants should contact DCEO directly for current programme terms. The programme is classified as a federal pass-through supplement in the DCEO grants catalog alongside other federal matching initiatives.
Applications are submitted through the DCEO grant portal by the 30 June 2026 deadline. Required documentation will include evidence of the active federal SBIR or STTR award, proof of Illinois operations, and a project description tying the requested state match to the federal-funded scope of work. Companies positioned to win are those with current federal awards already in hand, Illinois-based operations, and the ability to document how additional state funding advances the federally approved R&D plan.
State supplemental matching grants for Illinois-based small companies holding active federal SBIR or STTR awards, extending R&D budgets across any technology sector eligible under those federal programs.
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