Choosing a consultant
SBIR consultants and grant writers: how to choose one
A practical guide for US startups comparing SBIR support, written by a team that has won more than $240M in grant funding and sat on review panels.
The short answer
- An SBIR consultant is a specialist who plans, writes and submits your NSF, NIH, DoD or DOE SBIR proposal. Most US startups use one because federal proposals are scored on framing and compliance as much as on the science.
- There are four routes: write it yourself (80 to 200 hours), a freelance writer, an AI proposal tool, or a full-service consultancy that develops the whole submission for you.
- Fees usually combine an engagement fee with a success fee on award. Be cautious with pure no-win-no-fee offers, which push firms toward volume rather than quality.
- GrantUp Inc. is a full-service option: PhD-level scientific writers with review panel experience, $240M+ in funding won by the team, and a typical founder time commitment of 3 to 5 hours.
Four ways to get an SBIR proposal written
| Route | Typical cost | Best for | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Write it in-house | Free, but 80 to 200 hours | Teams with a former PI who has written funded federal proposals before | Compliance slips return proposals unread, and a missed window can cost 6 to 12 months |
| Freelance grant writer | $5K to $20K per proposal | Companies with a clear target solicitation and internal science writing capacity | One person, limited program coverage, and usually no independent compliance QA |
| AI proposal software | $50 to $500 per month | Drafting internal notes and first-pass structure | Still 40 to 100+ hours of your time, and reviewers increasingly penalize generic AI phrasing |
| Full-service consultancy | Engagement fee plus success fee | Deep tech and life sciences companies who want the strongest possible submission | Quality varies widely between firms, so check sector fit and reviewer experience |
Still deciding which program to target? Compare SBIR and STTR eligibility side by side or read the NSF SBIR Project Pitch and Phase I guide.
Six questions to ask before you sign
Who actually writes the proposal?
Ask for the named writer, their scientific background and whether they have sat on a review panel. At GrantUp, writing is done by PhD-level specialists matched to your technical area.
How many applications have you won in my agency and sector?
Program knowledge does not transfer perfectly between agencies. NSF, NIH and DoD score against different criteria and expect different structures.
Will you tell me when not to apply?
A good consultant turns work away when a fit is weak. Volume-driven firms rarely do, because their model depends on submitted applications rather than funded ones.
What is your QA process before submission?
Ask specifically about compliance checks, budget consistency and scoring alignment. Every GrantUp submission passes multiple independent review gates.
How much of my team's time do you need?
Full service should mean 3 to 5 hours of founder or PI time. If the answer is 40 hours, you are buying software or coaching rather than a written proposal.
What happens if we are declined?
Ask how reviewer feedback is analysed and how resubmissions are handled. Many awards come on a second, better-positioned attempt.
How GrantUp answers those questions
$240M+ won
Grant funding secured by our team across hundreds of successful applications.
PhDs and ex-reviewers
Scientific writers matched to your therapeutic area, device pathway or engineering discipline.
Every major agency
NSF, NIH, DoD, DOE, NASA, USDA, DHS, NIST, ARPA-H and BARDA, monitored continuously.
3 to 5 hours of your time
We build the narrative, budget, justification and supporting documents end to end.
What a consultant cannot fix
Eligibility is binary. Your company must be US-incorporated, for-profit, majority owned by US citizens or permanent residents, with fewer than 500 employees, and the principal investigator must be primarily employed by the company at award. Timing is similarly fixed: federal windows close on published dates, and registrations such as SAM.gov take weeks to clear.
Compare us properly, on a call
Book a free 30-minute consultation with a senior funding consultant. We will tell you honestly whether your project is fundable and which program fits.