About the programme
SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) and STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer) require US federal agencies — NSF, NIH, DoD, DOE, NASA and more — to set aside R&D budget for small businesses. Each agency publishes solicitations describing problems they'll pay to have solved. Win one, and you're funded to build with zero dilution — and the government becomes a reference customer.
What it funds
- Phase I: proving feasibility — typically $50K–$300K depending on the agency
- Phase II: building it — up to $1–2M+, again agency-dependent
- Phase III: commercialisation — uncapped follow-on contracts, funded outside SBIR
- STTR variants require partnering with a US research institution
Eligibility highlights
- US-based small business, majority US-owned, under 500 employees
- Principal investigator primarily employed by the company
- The work must happen in the United States
The matching problem, squared: 11 agencies, hundreds of live solicitations, each with its own format and review culture. The right solicitation is the difference between a fundable proposal and a wasted quarter — this is where Fortune's matching earns its keep.
How Fortune helps
- Match: we map your technology to the agencies and open solicitations where it genuinely fits — NSF's open-topic culture vs DoD's requirement-driven calls are different games.
- Tailor: proposals drafted to the specific agency's template, review criteria and commercialisation expectations.
- Win: Phase I positioning designed so Phase II is a continuation, not a restart.
Official programme information and open topics: SBIR.gov ↗