NASA STTR — Small Business Technology Transfer

NASA STTR is the companion to NASA SBIR for small businesses that need a formal research partner from the start. It is designed for U.S. firms working with a nonprofit research institution, such as a university or federal research and development center, so the company can commercialize work that begins in the research lab. The program shares NASA's annual small-business solicitation cycle and uses the same submission environment as SBIR. Phase I awards are typically $125,000, Phase II awards are typically $850,000 over 24 months, and the structure requires a partnership rather than a solo company proposal. U.S. small businesses remain the lead applicant, and the research partner is mandatory. This route fits teams with a clean split between commercialization and research. Proposals tend to be strongest when the company owns the product path, the partner brings real technical depth, and the collaboration is specific enough to move from feasibility into development without losing the transfer case that makes STTR different from SBIR.