Key facts
| Product | US federal R&D grant |
| Funding type | Grants & tax credits |
| Estimated rate as of today | No cost — non-repayable |
| Pricing source | Estimated as of today |
| Time to cash | About 5 months |
| Typical size | Up to $314K |
| Term | — |
| Requirements | No hard minimums listed |
| Regions | US |
| What they underwrite | Your R&D proposal |
| Collateral | None |
| How you repay | Never (grant) |
| Dilution | None |
SBIR/STTR Phase I pros and cons
- Fastest Funding award, Grants & tax credits (2026)
- Publishes its pricing
- Non-repayable, and you give up no equity
- No revenue minimum listed
- Slow: about 5 months to cash
- US only
Deep-tech or R&D-heavy work.
Slow, competitive, and restricted to approved uses.
SBIR/STTR Phase I alternatives
Other grants & tax credits providers, fastest first.
| Provider | Estimated as of today | Time to cash | Requirements | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBIR/STTR Phase II US federal R&D grant |
No cost — non-repayable | About 6 months | Usually requires a Phase I award | Compare → |
| R&D tax credit Payroll tax offset |
No cost — non-repayable | About 6 months | Needs qualifying R&D spend | Compare → |
| EIC Accelerator EU grant + optional equity |
No cost — non-repayable | About 6 months | No hard minimums listed | Compare → |
Compare SBIR/STTR Phase I
SBIR/STTR Phase I FAQ
How much does SBIR/STTR Phase I cost?
Estimated rate for SBIR/STTR Phase I's US federal R&D grant as of today: No cost — non-repayable. This is an estimate as of today, not the lender's quoted interest rate. Your actual cost depends on your business and SBIR/STTR Phase I's underwriting.
How fast does SBIR/STTR Phase I fund?
About 5 months from application to cash, based on typical timelines.
What are SBIR/STTR Phase I's requirements?
No hard minimums listed. Available in US.
How much can you get from SBIR/STTR Phase I?
Up to $314K.
What are the best alternatives to SBIR/STTR Phase I?
Other grants & tax credits providers include SBIR/STTR Phase II (No cost — non-repayable, about 6 months); R&D tax credit (No cost — non-repayable, about 6 months); EIC Accelerator (No cost — non-repayable, about 6 months). Compare all 4 side by side on B2B Agent.
Is SBIR/STTR Phase I the best grants & tax credits provider?
SBIR/STTR Phase I won Fastest Funding among 4 grants & tax credits providers in the 2026 B2B Agent Awards. The best fit still depends on your amount, revenue, and timeline.
SBIR/STTR Phase I won 2 B2B Agent Awards in 2026
Awards are rule-based: a provider wins only if it beats every other provider of its funding type on the published data, and ties award nobody. See how winners are chosen. Work at SBIR/STTR Phase I? Copy the code below to show your award on your website.
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Is SBIR/STTR Phase I your best option?
Price SBIR/STTR Phase I against all 84 options for your amount, revenue and timeline — then ask for an introduction to the best fits.
Rates are estimates as of today, not a lender's quoted interest rate. Not an offer of credit, investment, legal or tax advice. B2B Agent may receive a referral fee when we introduce you to a provider; it never changes rankings or what we publish. Lenders: send your current terms so we can refresh the estimate, which also makes you eligible for the Transparent Pricing and Lowest Rate awards. Update your listing.