Is this actionable now?

unknown. Official programme materials were reviewed on 2026-08-10; applicants must verify the next live cycle and controlling solicitation before committing application effort.

What burden and restrictions apply?

Awardees should expect agreement, milestone, expenditure, progress and final reporting plus record-retention or audit obligations; the executed terms control. Support is restricted to the approved project, research, prototype, commercialization, personnel, equipment, vendor or programme costs; unsupported and duplicate-funded costs are excluded.

NIST SBIR

Phase I up to ~$100,000–$150,000; Phase II up to ~$400,000–$600,000 · National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) — Department of Commerce

The National Institute of Standards and Technology SBIR program funds small businesses on measurement science, standards, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, quantum, AI, and related technologies aligned to NIST's mission. Grants awarded against an annual Phase I solicitation. Current lifecycle: unknown. Real economics: Phase I up to ~$100,000–$150,000; Phase II up to ~$400,000–$600,000.

Tier 3sbirnistmanufacturingstandards

Apply Official site Open in the live directory

Key facts

Funder	National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) — Department of Commerce
Amount	Phase I up to ~$100,000–$150,000; Phase II up to ~$400,000–$600,000
Decision time	No dependable comparable application-to-decision interval was published in the reviewed public corpus.
Eligibility	US for-profit small business (<500 employees), >50% US-owned; PI primary employment with the SBC. US-based work. (NIST participates in SBIR only.)
Restrictions	Awardees should expect agreement, milestone, expenditure, progress and final reporting plus record-retention or audit obligations; the executed terms control. Support is restricted to the approved project, research, prototype, commercialization, personnel, equipment, vendor or programme costs; unsupported and duplicate-funded costs are excluded.
Status	unknown

Always confirm on the official page before applying — dates and terms change.

Application process

Confirm the current call and fit
Review eligibility and exclusions
Prepare applicant, project, budget and impact evidence
Submit through the official route
Complete merit and due-diligence review
Execute award terms and milestones if selected

Background

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) — Department of Commerce operates NIST SBIR. This pass separates direct cash, repayable finance, credits, incentives and umbrella programs so later ranking does not compare unlike instruments. The official sponsor maintains this instrument for eligible United States applicants or globally eligible teams. The published eligibility describes US for-profit small business (<500 employees), >50% US-owned; PI primary employment with the SBC. US-based work. (NIST participates in SBIR only.). The public description states a maximum or representative award of 600,000 in the listed currency.

How the application really works

Confirm the current call and fit → Review eligibility and exclusions → Prepare applicant, project, budget and impact evidence → Submit through the official route → Complete merit and due-diligence review → Execute award terms and milestones if selected

Tips

Show direct fit with innovation.

Watch out for

Current lifecycle is unknown.
Awardees should expect agreement, milestone, expenditure, progress and final reporting plus record-retention or audit obligations; the executed terms control.
Support is restricted to the approved project, research, prototype, commercialization, personnel, equipment, vendor or programme costs; unsupported and duplicate-funded costs are excluded.

Track record

The official sponsor maintains this instrument for eligible United States applicants or globally eligible teams.
The published eligibility describes US for-profit small business (<500 employees), >50% US-owned; PI primary employment with the SBC. US-based work. (NIST participates in SBIR only.).
The public description states a maximum or representative award of 600,000 in the listed currency.

The reviewed official corpus does not publish a comparable applicant denominator and acceptance rate for the next call.

Frequently asked questions

Is this actionable now?: unknown. Official programme materials were reviewed on 2026-08-10; applicants must verify the next live cycle and controlling solicitation before committing application effort.
What is the real economic value?: Phase I up to ~$100,000–$150,000; Phase II up to ~$400,000–$600,000
Who is eligible?: US for-profit small business (<500 employees), >50% US-owned; PI primary employment with the SBC. US-based work. (NIST participates in SBIR only.)
How does selection work?: Confirm the current call and fit; Review eligibility and exclusions; Prepare applicant, project, budget and impact evidence; Submit through the official route; Complete merit and due-diligence review; Execute award terms and milestones if selected. No dependable comparable application-to-decision interval was published in the reviewed public corpus.
What burden and restrictions apply?: Awardees should expect agreement, milestone, expenditure, progress and final reporting plus record-retention or audit obligations; the executed terms control. Support is restricted to the approved project, research, prototype, commercialization, personnel, equipment, vendor or programme costs; unsupported and duplicate-funded costs are excluded.
What evidence exists?: The official sponsor maintains this instrument for eligible United States applicants or globally eligible teams. The published eligibility describes US for-profit small business (<500 employees), >50% US-owned; PI primary employment with the SBC. US-based work. (NIST participates in SBIR only.). The public description states a maximum or representative award of 600,000 in the listed currency. The reviewed official corpus does not publish a comparable applicant denominator and acceptance rate for the next call.

Sources

www.nist.gov/tpo/small-business-innovation-research-program-sbir — Official programme page reviewed for eligibility, economics, lifecycle and application route (checked 2026-08-10)
www.nist.gov — Official administering-organization site reviewed for ownership and current context (checked 2026-08-10)