National Institutes of Health SBIR/STTR Program
NIH SBIR/STTR Program (Seed - NIH Small Business Programs)
Status not published
NIH runs three standard SBIR/STTR receipt dates per year (commonly 5 January, 5 April, 5 September) plus numerous targeted funding opportunities with their own dates. Check the specific NOFO in the NIH Guide.
NIH SEED: 'A Phase I budget is $323,090 for a project timeline between 6 months to 2 years' and 'A Phase II budget is $2,153,927 for a project timeline between 1 to 3 years.' These match the SBA guideline ceilings. NIH additionally 'has a waiver from the Small Business Administration (SBA) to allow larger awards (Phase I and Phase II only)' for specific topics - applicants must contact programme officials before exceeding the listed totals.
U.S. National Institutes of Health (Department of Health and Human Services)
public · national
Deadline: cutoff — NIH runs three standard SBIR/STTR receipt dates per year (commonly 5 January, 5 April, 5 September) plus numerous targeted funding opportunities with their own dates. Check the specific NOFO in the NIH Guide.
Published by the funder, FY2022. This rate is measured unstated, so the odds from a standing start are lower.
Major bid — written case, budget, possibly partners.
Who can apply
- Up to 500 employees
- Sectors: health, deeptech
- Stage: idea, pre_seed, seed
- R&D activity required
- Locally registered entity required
Standard SBIR/STTR eligibility: US-based for-profit small business concern, 500 employees or fewer including affiliates, majority US-owned. NIH is the largest single source of SBIR/STTR funding after the Department of War. SAM.gov entity registration with a Unique Entity ID, plus eRA Commons and SBA Company Registry accounts, are mandatory before submission - registration lead time is the most common cause of missed deadlines.
How to apply
- Register in SAM.gov for a UEI, then in eRA Commons, Grants.gov and the SBA Company Registry - allow 6-8 weeks. — link
- Identify a relevant NIH Institute/Center and funding opportunity; contact the program official, especially if planning a budget above the guideline. — link
- Submit the application through Grants.gov / ASSIST by the receipt date.
- Peer review, council review, then award (typically ~9 months from submission).
What you will need
- Research Strategy / Specific Aims
- Detailed budget and justification
- Commercialization Plan
- SAM.gov (UEI), eRA Commons and SBA Company Registry registrations
Source. https://seed.nih.gov/small-business-funding/small-business-program-basics/understanding-sbir-sttr — checked 2026-08-14
"A Phase I budget is $323,090 for a project timeline between 6 months to 2 years. ... A Phase II budget is $2,153,927 for a project timeline between 1 to 3 years."