The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":73,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36648,"title":"Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer","acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"Paragon Space Development Corporation® (Paragon) will advance our Solid Oxide Electrolysis / embedded Sabatier reactors (SOE/ESR) system to generate power from its oxygen (O2) and methane (CH4) products. Leveraging our SOE/ESR technology, Paragon can offer a carbon deposition resistant system capable of internally steam reforming CH4 and generating power in fuel cell mode. Minimal water is required at start up; operations are sustained by recycling water from the affluent using Paragon's spaceflight-qualified humidity control membrane technology. The system is gravity-independent and compact with no moving parts and a high single-pass utilization of feedstock. Leak-tight operations are improved by employing a new 3D glass seal approach. The system will tolerate 100s of thermal cycles in high differential pressure environments. Our Phase I effort includes laboratory tests to determine the feasibility of employing new sealing features at high differential pressure and multiple thermal cycles. Tests will also confirm simultaneous internal CH4 reforming and fuel cell operation without carbon deposition. The SOE/ESR Internally Reforming SOFC integrates cells that operate as either an electrolyzer / Sabatier reactor or a fuel cell. This simplifies operations, lowers hardware complexity, and increases reliability. The proposed system can perform multiple functions without modifications, making it a readily deployable technology for various missions from ISRU on the Moon and Mars to regenerating 100% of a crew's oxygen in habitats and space crafts.","benefits":"The SOE/ESR system can be used to regenerate 100% of a crew's oxygen with only metabolically produced H2O and CO2. The SOE/ESR system can also be used in various in situ resource utilization (ISRU) processes for O2 and CH4 propellant production, for example hydrogen reduction of lunar regolith, carbothermal reduction of lunar regolith, and Martian CO2 atmosphere and ground water electrolysis. In all applications, this SOE/ESR unit can be operated as a fuel cell to, for example, power nighttime operations when solar power is not available, and provide auxiliary power to devices in the vicinity. Smaller units can be operated as a dedicated fuel cell in rovers or habitats fueled by larger in situ O2 and CH4 production plans.The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":73,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36648,"title":"Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer","acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"Paragon Space Development Corporation® (Paragon) will advance our Solid Oxide Electrolysis / embedded Sabatier reactors (SOE/ESR) system to generate power from its oxygen (O2) and methane (CH4) products. Leveraging our SOE/ESR technology, Paragon can offer a carbon deposition resistant system capable of internally steam reforming CH4 and generating power in fuel cell mode. Minimal water is required at start up; operations are sustained by recycling water from the affluent using Paragon's spaceflight-qualified humidity control membrane technology. The system is gravity-independent and compact with no moving parts and a high single-pass utilization of feedstock. Leak-tight operations are improved by employing a new 3D glass seal approach. The system will tolerate 100s of thermal cycles in high differential pressure environments. Our Phase I effort includes laboratory tests to determine the feasibility of employing new sealing features at high differential pressure and multiple thermal cycles. Tests will also confirm simultaneous internal CH4 reforming and fuel cell operation without carbon deposition. The SOE/ESR Internally Reforming SOFC integrates cells that operate as either an electrolyzer / Sabatier reactor or a fuel cell. This simplifies operations, lowers hardware complexity, and increases reliability. The proposed system can perform multiple functions without modifications, making it a readily deployable technology for various missions from ISRU on the Moon and Mars to regenerating 100% of a crew's oxygen in habitats and space crafts.","benefits":"The SOE/ESR system can be used to regenerate 100% of a crew's oxygen with only metabolically produced H2O and CO2. The SOE/ESR system can also be used in various in situ resource utilization (ISRU) processes for O2 and CH4 propellant production, for example hydrogen reduction of lunar regolith, carbothermal reduction of lunar regolith, and Martian CO2 atmosphere and ground water electrolysis. In all applications, this SOE/ESR unit can be operated as a fuel cell to, for example, power nighttime operations when solar power is not available, and provide auxiliary power to devices in the vicinity. Smaller units can be operated as a dedicated fuel cell in rovers or habitats fueled by larger in situ O2 and CH4 production plans.