NIH SBIR
Funds non-dilutive support for United States small businesses in biomedical and behavioral health innovation.
NIH SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) is the largest SBIR program among federal agencies, with more than $1.2 billion set aside each year (3.2% of NIH's extramural R&D budget). It funds for-profit US-owned small businesses (≤500 employees) across all 27 NIH institutes and centers — covering drugs, devices, diagnostics, digital health, behavioral interventions, and research tools.
The prog…
Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.
Funds United States small businesses moving directly into major development when early biomedical feasibility is already established.
Supports United States small businesses with streamlined biomedical pathways from feasibility to continued development.
Funds United States small businesses advancing biomedical and behavioral-health innovations through early technical validation.
Funds United States small businesses advancing validated biomedical innovations through substantial full development execution.
Supports United States. small businesses moving vision innovation from feasibility to development.
Funds early feasibility work through late-stage R&D for a US small business turning a health science idea into a marketable product.
Funds a first SBIR grant and hands-on entrepreneurial mentoring for a scientist who has never led independent research funding before.
Funds late-stage R&D and technical work — trials, manufacturing scale-up, regulatory support — to finish a small business's NIH SBIR or STTR project.
Funds five academic hubs that fund proof-of-concept work and coach researchers toward founding a biomedical company.