Free course · 7 modules · 25 min of video
Capital that doesn't cost you equity
How SBIR/STTR, state innovation programs and government contracts work for founders, updated for the 2026 reauthorization.
Watch module 1: The non-dilutive stack: what each kind of money costs youLearn how the programs that fund early-stage companies actually work: SBIR/STTR, state innovation programs and small-business contracts. Then build a 12-month funding map for your own company.
Who it's for
This course is for
- Incorporated technical founders: hardware, biotech, climate, and software with real R&D
- Pre-seed to Series A teams weighing grants and contracts against equity
- Small businesses that have been told to "go get grants" and want to know where to start
It isn't for
- Ideas that are not yet incorporated
- Anyone looking for someone to write the application for them
What you'll walk away with
- A clear picture of what each kind of non-dilutive money costs you in time, reporting and IP terms
- How SBIR/STTR works after the 2026 reauthorization, agency by agency
- A registration checklist to start now, before you write anything
- How NAICS codes, size standards and set-asides shape the contracts side
- A method for reading a solicitation the way a reviewer does
- A sequenced 12-month map: which programs, which deadlines, what to register first
The modules
- OpenVideo 3:30
The non-dilutive stack: what each kind of money costs you
Grants, contracts, OTs, prizes and state programs all skip equity, but each one charges you in time, scope, reporting and IP terms. Learn to price them.
- Email requiredVideo 3:54
SBIR/STTR after the 2026 reauthorization
How SBIR/STTR works now: agencies, grants vs. contracts, Phase I vs. II, NSF Project Pitch, proposal caps, foreign-risk screening and Strategic Breakthrough awards.
- Email requiredVideo 3:40
Registration before writing: SAM.gov, UEI and the agency portals
The registrations every federal applicant needs, in the order they depend on each other, with realistic lead times and the renewal traps that block awards.
- Email requiredVideo 3:43
The contracts side: NAICS, size standards, set-asides and OTs
How federal buying works for small firms: NAICS codes, size standards, the rule of two, 8(a)/HUBZone/SDVOSB/WOSB set-asides, sources sought, thresholds and OTs.
- Email requiredVideo 3:26
State and private money: matching funds, Phase 0, prizes and corporate programs
State SBIR matching and proposal-prep programs, state innovation grants, federal prize competitions after Challenge.gov, and how to read corporate program terms.
- Email requiredVideo 3:35
Reading a solicitation like a reviewer
A four-pass method for reading any solicitation: eligibility and compliance, evaluation criteria, commercialization, and terms. Plus what a match score can and can't tell you.
- Email requiredVideo 3:21
Capstone: your 12-month non-dilutive map
Turn your saved searches into a sequenced 12-month plan: registrations, anchor federal pursuits, a contracts track, conditional state money, and a monthly review.
Try a sample
From module 1: The non-dilutive stack: what each kind of money costs you
Check yourself
- Name one program that funds SBIR work through grants and one that funds it through contracts. What changes for you after award in each case?
- Your runway is eight months. A program’s earliest start date is seven months after submission, if you are funded on the first try. What does decision rule 1 tell you to do?
- Which two SBIR structural rules from this lesson would you check against your team and cap table before writing a word?
- What happens to SBIR/STTR data you deliver without the required marking?
- Why is “the maximum award is $305,000” the least useful number on the page?
Questions
Will this tell me if I'm eligible?
No. The course shows you what published criteria say and how to read them. The funder decides eligibility, so check each program against its own solicitation.
Does the course cover government contracts or only grants?
Both. Module 4 covers NAICS codes, size standards, set-asides and other transactions, because a contract can fund the same R&D a grant does.
How long does it take?
Seven modules, each a short video plus a written lesson. The video length and reading time are listed on every module below.
What does it cost?
The course is free. Module 1 is open to everyone; you confirm your email to continue from module 2.
Is this legal or accounting advice?
No. Where a topic crosses into IP, tax or accounting, the lessons say so and point you to the right professional.
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