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NSF Seed Fund (SBIR/STTR) Phase I

Non-dilutive NSF Seed Fund support for high-risk technology commercialization via SBIR/STTR, starting with project pitch and invitation workflow.

JJ Ben-Joseph
JJ Ben-Joseph
💰 Funding Phase I proposals may request up to $305,000 for 6-18 months under the current Phase I solicitation
📅 Deadline Most recent published Phase I full-proposal deadline: 2025-11-05; confirm active solicitation for next window
📍 Location United States
🏛️ Source National Science Foundation
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Status Update (February 2026)

NSF Seed Fund Phase I still uses a staged process:

  1. Submit a Project Pitch.
  2. Receive an invitation to submit a full proposal.

The current Phase I solicitation page (NSF 24-579) and Seed Fund full-proposal page list deadlines through November 5, 2025. As of now, confirm active/new windows directly from NSF before planning a submission date.

NSF also requires invited full proposals to be submitted through Research.gov, and only invited Phase I proposals are reviewed.

What This Program Is Designed To Fund

This is non-dilutive support for technically risky, high-impact commercialization work. Reviewers look for real R&D uncertainty and defensible differentiation, not feature development that could be financed with normal operating revenue.

Current Funding and Duration Signal

Under NSF 24-579, Phase I proposals may request up to $305,000 for 6-18 months (inclusive of direct/indirect costs and program-specific components described in the solicitation).

How to Apply

  1. Validate company/PI eligibility and registration prerequisites.
  2. Submit a Project Pitch describing innovation, technical risk, and commercialization pathway.
  3. If invited, draft a full proposal tightly aligned to the solicitation and review criteria.
  4. Submit through Research.gov by an active submission deadline.

Critical Rules Teams Miss

  • Only invited proposals are reviewed.
  • Invitation validity is tied to the next eligible deadline window(s) after invitation date.
  • Deadlines are firm at 5:00 PM submitter’s local time.
  • Full proposal content must stay aligned with the pitched project concept.

Frequent Mistakes

  • Treating Project Pitch as optional.
  • Writing a market-only narrative with weak technical-risk framing.
  • Overstating scope relative to 6-18 month Phase I execution.
  • Using outdated deadline assumptions from past cycles.

Practical Review Tip

In both pitch and proposal, define one central technical risk and one measurable Phase I success criterion. That clarity improves reviewer confidence and keeps commercialization claims grounded in what Phase I can actually prove.

Evidence to Assemble Early

Before writing the full proposal, prepare evidence for three questions reviewers ask immediately: Why is the technical approach hard, why does your team have an execution advantage, and what commercial decision will Phase I de-risk? If those answers are supported by data, prior experiments, and credible customer discovery, your proposal reads as fundable R&D rather than speculative product planning.

Common Timing Trap

Many teams assume an invitation means they can wait until the next convenient quarter. In practice, invitation validity is tied to near-term proposal windows, so planning bandwidth and subcontractor paperwork after invitation is often too late. Build your compliance checklist, budget skeleton, and scope narrative before pitch submission so you can convert quickly if invited.

2026 Planning Without Posted Deadlines

When no new full-proposal dates are posted yet, treat your Project Pitch as a readiness gate: prepare registrations, budget architecture, and scope narrative before invitation arrives. That way, if NSF opens a new window, you are not starting compliance work from zero.

A practical operating rule is to keep a submission-ready core package updated monthly (team bios, facilities/resources, key references, commercialization evidence). This reduces cycle-time risk when new deadlines are announced.

Official Sources