America's Seed Fund powered by NSF (NSF SBIR/STTR)

America's Seed Fund powered by NSF (NSF SBIR/STTR) is a public funding body in the US. The National Science Foundation's SBIR/STTR programme funds US startups and small businesses building deep technologies, with up to $305,000 at Phase I and up to $1,250,000 at Phase II, and takes no equity. Founders start with a Project Pitch, and only invited companies may submit a full Phase I proposal under solicitation NSF 26-510.

What it offers

• “NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I proposals may be submitted for up to $305,000 in R&D funding intended to support projects for 6-18 months.” — nsf.gov
• “NSF SBIR/STTR Phase II proposals may be submitted for funding up to $1,250,000.” — nsf.gov
• “Each company can receive up to $2 million for R&D.” — nsf.gov
• “NSF takes no equity and awardees keep full ownership of their company and intellectual property.” — nsf.gov
• “Phase IIB supplement proposals may be submitted by active Phase II awardees for between $50,000 to $500,000” — nsf.gov
• “Strategic Breakthrough proposals may be submitted via Research.gov for requested amounts up to $30,000,000.” — nsf.gov

Who can apply

• “Your company must be a small business (fewer than 500 employees) located in the United States.” — seedfund.nsf.gov
• “At least 50% of your company's equity must be owned by U.S. citizens or permanent residents.” — seedfund.nsf.gov
• “NSF does not fund companies that are majority-owned by multiple venture capital firms, private equity firms, or hedge funds, to participate in SBIR and STTR.” — seedfund.nsf.gov
• “All funded work, including work done by consultants and contractors, needs to take place in the United States.” — seedfund.nsf.gov
• “The project's principal investigator (tech lead) must be legally employed at least 20 hours a week by the company seeking funding.” — seedfund.nsf.gov
• “For STTR proposals, the proposing small business concern must also include a partner research institution in the project.” — nsf.gov
• “To receive the invitation, potential proposers must submit a Project Pitch and receive an official response (via email) from the program staff.” — nsf.gov

Stages

Seed

How to apply

Apply or read the rules on the official site.

About this listing

TrustList compiled this listing from America's Seed Fund powered by NSF (NSF SBIR/STTR)'s official pages in September 2026. The quotes above are its own words. Amounts, deadlines and eligibility rules change, so check the official site before you rely on them.