Expert advice: Should your Houston startup apply for this lesser known SBIR grant?

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In the last few years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has devoted $10 million to $15 million annually to small businesses in the form of SBIR grants. Photo via Getty Images

Inside the Department of Commerce is a relatively small federal agency, compared to the others, call the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They too have a small business innovation research (or SBIR) program in which technology startups can have access to funds to de-risk their innovation.

Here’s what you need to know about this non-dilutive funding opportunity:

Overview of NOAA’s SBIR Program

Although the SBIR program has been around for over forty years, NOAA entered the scene in 2010 when their research and development budget reached over $100 million. Per the federal statue, they joined a host of federal agencies that were to devote 3.2 percent of that budget to small businesses.

In the last few years, NOAA has devoted $10 to $15 million annually to small businesses in the form of SBIR grants. These Phase I awards have reached $175,000 in funding for a six-month feasibility study. Follow-on Phase II awards can reach up to $650,000 for 24 months of R&D. Each year’s solicitation is generally announced near the end of the calendar year with deadlines ranging from December to March. While not exactly cyclical, anticipating these deadlines allows a company to set aside enough to prepare a proper application.

What is NOAA Looking For?

According to the NOAA’s website, “NOAA is an agency that enriches life through science. Our reach goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor as we work to keep the public informed of the changing environment around them.“ Their SBIR research topics have stayed consistent since 2011 with minor general topic changes. These six topics have been the same for the last two funding cycles:

  • 9.1 Extreme Events and Cascading Hazards
  • 9.2 Coastal Resilience
  • 9.3 The Changing Ocean
  • 9.4 Water Availability, Quality, and Risk
  • 9.5 Effects of Space Weather
  • 9.6 Monitoring and Modeling for Climate Change Mitigation

When analyzing past winners, which you can find online, a clear emphasis is placed on developing advanced tools for data collection, analysis, and prediction, particularly in the areas of weather forecasting, oceanic observation, and ecosystem health. Many projects involve AI and machine learning for processing large datasets to improve decision-making in disaster response, fishery management, and habitat conservation.

The recurring theme of scalability, real-time data applications, and cost-effective, sustainable solutions shows NOAA's interest in technologies that not only address immediate environmental challenges but also have broader implications for global climate and ecosystem management. Additionally, NOAA seems to value partnerships that leverage cross-disciplinary expertise, integrating cutting-edge science with practical applications.

Their grading criteria also give you some early insight into what they are interested in receiving:

  1. The scientific merit and technical approach of the proposed research (40 points)
  2. The level of innovation the proposed effort offers to the research topic area (20 points)
  3. Consideration of an application’s commercial and societal impacts and potential applications (20 points)
  4. Qualifications of the proposed principal/key investigators, supporting staff, and consultants and availability of instrumentation and physical facilities necessary to complete the proposed work (20 points)

How to Apply

Because of the previous trends, we anticipate NOAA will publish a similar list of research topics along the same lines as the last few years within the next several months. With a deadline being between December and March, it’s in your best interest to begin preparing your application now. Here are the first three early steps I’d recommend for you to get a headstart:

  • Check your eligibility
    • You must be a for-profit organization.
    • You must have fewer than 500 employees
    • You must be primarily owned by a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
    • You must not be majority owned by venture capital or private equity
  • Complete your registrations
    • System for Award Management (SAM) — registration can take over a month and must be renewed on an annual basis.
    • Small Business Association SBA — registration can take up to 90 days.
    • Grants.gov — registration typically takes between three to 10 business days.
  • Start writing your first sections
    • Develop your abstract and specific aims. If possible, schedule a meeting with a program manager from NOAA to review and provide early feedback on these early sections.

Don’t Forget About Asking for Help

Practice regular and open communication with NOAA and their SBIR program managers. Ask questions early and often to make sure you have the best chance of receiving positive feedback when you finally submit your application. I’d encourage you to find previous NOAA SBIR reviewers to do a preliminary review before your submission. Since these solicitations only come around once a year, it’s worth the time and effort to polish your application to the highest degree. If you’re worried about the time commitment of writing a 15 page application for funding, find a local grant writer (or grant writing firm) to help with application and submission process.

Finally, good luck to all you NOAA applications as you innovate in such a way to make the world a better place.

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Robert Wegner is the director of business development for Baginski Wegner and Company (BW&CO).

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The potential SBIR rewards far outweigh the challenges, and with determination, your startup could be the next success story. Photo via Getty Images

Expert: Demystifying SBIR grants for Houston startups

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Grants are everywhere, all the time, but often seem unobtainable for startups. Most companies tell me about their competitors winning grants but don’t know how to secure non-dilutive funding for themselves. It’s true that the SBIR program is competitive — with only 10 to 15 percent of applicants receiving awards — but with a little guidance and perseverance, they are most definitely obtainable.

An SBIR overview

The Small Business Innovation Research program was introduced on the federal level in 1982 with the purpose of de-risking early technologies. While most investors are hesitant to invest in a company that’s still in ideation, the SBIR program would provide an initial level of feasibility funding to develop a prototype. The program issues funds to companies without taking any equity, IP, or asking for the money back.

Since its inception, the SBIR program has funded over 200,000 projects through 11 different federal agencies, including, but not limited to, the Department of Defense, the National Institute of Health, and the National Science Foundation. Federal agencies with R&D budgets over $100 million dedicate at least 3.2 percent of their budget to the SBIR program to fund research initiated by small businesses.

Eligibility and application process

It is no surprise that only small businesses can apply for this non-dilutive funding. For SBIR purposes, a small business is defined as being a for-profit entity, smaller than 500 employees, 51 percent owned by US citizens or permanent residents, and not primarily owned by venture capital groups. This small business must also have the rights to the IP that needs de-risking.

To apply, the small business must have a specific project that needs funding. Normally, this project will have three specific aims that detail the action items that will be attempted during the funded period. Some agencies require a pre-application, like a letter of intent (DOE) or a project pitch (NSF). Others don’t have a screening process and you can simply submit a full application at the deadline. Most agencies published examples of funded or denied applications for you to review.

SBIR phases

Phase I of the SBIR program is the normal entry point for every agency. It takes your product from ideation, through a feasibility study, to having a prototype. While agencies provide various funding amounts, the range is between $75,000 to $300,000 for 3 to 12 months of R&D activities. Applications contain a feasibility research plan (around six pages), an abstract, specific aims, supporting documents, and a budget.

While some programs allow for Direct to Phase II (D2P2) applications, most don’t apply for Phase II until they have secured Phase I funding. This second phase allows companies with completed feasibility studies to test their new prototype at a larger scale. The budgets for this phase range from $600,000 to $3 million and span an average of two years. The research plan is twice as robust and a commercialization plan is also needed.

Tips for success

If you’re wondering if your technology would be a good fit for a certain program, you can start by looking at the SBIR website to see the previously funded projects. The more recent projects will give you an idea of the funding priorities for each agency. Most abstracts will allude to the specific aims, meaning you can get a sense of the research projects that were approved. If you regularly see an agency funding projects similar to yours, you can search sbir.gov/topics for that agency’s research topics and upcoming deadlines.

Your team is one of the most important aspects of the application. Since you will be reviewed by academic experts, it’s helpful to have a principal investigator on your project that has a history of experience or publications with similar technology. Keep in mind that this principal investigator must be primarily employed by your company at the time of the grant. If this individual is employed by a university or nonprofit research organization, consider taking the STTR route so you can utilize their expertise.

Preparing Phase I applications should take no less than eight weeks, and Phase II should take at least ten. Your first step should be read the entire solicitation and create action items. The early action items should be

  1. Completing government registrations, like SAM.gov
  2. Writing your abstract and specific aims
  3. Contacting the program manager or director for early feedback

Any bids, estimates, or letters of support may also take time to receive, so don’t delay pursuing these items.

Don’t stop trying

If you speak to any program officer, they will encourage you to keep applying. For resubmissions, you will have a chance to explain why your previous application was denied and what you’ve done to improve. Most companies receive funding on the resubmission. If you get the feeling that a specific agency isn’t the right fit, reach out to other agencies that may be interested in the technology. You may realize that a small pivot may open up better opportunities.

There are frequently published webinars from different agencies that will give overviews of the specific solicitations and allow for Q&A. If you feel stuck or are still concerned about getting started, reach out to an individual or group that can provide guidance. There are plenty of grant writers, some of which have reviewed for the SBIR program for different agencies, who can provide strategy, guidance, reviews, and writing services to provide different levels of help.

Securing SBIR funding can be a game-changer for startups. While the process may seem daunting at first, with the right approach and persistence, it’s very obtainable. Remember, each application is a learning experience, and every iteration brings you closer to success. Whether you seek support from webinars, program officers, or professional grant writers, the key is to keep pushing forward. The potential rewards far outweigh the challenges, and with determination, your startup could be the next SBIR success story.

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Robert Wegner is the director of business development for Euroleader.

Houston-area Ad Astra Rocket Company, which is working on a technology that could increase the speed of space travel, received fresh funding from NASA. Photo via NASA.gov

NASA doles out $98M in funding to small business innovators, including 6 Texas firms

grants lifting off

Almost 100 small businesses with aerospace technology received the greenlight from NASA on their proposals for grant funding.

NASA approved 112 proposals from 92 small businesses in April. These businesses will receive a slice of the $98 million Phase II funding from the Small Business Innovation Research program. The early-stage $850,000 SBIR grants allow awardees to build on their success from the program's first phase. The firms will have 24 months to execute on their proposals with the fresh funding.

“These Phase II awards support a breadth of technologies that have the potential to be transformational for so many different projects and missions across NASA,” says Jenn Gustetic, director of early stage innovation and partnerships for NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, in a news release. “In addition, it’s important that we’re including the innovative potential of all of America’s small businesses and entrepreneurs, so we’re proud that 28% of these awards are to underrepresented small businesses and 31% are to first time SBIR Phase II awardees."

Six of the award recipients are based in Texas. Here are the companies and their proposal technology:

  • Ad Astra Rocket Company, headquartered in Webster: Improved Thermo-Mechanical Design of the VASIMR RF Coupler
  • Lunar Resources Inc., headquartered in Houston: Ultra-Electrical-Efficient Process to Perform Regolith Additive Manufacturing of Complex Structures
  • Lynntech Inc., headquartered in College Station: Miniaturized Reagent Regenerative Ion Analyzer for Elemental Analysis
  • QED Secure Solutions, headquartered in Coppell: Avionics Intrusion Detection and Attack Identification
  • Stone Aerospace Inc., headquartered in Del Valle: Sediment Sequestration for Hot Water Drilling Cryobots
  • Texas Research Institute Austin Inc., headquartered in Austin: Accelerated Creep Test Methodologies for Space Habitat Softgood Structural Materials

The Ad Astra Rocket Company's technology, the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket, or VASIMR, is an electrothermal thruster that, once developed using the grant, would allow for faster space travel.

“Our program has the responsibility of supporting ideas and technologies that will have impact on NASA’s work and have strong commercial potential,” says Jason L. Kessler, program executive for NASA's SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer program, in the release. “We're always excited when we can find technologies that help our agency's missions while also having direct benefits for all."

NASA's SBIR program, which takes no equity, offers up to $1 million to selected business during the first three years. Post Phase II opportunities include up to nearly $3 million in funding. The program is a part of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate and managed by NASA’s Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley.

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5 must-read innovation headlines: Houston rises among America's best cities

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Editor's note: The local innovation scene was busy in June with exciting news, from Rice's first Pew Scholar to a monumental gift for Houston Methodist. Plus, Houston is rising in the ranks of America's best cities. Here are the five most-read InnovationMap stories published June 16-30, 2026:

1. Report: Houston reclaims top 10 ranking among America's best cities

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Houston has made a triumphant return to America's 10 best cities for 2026, certifying the city is a cornerstone of the country's growth and economic prosperity. Houston ranks No. 9 nationwide in the annual "America's Best Cities" report from Canada-based real estate and tourism marketing firm Resonance Consultancy. Each year, the report ranks the relative qualities of livability, cultural "lovability," and economic prosperity in 393 American cities with metropolitan populations of 500,000 or more. Continue reading.

2. Houston Methodist receives record $110M gift, names future tower

Houston Methodist has received the largest gift in the health system's history to establish new funds for neurological, neuroscience, and women’s health research and treatment. The $110 million gift comes from Houston-based The Brockman Medical Research Foundation, which supports education and research in the science, medicine and healthcare fields. In response, Houston Methodist announced that it will name its forthcoming 26-story hospital facility the Brockman Centennial Tower. Continue reading.

3. Houston scientist wins prestigious Pew Scholar award for brain cancer research

Christina Tringides, an assistant professor of materials science and nanoengineering at Rice University, is one of 21 scientists to win a prestigious Pew Biomedical Scholar award. She is the first faculty member from Rice to win the distinction, which provides $300,000 over four years for advances in biomedicine. The awards are granted to researchers who are in the first few years at the assistant professor level. Continue reading.

4. Rice student startup lands $1.85M to launch medical drone network

Students at Rice University have developed a medical cargo drone transport system to help deliver sensitive medical supplies and improve mobile healthcare efforts. Haast Autonomous is the brainchild of graduating seniors Ege Halac, Jason Chen and Santiago Brent, who got their venture idea off the ground with help from the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Lilie) Summer Venture Studio. The founders have developed the prototype at Rice’s Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen (OEDK) with fellow Rice researchers. Continue reading.

5. Intuitive Machines lands $1M grant to expand robotics operations

Houston-based Intuitive Machines is expanding its operations around the country. The space tech company—which has offices and labs in Texas, California, Arizona, Colorado and Maryland—announced that it has received a $1 million grant from Maryland Gov. Wes Moore through the state's Build Our Future Grant. The funding will go toward expanding Intuitive Machines’ Super Cislunar Robotics Assembly Building (Supa-CRAB) Mechanisms and Robotics Center of Excellence in Anne Arundel County. Continue reading.

New Houston-born app OpenToBites connects users over meals in 16 cities

Friends and Food

A Houston-born social is connecting foodies and social butterflies for shared meals. OpenToBites launched on Android on June 18 and iOS on June 22, and is available to use for free in Houston and beyond.

Founded and operated by Houston developer Kelvin John, OpenToBites allows users to connect over meals in 16 cosmopolitan cities. That includes Austin and Houston in Texas, plus other American cities like Denver and New York, and even international destinations including Paris, Tokyo, and Sydney.

The app is built on a simple concept, and a press release emphasizes that it's for anyone who wants "friendly company."

“We built OpenToBites in response to several trends, including the rise of solo travel and the demand for social experiences that don’t feel like dating, networking, or large organized events,” said a spokesperson in the release. “We are not a dating app. We are offering shared food and conversation for people who want simple, in-person meal company in a public setting.”

When signing up, users provide their first name, an optional profile photo, and a short bio. They mark themselves as a traveler, a local, or both, and have the option to select their age range or opt out.

Once a profile is created, the user can search for existing meals or create a meal happening within the next 72 hours. To find an existing meal to join as a guest, they select the city, date, and apply filters for the number of seats, type of cuisine, and whether they want to share food with the table or order their own.

Since someone has to get the party started, users can also take the initiative to start a meal as a host. They'll choose the date, time, and restaurant — anything is on the menu, as long as they can link to the restaurant on Google Maps or its own website.

This divides users into "host" and "guest." Guests request to join a table, and a host can decide to accept the request or not. Guests aren't able to see the exact restaurant until their request is accepted, so hosts have a "helpful note" field to fill out with more information about the restaurant.

A similar app called Timeleft launched in Austin in 2024, acting as a friendship matchmaker for small groups of strangers who answer personality questions, meet at a restaurant for dinner, and decide if they wanted to stay in touch.

Though OpenToBites has a similar concept, it seems to work more like Couchsurfing, an app that connects travelers on their own terms. OpenToBites also emphasizes the immediate over the long-term — the meal itself is the social goal.

OpenToBites is available for free on the App Store and Play Store; the app plans to grow each current city's user base before adding new locations.

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This article originally appeared on CultureMap.com.

Houston mental health nonprofit expands platform statewide to connect more Texans with care

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As mental health conversations evolve, the necessary pivot becomes how organizations across Texas navigate improved ways to help people access the care they need before their challenges become crises.

That’s why Mental Health America of Greater Houston recently announced that it is expanding its Care Connect platform statewide.

The expansion will address perhaps the most persistent barrier to behavioral healthcare—helping people find and navigate services that already exist.

Care Connect’s extended reach comes at a time when more than 3.5 million adults in the state live with some kind of mental health condition and scores of those in need continue to struggle with accessing care despite the growing awareness of mental health needs.

According to President and CEO Renae Vania Tomczak, Care Connect’s main goal was to remove as many obstacles as possible that Texans face when seeking mental health support.

“Care Connect was about a two-year planning process,” Tomczak says. “It really began with asking what challenges people in the Greater Houston Area were facing regarding mental health. It’s not just accessing care, but the difficulty in navigating the mental healthcare system.”

While provider shortages remain a challenge in some communities, Mental Health America of Greater Houston found that many individuals and families struggle simply to determine where to turn, how to identify the right provider and whether services are affordable.

“We wanted to make it easier for people who have questions, who may never have had a mental health challenge before, or they’re a caregiver for somebody who has a mental health issue,” Tomczak says. “We wanted to be the place that people can come to get their questions answered and be connected to care.”

Care Connect combines a vetted network of more than 1,000 providers and services across Texas with personalized navigation support.

Searches generate care results based on insurance coverage, language preferences, ZIP code and clinical specialties.

Additionally, one-on-one guidance and follow-up support are provided by bilingual resource specialists.

The platform also seeks to address affordability, one of the most significant barriers to mental healthcare access. Through participating providers, eligible individuals can receive six to eight counseling sessions at no cost.

“We have several providers who are willing to provide six to eight counseling sessions at no cost for people who do not have the means to pay for services themselves,” Tomczak says.

When provider matches are unavailable, the organization can connect individuals with master’s-level mental health professionals working under the supervision of licensed clinicians.

The statewide rollout builds on the platform’s early success in the Houston region, where it has helped thousands of individuals connect with mental health resources since launching last fall.

According to Tomczak, the decision to expand was driven in part by growing demand from outside the organization’s traditional service area.

“Last month we decided to take this program statewide,” she says. “It’s not just Houston that can use help in connecting to appropriate mental health services, but the whole state.”

The Care Connect program’s promotion through healthcare providers, community organizations and public-sector partners across Texas is now one of Mental Health America of Greater Houston’s top priorities.

Their goal is to create a stronger referral ecosystem that ultimately helps those who need access to mental health care more quickly.

To facilitate that, the organization has also added free mental health screenings to its website so that users will better identify any symptoms related to anxiety, depression and other conditions.

“Once they do that, then where do they go?” Tomczak says. “They’re not sure who to call and who can help them. At that point, we hope they’ll call us and talk to somebody live who can answer their questions and help them get started on the right path to improving their mental health.”

With eyes on the future, Tomczak believes public understanding of mental health has improved in recent years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought new attention to the effects of stress, isolation and uncertainty.

“The more we talk about it and have the opportunity to share that mental health conditions are traceable, the better,” she says.

According to Tomczak, long-term, Care Connect aims to reduce roadblocks that exist between recognizing the need for help and receiving it.

Ultimately, Care Connect hopes to create a robustly connected behavioral health system that gives Texans the ability to access mental health services swiftly and with confidence.

“No one should have to navigate mental health challenges alone,” Tomczak adds. “Care Connect is here to help connect people with resources, services and answers to ensure they get the care they need to take the next step toward better mental health.”

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