NSF SBIR Phase II

NSF SBIR Phase II follows the Phase I feasibility award and funds the next stage of deep-tech development inside the National Science Foundation's small-business portfolio. The program sits under the same Seed Fund umbrella that helps move research-backed ideas toward commercial use, but it expects teams to have already cleared the first technical hurdle. By Phase II, the company is building from evidence rather than from a concept alone. The award range is $500,000 to $1,000,000, with a median actual award of $1,000,000 in the record. Eligibility stays narrow: U.S.-incorporated for-profit small businesses, 51 percent U.S. ownership, TRL 4 to 7 work, and a requirement that the applicant has already won Phase I. The program runs multiple times per year, keeps the same deep-tech cross-sector scope, and does not allow a new company to skip directly into Phase II. The companies that fit best have a Phase I result worth scaling, a clear technical path to maturation, and a product story that can survive beyond the grant period. NSF is usually strongest when the proposal stays specific about the engineering, the market, and the step that turns laboratory credibility into a real commercial asset.

No upcoming rounds verified. Cadence: Multiple per year.