NCI SBIR/STTR Omnibus (NIH-wide) + NCI SBIR Contracts

NCI SBIR/STTR Omnibus (Next Receipt 5)

Supports small businesses developing cancer technologies through national NIH collaboration pathways.

The NCI Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Omnibus is the primary non-dilutive federal funding mechanism for US small businesses developing cancer-relevant technologies. NCI participates as a contributing Institute in the NIH-wide SBIR/STTR Omnibus administered by NIH OER/SEED. Covered mechanisms are R43 (SBIR Phase I), R44 (SBIR Phase II), R41 (STTR Phase I), and R42 (STTR Phase II), spanning the full spectrum of cancer diagnostics, therapeutics, devices, digital health, and research tools. The program was reauthorized on April 13, 2026; no active NOFO was in place at the time of last fetch.

Phase I SBIR awards typically reach approximately $300,000 and Phase II awards up to $2,000,000 in direct costs over the project period. The applicant must be a US for-profit small business concern with majority ownership by US citizens or permanent residents. Small businesses majority-owned by venture capital operating companies, hedge funds, or private equity firms remain eligible for up to 25% of NCI's SBIR set-aside, with an opt-in form required. Foreign organizations and nonprofit institutions are not eligible under the SBIR track; STTR requires a formal partnership with a US research institution.

The next standard receipt date is September 5, 2026, at which point NCI expects to publish a new NOFO under the PHS 2026-x Omnibus. NCI also operates separate contract-based SBIR solicitations (PHS YYYY-1 series) for targeted cancer topics, which are issued directly and submitted through the Electronic Contract Proposal System rather than grants.gov. Teams with existing SBIR Phase II results should additionally review the NCI Phase IIB Bridge and I-Corps programs, which provide supplemental commercialization funding on top of the standard omnibus mechanism.