See in two minutes whether your company can apply for SBIR or STTR, and where.
- Fit for each programA separate verdict for SBIR and STTR that names every rule that fails.
- Where to applyNIH institutes, NSF topics and DoD topics for your device, with due dates.
- Amounts and work splitAward limits by NIH institute and the share of the work outside engineers can do.
The short answer
A company fits SBIR or STTR if it is a for-profit US business, more than 50% owned and controlled by US citizens or permanent residents, with 500 or fewer employees including affiliates; both programs are authorized through September 30, 2031 under Public Law 119-83. SBIR also needs the principal investigator (PI) primarily employed by the company, and STTR needs a partner research institution that does at least 30% of the work.
How it works
- Answer seven questionsThey cover the company, its owners and size, the research partner, where the PI works, and your device and its stage.
- We check five rulesThe rules come from 13 CFR 121.702 and the Policy Directive of the Small Business Administration (SBA), applied to each program on its own.
- You see where to applyThe result gives a verdict for SBIR and for STTR, the agencies and topics that fit your device, and three next steps.
SBIR and STTR amounts and due dates for medical devices
| Program | Phase I | Phase II | Due dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBA limit without a waiver, all agencies | Up to $335,937 | Up to $2,239,578 | Set by each agency |
| NIH, institutes on the SBA guideline (for example NIBIB) | SBA guideline; normally up to 6 months for SBIR, 1 year for STTR | SBA guideline; normally up to 2 years | January 5, 2027; April 5, 2027 |
| NIH, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) | Up to $400,000 | Up to $3,000,000 | January 5, 2027; April 5, 2027 |
| NIH, National Cancer Institute (NCI) | Up to $700,000 | Up to $2,500,000 | January 5, 2027; April 5, 2027 |
| NSF SBIR and STTR (NSF 26-510) | Up to $305,000; 6 to 18 months | Up to $1,250,000; typically 24 months; NSF Phase I awardees only | November 4, 2026; March 4, 2027; July 7, 2027. Phase I by invitation after a Project Pitch |
Two rules of Public Law 119-83 are not checked: the research security review, under which HHS (the department that includes NIH) cannot fund a company with a parent, subsidiary or business entity in China or another foreign country of concern, and the cap on proposals per company that each agency must set from fiscal year 2027. ARPA-H topics, NIH Phase IIB (PA-27-101) and topic-specific NIH announcements are left out, as are the application and its engineering; our cost calculator estimates the engineering by phase. We work as the engineering subcontractor on SBIR and STTR projects; ask us how we set it up.
What OVA does here, and where our responsibility ends
We design the electronics, firmware and mechanics of medical devices and take them from concept to design for manufacturing. We are not a regulatory consultancy and not a contract manufacturer: the regulatory strategy and the submission stay with you or your regulatory consultant.
The result is an orientation, not an eligibility or legal opinion. The funding agency decides eligibility at the time of award; confirm the details with its program staff. The tool runs in your browser. Your answers are not sent to us; with your cookie consent, Google Analytics records only that the tool was used and the category of the result.
Questions
Is SBIR funding available again in 2026?
Yes. The old authority ran out on September 30, 2025, and Public Law 119-83 renewed both programs on April 13, 2026. NIH and NSF posted their new announcements in May 2026.
What is the difference between SBIR and STTR?
STTR brings in a partner research institution, such as a university: your company does at least 40% of the work and the institution at least 30%. In SBIR your own share is higher, at least two-thirds of the work in Phase I and at least half in Phase II.
How much is an SBIR Phase I grant in 2026?
Without an SBA waiver, agencies may award up to $335,937 for Phase I and $2,239,578 for Phase II, as of October 16, 2026. Some NIH institutes set higher limits; NCI, for example, goes up to $700,000 for Phase I. At NSF, Phase I is up to $305,000.
Can a company with venture capital investors apply?
Yes, when US citizens or permanent residents own and control more than 50% of the company. If several venture capital, hedge fund or private equity firms together hold the majority, SBIR is open only at agencies that allow it, NIH among them, and STTR is not open at all.
Can a university professor be the principal investigator?
For SBIR, only if more than half of their employment time is with your company, at the time of award and during the project. For STTR at NIH, the PI may stay at the partner institution with a formal commitment to your company and at least 10% effort. At NSF, the PI must be at least 51% employed by the company in both programs.
Can we subcontract the engineering on an SBIR or STTR grant?
Yes, within limits. At NIH, consultants and third-party contracts are generally at most 33% of the total Phase I amount and 50% of Phase II, and in STTR at most 30%. The work has to be done in the United States unless the agency approves a rare exception in writing.
Related pages
Sources
- Public Law 119-83 (S. 3971), Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act, signed April 13, 2026: enrolled text on govinfo
- SBA: press release on the SBIR and STTR reauthorization, April 13, 2026
- eCFR: 13 CFR 121.702, eligibility for SBIR and STTR awards
- SBA: SBIR and STTR Policy Directive, May 2023
- SBIR.gov: About, award limits without a waiver as of October 16, 2026
- Grants.gov: NIH, CDC and FDA parent SBIR announcement PA-27-100, posted May 28, 2026
- Grants.gov: NIH parent STTR announcement PA-27-102, posted May 28, 2026
- NSF 26-510: SBIR/STTR Phase I, Phase II and Fast-Track, posted May 22, 2026, updated October 6, 2026
- NSF Seed Fund: What We Fund, topic list
- SBIR.gov: topic search and the Department of War release cycle
- NIBIB: About NIBIB, mission
Data as of October 22, 2026. By Lisa Voronkova, CEO of OVA Solutions. Updated on October 22, 2026.