USDA SBIR (NIFA)
Phase I up to ~$185,000 (~8 mo); Phase II up to ~$650,000 (~24 mo) · US Department of Agriculture (USDA) — National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
USDA's SBIR program (run by NIFA) funds small businesses on agricultural, rural-development, food-science, forestry, bioenergy, and animal/plant-production innovations. Grants awarded across defined topic areas; strong fit for agtech and food-tech founders. Current lifecycle: upcoming. Real economics: Phase I up to ~$185,000 (~8 mo); Phase II up to ~$650,000 (~24 mo).
Tier 3sbirusdaagtechfoodtech
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Key facts
| Funder | US Department of Agriculture (USDA) — National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) |
| Amount | Phase I up to ~$185,000 (~8 mo); Phase II up to ~$650,000 (~24 mo) |
| 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. (USDA participates in SBIR only, not STTR.) |
| 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 | upcoming |
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
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) — National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) operates USDA SBIR (NIFA). 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. (USDA participates in SBIR only, not STTR.). The public description states a maximum or representative award of 650,000 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 upcoming.
- 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. (USDA participates in SBIR only, not STTR.).
- The public description states a maximum or representative award of 650,000 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?
- upcoming. 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 ~$185,000 (~8 mo); Phase II up to ~$650,000 (~24 mo)
- Who is eligible?
- US for-profit small business (<500 employees), >50% US-owned; PI primary employment with the SBC. US-based work. (USDA participates in SBIR only, not STTR.)
- 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. (USDA participates in SBIR only, not STTR.). The public description states a maximum or representative award of 650,000 in the listed currency. The reviewed official corpus does not publish a comparable applicant denominator and acceptance rate for the next call.
Related grants
Sources
- www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/small-business-innovation-research-program-sbir — Official programme page reviewed for eligibility, economics, lifecycle and application route (checked 2026-08-10)
- www.nifa.usda.gov — Official administering-organization site reviewed for ownership and current context (checked 2026-08-10)