NSF SBIR/STTR (America's Seed Fund)

NSF's America's Seed Fund is the nation's largest source of early-stage non-dilutive funding for science and engineering startups, awarding $200M+ annually to about 400 companies. Phase I provides up to $305,000 over 6-18 months for proof-of-concept R&D, and Phase II offers up to $1.25M over 24 months for continued development. Eligible startups must be U.S.-based with fewer than 500 employees and at least 50% U.S. citizen or permanent resident ownership; most applicants have fewer than 10 employees. The program takes no equity and lets founders retain full control of their intellectual property and business direction.