Guides & Insights
Grant strategy guides
Definitive, founder-friendly guides to SBIR, non-dilutive funding, and government grants. Data-driven, regularly updated, written by the team behind hundreds of funded proposals.
SBIR/STTR Fundamentals
The Startup Founder's Complete Guide to SBIR Grants
SBIR is a $4B+ federal program that funds early-stage R&D at startups. This guide explains how it works, who qualifies, what each agency pays, and how to decide if it's right for your company.
Updated Apr 2026SBIR Funding Amounts by Agency: The Complete 2026 Reference
Every SBIR agency's Phase I and Phase II award amounts in one table. Verified from official sources, updated for the 2026 reauthorization.
Updated Mar 2026NSF SBIR Success Rates: What the Data Actually Shows
The real NSF SBIR success rates, not the headline number. Full funnel from Project Pitch to Phase II, cross-agency comparison, and what actually moves the odds.
Updated Mar 2026SBIR Eligibility Requirements: The Complete Agency-by-Agency Guide
SBIR eligibility has three dimensions most guides conflate: company ownership, PI citizenship (which varies by agency), and VC rules. This guide covers all three, plus the agency-specific traps that waste months of founder time.
Updated Mar 2026SBIR Phase I vs. Phase II vs. Phase III: What Founders Need to Know
The three SBIR phases fund different stages -- from $150K feasibility studies to unlimited sole-source contracts. Phase III is the least understood and most valuable part of the program.
Updated Mar 2026SBIR Application Timeline: From Idea to Award
How long does SBIR really take? 9-18 months from first thought to first dollar. Agency-by-agency timelines, registration lead times, and the prep hours nobody talks about.
Updated Mar 2026SBIR vs. STTR: Which Program Should Your Startup Choose?
SBIR and STTR both fund startup R&D with non-dilutive grants, but they have different work rules, PI requirements, and partnership structures. This guide explains the real differences and when STTR is actually worth the complexity.
Updated Apr 2026Agency Tactics
How to Write an NSF SBIR Project Pitch That Gets Invited
Field-by-field guide to the NSF SBIR Project Pitch. What reviewers look for, common mistakes that get pitches declined, and how to frame your technology as research -- not a product spec.
Updated Mar 2026Which Federal Agency Should Fund Your Startup? A Decision Guide
11+ agencies fund startups through SBIR, BAAs, and OTAs -- each with different amounts, timelines, and review cultures. This decision guide helps you pick the right one.
Updated Apr 2026ARPA-H for Startups: How to Write a Solution Summary That Gets Invited
ARPA-H funds health breakthroughs at a scale most agencies can't match -- $600K SBIR Phase I, $26M average project size. Here's how the Solution Summary process actually works for startups.
Updated Apr 2026How to Win an SBIR Grant: The Cross-Agency Tactical Guide
10 cross-agency strategies that separate funded SBIR proposals from the majority that get rejected. Cross-agency review criteria, common rejection patterns, and what actually matters at NSF, NIH, and DoD.
Updated Mar 2026The DARPA BAA Guide for Startups
How DARPA funding actually works for startups. BAAs vs. SBIR, the six technical offices, how to engage program managers, and a realistic assessment of whether your company should apply.
Updated Apr 2026The AFWERX SBIR Guide for Startups
How AFWERX funding works for startups. Open Topic vs. Specific Topic, the $75K-to-$15M funding ladder, Customer Memorandums, and why Phase I isn't R&D.
Updated Apr 2026The DIU CSO Guide for Startups
DIU awards prototype contracts in 60-90 days using Other Transaction Authority -- no FAR compliance, no SBIR constraints. Here's how the Commercial Solutions Opening process works for startups.
Updated Apr 2026SBIR Resubmission Strategy: What to Do After a Rejection
SBIR rejection is normal (75-85% of proposals). The feedback you received is worth more than most paid consulting. Here's how to decode it, fix the real problems, and win on the resubmission.
Updated Mar 2026SBIR Commercialization Plan Guide: What Each Agency Wants
The commercialization plan is the #1 weak spot in SBIR proposals. This guide covers what NSF, NIH, and DoD actually score, section-by-section structure, and the one document that matters more than market analysis.
Updated Mar 2026How SBIR Applications Are Scored: NIH vs. NSF vs. ARPA-H vs. DoD
NIH scores 1-9 where 1 is best. NSF uses 1-9 where 9 is best. ARPA-H skips panels entirely. This guide breaks down how each agency evaluates SBIR applications so you can tailor your narrative.
Updated Mar 2026Funding Strategy
Should Your Startup Apply for Government Grants?
An honest decision framework for startup founders weighing government grants. When they make sense, when they don't, and how to decide without wasting months on the wrong path.
Updated Mar 2026Your First Grant Roadmap: How to Build a Non-Dilutive Funding Strategy
A grant roadmap turns the scattered world of government funding into a sequenced, prioritized plan. Here's how to build one -- and why a portfolio approach doubles your odds.
Updated Apr 2026How Government Grants Help Startups Raise Venture Capital
SBIR awardees are significantly more likely to raise VC. Here's the data behind why government grants work as investor signals, how to use them in fundraising, and when the signal doesn't help.
Updated Mar 2026The Complete Guide to Non-Dilutive Funding for Startups
Every non-dilutive funding option for tech startups, ranked. SBIR grants, R&D tax credits, revenue-based financing, prize competitions, and 8 more types -- with amounts, timelines, and when each makes sense.
Updated Apr 2026Sector Guides
Government Grants for Tech Startups: The Complete Sector-by-Sector Map
Every federal grant program available to tech startups, organized by sector. AI, biotech, cleantech, defense, agriculture, space, manufacturing, edtech, fintech, and transportation -- with agencies, amounts, and where to start.
Updated Mar 2026Government Grants for AI Startups: Every Federal Program Worth Your Time
Every federal grant program that funds AI and machine learning R&D at startups. NSF, DARPA, NIH, NIST, IARPA, and DoD -- with award amounts, eligibility, application paths, and which agency fits which type of AI.
Updated Apr 2026Government Grants for Biotech & Healthtech Startups: NIH, ARPA-H, BARDA & Beyond
The complete federal funding map for biotech and healthtech startups. NIH SBIR by institute (with paylines), ARPA-H moonshots, BARDA DRIVe for health security, FDA accelerators, and state programs -- with amounts, eligibility, and where to start.
Updated Apr 2026Government Grants for Spacetech Startups
NASA SBIR, SpaceWERX, DARPA STO, and 5 more programs that fund space startups. Award amounts from $150K to $5M+, with the full landscape mapped for commercial space companies.
Updated Apr 2026Government Grants for Cybersecurity Startups
DHS SBIR, DARPA I2O, NSA R&D, and 5 more programs that fund cybersecurity startups. The full landscape from $100K SBIR Phase I to $10M+ DARPA contracts.
Updated Apr 2026Government Grants for Agtech & Food Tech Startups
USDA SBIR, FFAR, EPA, DOE bioenergy, and more. The complete landscape of non-dilutive funding for agricultural technology, food science, and sustainable food systems startups.
Updated Apr 2026Government Grants for Cleantech Startups: Every Major Program in 2026
Cleantech startups have among the broadest federal funding options of any sector -- and the most complexity. This guide maps every major program from DOE SBIR to ARPA-E, explains what changed under the 2026 reauthorization and IRA rollbacks, and tells you where to start.
Updated Apr 2026Government Grants for Defense Tech Startups: Every Pathway into DoD Funding
DoD spends over $2 billion annually on SBIR alone, but SBIR is just the entry point. This guide maps every major DoD funding pathway -- SBIR by component, DARPA BAAs, DIU, OTAs, STRATFI -- and explains how defense tech startups go from first grant to production contract.
Updated Apr 2026Cross-Border & Canada
IRAP vs. SBIR: The Cross-Border Funding Comparison for Tech Startups
The first side-by-side comparison of Canada's IRAP and America's SBIR. Funding amounts, eligibility, timelines, IP rules, and how cross-border companies can apply to both.
Updated Mar 2026SR&ED Tax Credits for Startups: The Strategic Funding Guide
SR&ED is the most reliable non-dilutive funding source for Canadian tech startups -- up to $2.1M/year in cash refunds for qualifying R&D. This guide explains how it works, what changed in 2025, and how to use SR&ED as a strategic part of your funding stack.
Updated Apr 2026Cross-Border Grant Strategy: How to Access Both US and Canadian Funding
No guide covers both sides of the border. This one does. How to structure your company, sequence your applications, and build a non-dilutive funding stack that pulls from SBIR, IRAP, SR&ED, and provincial programs simultaneously.
Updated Apr 2026Get a personalized funding assessment
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