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    Investment & FinanceStartup LifecycleSBIR/STTR

    SBIR / STTR Grants

    U.S. federal small-business R&D grants from agencies including NIH and DoD.

    Reviewed by Christian Espinosa, Founder, Blue Goat CyberLast reviewed May 5, 2026

    Definition

    Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) are U.S. federal grant programs that fund early-stage R&D at small businesses. NIH, NSF, DoD, and BARDA are the most relevant agencies for MedTech. Phase I (~$300K) funds feasibility; Phase II (~$2M) funds prototype and validation.

    What this means in practice

    Non-dilutive, retains IP with the small business, and signals scientific credibility. Highly competitive; success rates around 15–20% for NIH.

    Primary references

    3 sources
    Link health: 2 verified 1 bot-blocked· last checked 2026-05-09
    SBIR.gov·1NIH·1NVCA·1
    1. 1
      SBIR.gov
      Verified
      SBIR.govsbir.gov
    2. 2
      NIH SEED
      Bot-blocked
      NIHseed.nih.gov
    3. 3
      NVCA Model Documents
      Verified
      NVCAnvca.org

    Inline markers like [1] jump to the matching reference above.