NIH SBIR — Receipt (First Post-Reauthorization
Supports United States. small businesses moving vision innovation from feasibility to development.
The NIH Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program funds commercially oriented biomedical and health technology R&D by US small businesses across the full NIH portfolio and partner agencies CDC and FDA. The program was reauthorized on April 13, 2026 following a lapse; as of May 2026, NIH has no active SBIR Notice of Funding Opportunity. The next standard receipt date is September 5, 2026, after which the three-cycle annual schedule (September 5, January 5, April 5) resumes. The reissued omnibus NOFO will accept Phase I (R43), Phase II (R44), and Fast-Track applications under the same framework as the most recently expired omnibus PA-24-245.
Under PA-24-245, Phase I total funding (direct costs, indirect costs, and fee combined) was capped at $306,872 per award; Phase II was capped at $2,045,816. Phase I covers feasibility and proof-of-concept; Phase II funds full R&D continuation; Fast-Track combines both phases in a single submission and review. Direct-to-Phase-II and Phase IIB renewal paths are also available. Eligibility is limited to US-registered, US-majority-owned for-profit companies with 500 or fewer employees; nonprofits, universities, and individuals cannot apply. Venture capital–majority-owned firms may apply but must complete an NIH opt-in form. Phase II applicants must document a prior commercialization track record meeting SBA threshold criteria.
The program spans all participating NIH Institutes and Centers, giving applicants across cancer, neuroscience, infectious disease, rare disease, imaging, genomics, and behavioral health topic areas a single multi-IC submission window. Applications are submitted through SEED (seed.nih.gov) and reviewed by IC-assigned study sections. Applicants should monitor simpler.grants.gov for the new omnibus posting, as award structure details may be adjusted in the reauthorized program relative to the expired PA-24-245 caps.
Small business commercialization of biomedical and health technology innovations across all NIH Institutes and Centers, with Phase I feasibility awards up to approximately $314,000 and Phase II awards up to approximately $2.1 million.
Sign up free to see the funding breakdown
Sign up free to see the industries in scope
Sign up free to see the full eligibility
Sign up free to see how to apply
Sign up free to see what you submit
Sign up free to see the timeline