SBIR and STTR Grants for Women-Owned Businesses (2026)
Last verified: 5 November 2026.
Quick answer: SBIR and STTR are federal programs that give small, for-profit technology and research companies money to develop new products. They are not grants only for women, and being woman-owned does not by itself qualify you or give you extra points, although the programs have a stated goal of encouraging women-owned businesses to apply. Both programs ran out of legal authority on September 30, 2025, and new awards stopped for about six months. Congress restored them on April 13, 2026, through September 30, 2031, and agencies have been reopening on their own schedules since then.
What are SBIR and STTR, in plain words?
SBIR stands for Small Business Innovation Research, and STTR stands for Small Business Technology Transfer. In both programs, federal agencies such as the Department of Defense (now often called the Department of War), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy and NASA set aside part of their research budgets for small businesses. You propose a research and development project, the agency judges it against its own topics, and winners receive money that does not have to be paid back and does not give up any ownership of the company.
The two programs differ in one main way. In SBIR, the person who leads the research, called the principal investigator, normally has to work primarily for your small business. In STTR, your company must partner with a nonprofit research institution, such as a university, and the research is shared between the two of you.
Are SBIR and STTR grants for women-owned businesses?
Not exclusively. The rules do not require the owner to be a woman, and any eligible small business can apply. What the programs do have is a stated goal to encourage participation by women-owned and by socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses. In practice that shows up as outreach and help for first-time applicants, not as a separate pot of money. For example, NIH has said that reporting a business as women-owned in the application is encouraged but used only to track who applies. So the honest way to think about it is that SBIR and STTR are open to everyone with a strong research idea, and women founders are explicitly welcome.
Who qualifies?
According to SBIR.gov and the SBA’s rules (13 CFR 121.702), a company must:
- be organized for profit and have its place of business in the United States;
- be more than 50% owned and controlled by U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents (or by another business that meets that test);
- have no more than 500 employees, counting its affiliates.
Affiliates are other companies that control you or that you control, or that are under common control with you, and their employees count toward the 500 limit. Most successful applicants are far smaller than 500 people. The research itself generally has to be done in the United States.
How much money is there?
The programs have three phases:
| Phase | Purpose | Typical ceiling |
|---|---|---|
| Phase I | Test whether your idea is technically feasible. Often about six months for SBIR and a year for STTR. | Up to $314,363 without special SBA approval, according to SBIR.gov. |
| Phase II | Develop the idea further, often into a prototype, usually over about two years. Generally only Phase I winners can apply. | Up to $2,095,748 without special SBA approval, according to SBIR.gov. |
| Phase III | Bring the product to market. SBIR money does not pay for this phase, but it can lead to federal contracts. | No SBIR funding. |
Those figures are ceilings that agencies are allowed to use, not what every agency awards. Each agency sets its own limits in each solicitation (its call for proposals), and many are lower. The Department of Energy, for example, describes Phase I awards of up to $200,000. Always read the numbers in the specific solicitation you plan to apply to, and be cautious with websites that list a single figure for all agencies.
What happened to SBIR and STTR in 2025 and 2026?
- September 30, 2025: the legal authority for both programs expired because Congress did not renew it in time. Agencies could not issue new solicitations or make new awards, although existing awards continued.
- March 2026: the Senate passed a reauthorization bill on March 3 and the House passed it on March 17.
- April 13, 2026: the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act (S. 3971) was signed into law. It extends both programs through September 30, 2031.
- What the new law changes: it creates a new “strategic breakthrough” version of Phase II with a ceiling of $30 million, adds stronger screening of foreign ties, and requires agencies to make award decisions within 90 days.
Reauthorization gave agencies permission to restart, but it did not restart them all at once. The Department of War resumed its topics first, while other agencies reopened on their own timelines, and the situation keeps changing. That is why many guides written in early 2026 are already out of date.
What help exists for women founders?
- NIH Applicant Assistance Program. NIH has offered a free, guided program of about ten weeks for first-time or previously unawarded small businesses that are preparing a Phase I application, and it has encouraged women-owned businesses to apply. Check NIH’s small business site (seed.nih.gov) for the current round, since NIH updates it from year to year.
- Agency help for first-time applicants. Several agencies offer free mentoring or pitch feedback before you submit a full proposal.
- Small Business Development Centers. Many have advisors who know SBIR and can review your plan for free.
- Women’s Business Centers. They do not award SBIR money, but they can help you plan and connect you with advisors.
How do you apply, step by step?
- Check that your business is eligible, using the ownership and size rules above.
- Find the right agency and topic. Browse current solicitations on SBIR.gov and on each agency’s own site, and choose one that matches your technology.
- Register in the required systems. You will usually need SAM.gov (the government’s vendor registration), an SBIR.gov company account, and the agency’s own portal, such as Grants.gov, Research.gov or eRA Commons for NIH. Start early, because registrations can take weeks.
- Contact the program officer. Many agencies encourage a short conversation or pitch before you write the full proposal.
- Write the proposal, explaining the technical problem, why your approach is new, who will do the work and how it could become a product.
- Submit before the deadline and track the review. Agencies say decisions should now come within 90 days, but check the solicitation.
Is SBIR right for your business?
SBIR and STTR fund research and development of new technology, such as a medical device, software with a real technical advance, or a new material. They do not fund ordinary operating costs of a service business, marketing, or buying inventory. A useful test is whether you can state a technical question that nobody has answered yet and show how your team would answer it. If you cannot, look at other funding first, such as the options in our guide to grants for women entrepreneurs. If you can, SBIR is one of the few sources of large, non-dilutive money, which means you keep full ownership.
Frequently asked questions
Are SBIR grants only for women-owned businesses?
No. Any eligible U.S. small business can apply. The programs aim to encourage women-owned and disadvantaged businesses, but they do not reserve awards for them.
Do women-owned businesses get preference?
We found no general scoring preference for women-owned status. Check each solicitation, because rules differ by agency.
What is the difference between SBIR and STTR?
SBIR requires the lead researcher to work primarily for your company. STTR requires a partnership with a nonprofit research institution.
Are SBIR and STTR running right now?
Yes. They were restored on April 13, 2026, through September 30, 2031, but each agency restarted on its own schedule, so check the agency’s current solicitations.
Do I have to repay SBIR money?
No. SBIR and STTR awards are not loans, and you keep ownership of your company and of the intellectual property you create.
Sources and how we checked
- SBIR.gov, About SBIR and STTR: award ceilings.
- SBIR.gov, eligibility requirements and 13 CFR 121.702.
- Crowell & Moring, reauthorization alert and IEDC policy update: the 2026 law.
- SSTI: agency-by-agency restart.
- Department of Energy SBIR/STTR page: example of an agency’s Phase I amount.
- NIH small business funding site: applicant assistance programs.
We read the program’s own pages and compared them with published guides. Where they differed we used the official source. Rules and deadlines change, so confirm details with the agency before you apply. See a mistake? Email contact@businessher.com and we will correct it. This page was written by the BusinessHer.com editorial team and is general information, not legal or financial advice.
