NSF SBIR/STTR (America's Seed Fund)

NSF SBIR/STTR Fast-Track Pilot

Supports United States deep-tech startups through a combined early and continuation development route.

NSF SBIR/STTR Fast-Track is a pilot mechanism (solicitation NSF24-582) that combines Phase I and Phase II into a single joint application, allowing companies to de-risk the 12–18 month gap that typically separates the two phases. The maximum total award is $1,555,000 — structured as up to $400,000 for Phase I and up to $1,155,000 for Phase II — with a funding pool of approximately $25 million. Award floor is $800,000 and the median observed is approximately $1,450,000. Phase II funding is contingent: the company must pass two stage gates after Phase I — a reverse site visit approximately three months before Phase I ends and a Cost Analysis and Pre-Award (CAP) review — before Phase II dollars are released.

Fast-Track carries a unique eligibility restriction: at least one Senior/Key Personnel on the team must have completed formal customer-discovery training such as NSF I-Corps or a recognized accelerator curriculum. Additionally, the organization must have an active or recently active (within the prior five years) NSF research award — CAREER, individual investigator, center or institute, PFI, or GRFP — as qualifying lineage; prior NSF I-Corps and SBIR/STTR awards do not count. The full team must be named at submission — no to-be-determined placeholders in budget lines A or B. TRL window is 3 to 6. The same small-business ownership rules apply: U.S.-based, 500 or fewer employees, not majority-owned by VCs, hedge funds, or PE firms. PI must hold at least 51% primary employment with the company and commit at least three calendar months per six months of performance — a higher effort floor than standard Phase I/II.

The application sequence mirrors standard SBIR: a Project Pitch is submitted first and must receive a formal Program Officer invitation before a full proposal can be filed; the full proposal must be submitted within four months of the invitation. Letters of support from potential customers are not permitted in Fast-Track Phase I. Declined Fast-Track proposals are not eligible for reconsideration or resubmission. All submissions go through Research.gov. NSF runs three deadlines per year, with a limit of one pitch or proposal per organization per deadline. Voluntary cost sharing is prohibited. The award is zero-equity.