National Science Foundation SBIR/STTR

The Budget Justification for an NSF SBIR/STTR proposal is limited to 5 pages. The seedfund.nsf.gov proposal contents page states: "There is a five-page limit for each Budget Justification (including Subaward Budget Justifications, where required)."

The Project Description for an NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I proposal may not exceed 15 pages (16 pages for Fast-Track). Per the seedfund.nsf.gov proposal contents page: "DO NOT submit a 'Project Description' that exceeds the maximum length (15 pages for Phase I and Phase II, 16 pages for Fast-Track)." Consistent with PAPPG 24-1 II.D.2, which states the Project Description (including Results from Prior NSF Support, limited to five pages) "may not exceed 15 pages." Exceeding this is a mechanical administrative-rejection trigger.

The Project Summary must not exceed one page. PAPPG 24-1 Chapter II states: "Each proposal must contain a summary of the proposed project not more than one page in length." The NSF SBIR proposal contents page lists the Project Summary as "One (1) page MAXIMUM."

Only specific typefaces are acceptable: "Arial (not Arial Narrow), Courier New, or Palatino Linotype at a font size of 10 points or larger; Times New Roman at a font size of 11 points or larger; or Computer Modern family of fonts at a font size of 11 points or larger." Use of an unapproved typeface or a smaller-than-minimum size (outside the narrow exceptions) is a mechanical administrative-rejection trigger.

Minimum font size is 10 points (for Arial, Courier New, Palatino Linotype) or 11 points (for Times New Roman and Computer Modern). Per PAPPG 24-1 II.C.2: "A font size of less than 10 points may be used for mathematical formulas or equations, figures, tables, or diagram captions and when using a Symbol font to insert Greek letters or special characters." Body text below the minimum is a mechanical administrative-rejection trigger. (Value 10 is the absolute minimum for any approved body font.)

"Margins, in all directions, must be at least an inch. No proposer-supplied information may appear in the margins." Margins under 1 inch in any direction is a mechanical administrative-rejection trigger.

"Paper size must be no larger than standard letter paper size (8½ by 11 or 11 by 8½)." Larger paper size is a mechanical formatting violation.

"No more than six lines of text within a vertical space of one inch." More than 6 lines per vertical inch is a mechanical administrative-rejection trigger. (Value 6 = maximum lines per inch.)

An NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I proposal must include the required components: Cover Sheet; SBIR/STTR Questionnaire; SBIR/STTR Certification Questions; Project Summary; Table of Contents (auto-generated); Project Description; References Cited; Budget(s); Budget Justification(s); Facilities, Equipment and Other Resources; Senior/Key Personnel Documents (Biographical Sketches, Current and Pending Support, Collaborators & Other Affiliations, Synergistic Activities); and Data Management and Sharing Plan (Letters of Support and IP Rights Agreement are also listed). Proposers must NOT upload information beyond what is specifically permitted ("do not include marketing materials, research results, academic papers, patent applications, etc.") and must NOT "include samples, videotapes, slides, appendices or other ancillary items."

For Phase I, proposers must obtain an official invitation to submit a proposal (via an approved Project Pitch) before a full proposal may be submitted. A maximum of two Project Pitch submissions per company per 12-month period are allowed; an invitation is valid for the next two submission deadlines after the date of the initial official invitation. Submitting a full proposal without a valid invitation is an eligibility/administrative bar.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 1. Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 1. Exceeding these limits is an administrative bar.

The PI's primary employment must be with the small business, defined as at least 51 percent employed by the small business. Minimum PI effort: Phase I requires a minimum of one calendar month per six months of performance.

An active SAM.gov registration (which provides the Unique Entity Identifier, UEI) is required. Per the NSF required-registrations page, you must have completed your SAM registration BEFORE you can begin entering your proposal in Research.gov. A Research.gov account is also required. Missing/incomplete registration prevents submission. (Note: the cited NSF page does not state annual-renewal or 'financial assistance only' specifics; those are general SAM/NSF facts not confirmed on this page.)

A Small Business Concern (SBC) registration in the SBA Company Registry (operated by SBA, at app.www.sbir.gov/company-registration/overview) is required prior to submission. Per the NSF SBA Company Registry page: "Completed registrations will receive a unique SBC Control ID to be used for submissions at any of the other federal agencies with SBIR or STTR programs." Per SBA, the SBC must report/update ownership information prior to each SBIR/STTR application submission, and the SBC Control ID must be included with the proposal. Missing SBC registration/Control ID is an administrative bar.

NSF ENCOURAGES (does not require) proposers to indicate in the project description the extent to which, if any, generative AI technology was used and how it was used to develop their proposal. Disclosure is advisory, not a binding administrative-rejection rule. Proposers are responsible for the accuracy and authenticity of their proposal submission in consideration for merit review, including content developed with the assistance of generative AI tools.

NSF 26-510 Phase I submission deadlines are window-based: July 27, 2026; November 4, 2026 (then first Wednesday in November annually thereafter); March 4, 2027 (then first Thursday in March annually thereafter); and July 7, 2027 (then first Wednesday in July annually thereafter). Proposals must be submitted via Research.gov by the applicable deadline. NSF 26-510 was posted May 22, 2026 and replaces NSF 24-579, NSF 24-580, and NSF 24-582.