NASA funding
NASA SBIR Grant Writers for Aerospace & Deep Tech Startups
How NASA SBIR funding is structured
Phase I
Feasibility
Roughly $150K over about six months to show the concept answers the subtopic. Technical merit against the stated NASA need carries the score.
Phase II
Prototype and demonstration
Commonly up to $850K over two years to build, test and raise the technology readiness level, with a commercialization plan expected in the application.
Phase II-E and Phase III
Extended and follow-on
Post-Phase II options that extend development with matching funds, and Phase III contracts where NASA programs or primes buy the matured technology directly.
Award amounts, subtopics and deadlines change each cycle. Confirm current subtopics and dates at the NASA SBIR/STTR program office.
What NASA reviewers score
Fit to the subtopic
NASA reviewers read your application against the exact subtopic text written by the mission directorate. Work that is close but not aligned is screened out early.
Technical merit and innovation
A specific technical approach, quantified performance targets against the current state of the art, and an honest treatment of the hardest risk.
Mission relevance and infusion path
Which NASA mission, program or center uses this if it works, and how the technology moves from prototype into that program. Named infusion paths score.
Team, facilities and commercialization
Evidence that the principal investigator, equipment and any partners can deliver the work plan, plus a credible market beyond NASA itself.
NASA SBIR eligibility
- A for-profit US small business with 500 or fewer employees
- More than 50% owned by US citizens or permanent residents
- Principal investigator primarily employed by the company (SBIR)
- At least two-thirds of Phase I work performed by the small business
- Research performed in the United States
- Proposal submitted before the annual solicitation deadline
Working with a university or research institute? The NASA STTR route formalises that partnership and sets a minimum share of the work for the research institution. We will tell you which route fits your team before you start writing. Compare SBIR and STTR.
Our NASA SBIR writing process
01
Subtopic fit
We read the NASA solicitation with you, identify the subtopic that genuinely matches your technology, and tell you plainly when the fit is weak.
02
Mission framing
We map your technology to the mission directorate, center or program it serves, so the infusion path is explicit from the first page.
03
Technical narrative and budget
Our writers build the technical approach, milestones, TRL progression and budget with your team, then run a review that mirrors NASA scoring.
04
Submission and resubmission
We handle SAM.gov, the NASA proposal portal and formatting compliance. If the first attempt misses, we rebuild around reviewer feedback for the next cycle.
The people who write your submission
Named consultants with federal review experience across aerospace-adjacent sectors: advanced materials, robotics, photonics and wireless systems.
Dr Thomas Kelly
Lead Innovation Consultant
Has written and won SBIR submissions and reviewed Phase I proposals, so he reads a draft the way a reviewer does.
Dr Felix Warren
Lead Innovation Consultant
Writes SBIR Phase I applications across federal agencies and has reviewed more than 500 grant applications from the other side of the table.
Jessica Vernon
Lead Innovation Consultant
Writes Phase I and Phase II applications across NSF, NIH, DOE and NASA, with deep experience framing hardware and deep tech for federal reviewers.
NASA SBIR questions founders ask us
Who is eligible for NASA SBIR funding?
For-profit US small businesses with 500 or fewer employees, majority owned by US citizens or permanent residents, performing the research in the United States. NASA also runs STTR, which requires a formal partnership with a US nonprofit research institution such as a university.
How much funding does NASA SBIR provide?
Phase I awards are typically around $150K for roughly six months of feasibility work, with Phase II awards commonly up to $850K over two years. NASA also offers Phase II Extended and Civilian Commercialization Readiness Pilot Program options that can add follow-on funding for technologies with strong mission or commercial pull.
How is NASA SBIR different from NSF or NIH SBIR?
NASA funds against published subtopics written by its mission directorates and centers, covering aeronautics, space technology, human exploration, science instrumentation and Earth observation. Your proposal must answer a specific subtopic's stated need and show a credible path into a NASA mission or program, rather than making a broad commercial case as NSF invites.
Does NASA SBIR funding have to be repaid?
No. NASA SBIR awards are federal contracts and grants, so there is nothing to repay and no equity to give up. Your obligations are to hit the technical milestones, file progress and final reports, and respect the government's data rights — repayment never enters the picture.
How long does the NASA SBIR process take from application to funding?
Expect roughly six to nine months end to end. NASA runs one main SBIR and one STTR solicitation a year, proposals are due a few weeks after the solicitation closes for questions, and selections are announced several months later. Planning backwards from the annual deadline is the only reliable way to stay in the cycle.
What can NASA SBIR funds be spent on?
Direct costs of the research itself: salaries for the principal investigator and technical staff, equipment and materials, subcontractors including universities and test facilities, and a limited share of indirect costs. The budget must map line by line onto the work plan you describe in the proposal.
Can a NASA SBIR lead to a NASA contract?
Yes, and that is the point. NASA uses Phase III awards and follow-on contracts to buy technologies that matured through SBIR into its programs. A proposal that names the mission directorate, center or program your technology serves reads far stronger than one that treats NASA as a generic funder.
Free download
NSF SBIR Phase I readiness checklist and federal deadline calendar
Two pages, no email required. Every registration, eligibility test and proposal section you need before you write, plus the next deadline for NSF, NIH, DoD, DOE, NASA and USDA with the date you realistically need to start.
- 37-point readiness checklist
- Six agency deadlines with lead times
Planning a NASA SBIR submission?
Book a free consultation and we will assess your fit against current NASA subtopics and the annual solicitation calendar before you write a word.