SBIR Grants from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Researched by the BidStride Research Team
Agency overview
NOAA SBIR funds innovation in ocean science, weather prediction, fisheries management, coastal resilience, and climate technology. NOAA's program is smaller than DoD or NIH but highly accessible for environmental technology, ocean sensing, satellite data applications, and weather forecasting tools. NOAA has a natural Phase 3 pathway through its network of commercial data partners, weather service modernization contracts, and NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS).
Award details
Phase 1 — Feasibility
Typical Award Amount
$150,000
Duration
6 months
Phase 1 establishes the technical merit and feasibility of the proposed R&D. The deliverable is a feasibility report and prototype demonstration where applicable.
Phase 2 — Full R&D
Typical Award Amount
$500,000
Duration
24 months
Phase 2 funds the primary R&D effort to develop the technology to a commercializable or deployable state. Only Phase 1 awardees (or those who meet equivalent requirements) may apply.
Research topic areas
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration SBIR solicitations consistently address the following research areas. Specific topics vary by solicitation — check the current open solicitation for exact topic descriptions and technical points of contact.
Solicitation cycle
1–2 per year — typically fall solicitation window
Solicitation windows open and close on a defined schedule. Applications submitted after the close date are not accepted. Set a calendar reminder at least 6 weeks before the close date — a well-written SBIR application typically takes 60–90 hours of preparation for a first-time applicant.
View current solicitations on NOAA’s official portalHow to apply for NOAA SBIR funding
- 1
Confirm eligibility
Your company must be a for-profit U.S. small business with fewer than 500 employees. The principal investigator must spend at least 51% of their time on the project. More than 50% of the company must be owned by U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
- 2
Register in SAM.gov
All SBIR applicants must have an active SAM.gov registration. Registration can take 1–3 weeks. Apply early — the government cannot issue payment on an SBIR award without an active SAM.gov registration.
- 3
Review open NOAA solicitations
Visit https://techpartnerships.noaa.gov/sbir to see currently open solicitations. Read topic descriptions carefully — each topic has a Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) you can contact with technical questions before submitting.
- 4
Contact the TPOC
Each topic lists a Technical Point of Contact. Email them with a 2-3 sentence summary of your approach before writing your full proposal. TPOCs can tell you whether your company's approach aligns with what the agency is looking for — this step alone doubles your success rate.
- 5
Submit through SBIR.gov or the agency portal
NOAA SBIR applications are submitted through the agency's designated portal. Most DoD applications go through SBIR.gov. NIH uses ASSIST (grants.nih.gov). NSF uses Research.gov. Check the solicitation for the correct submission system.
Frequently asked questions about NOAA SBIR
NOAA SBIR has funded ocean sensor companies, weather forecasting software startups, satellite data analytics firms, aquaculture technology developers, and coastal monitoring companies. Environmental and climate tech companies with novel data collection or analysis approaches are well positioned.
NOAA's Commercial Weather Data Program purchases data from private weather satellite operators and atmospheric sensing companies. Successful NOAA SBIR awardees in earth observation often transition directly into NOAA's commercial data procurement pipeline as a Phase 3 path.
Yes. NOAA SBIR topics regularly include software, AI, machine learning applied to climate data, and general environmental sensing that does not require deep oceanography expertise. The key is demonstrating how your technology advances NOAA's mission.
NOAA Phase 1 awards are typically $150,000 for 6 months. Phase 2 awards run approximately $500,000 for 24 months — among the smaller Phase 2 awards in the federal SBIR ecosystem, reflecting NOAA's comparatively modest program budget.
This guide is for informational purposes only and reflects the BidStride Research Team’s summary of publicly available SBIR program information. Award amounts and solicitation cycles are subject to change. Always verify current program details at SBIR.gov and the agency’s official SBIR portal. BidStride does not provide grant writing services or legal advice.