From eligibility to application for NSF I-Corps: a $50K customer-discovery grant and 7-week bootcamp before SBIR, plus every other US grant you qualify for.
NSF I-Corps plus other US grants, all with one application
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Eligibility check after you sign up
4 routes
Grants, family offices, angel investors & VCs
NSF I-Corps gives up to $50K (less a $10K participation fee) for an intensive 7-week bootcamp with 100+ customer interviews, the best-fit first step for academic and national-lab spinouts.
The founder's guide
What Is NSF I-Corps?
NSF I-Corps (Innovation Corps) National Teams is a seven-week, intensive customer-discovery program that helps research teams test the commercial potential of their technology before they commit to building a company. Teams receive an award of up to $50,000 (a $10,000 participation fee is paid from it) and must complete at least 100 customer interviews in seven weeks.
It's not a general startup grant, it's specifically for academic and national-lab spinouts, and it's the ideal step before pursuing SBIR Phase I. The real value isn't the money; it's the methodology, which transforms how founders think about product-market fit. Our free check shows whether I-Corps, and every other US grant, fits you.
Who qualifies
NSF I-Corps Eligibility
The National Teams program is tied to NSF research. There are two routes in.
Route 1 - prior NSF award. Teams with an active or recent NSF research award (within the last five years) in a relevant area can apply directly to the National Teams program.
Route 2 - regional first. Teams without NSF funding can earn eligibility by completing a regional I-Corps program and getting a letter of recommendation.
A team of three. An Entrepreneurial Lead (often a PhD student or postdoc), a Technical Lead / PI, and an experienced Industry Mentor.
Full commitment. All team members must attend every session and complete 100+ customer interviews across the seven weeks, this is a serious time commitment.
A founder's guide
How to Get Into NSF I-Corps
Whether you start regional or national, the path is short and the payoff is a customer-validated thesis.
Step 1
Build Your Team & Route
Assemble your Entrepreneurial Lead, Technical Lead, and Industry Mentor, and decide whether you qualify for National Teams directly or should start with a regional program. Run the free eligibility checker to see I-Corps alongside other US grants.
Step 2
Apply Through an I-Corps Hub
Apply via an NSF I-Corps Hub. Applications focus on your technology, team, and the commercial question you want to test, not a polished business plan.
Step 3
Do the 100 Interviews
Over seven weeks, talk to 100+ potential customers and partners. You leave with a validated (or invalidated) thesis, the ideal foundation for an SBIR Phase I proposal.
Done-for-you service
Don't want to write it yourself? We build the application for you.
The steps above are the do-it-yourself route. If you would rather hand it off, our grant specialists write, package and manage the whole application for you, working alongside you so the technical detail stays yours while we handle the process.
1ApplyTell us about your startup and the grant you are targeting. It takes a few minutes.
2Chat with a specialistA grant specialist checks your fit, confirms the right programme, and scopes the work with you.
3We build your applicationWe write the narrative, budget and supporting documents to the funder's exact scoring criteria.
4We guide every stageMany grants run in several rounds (assessment, interviews, sometimes multiple phases, then reporting). We handle each step and explain everything as we go.
Transparent, mostly success-based pricingA modest upfront fee to scope and start the work (not always tied to your metrics), plus a success fee based on the grant, the amount awarded, and your business. Every engagement is quoted individually.
Apply and we'll come back with a tailored budget for your specific grant.
Interactive Tool
Check Your US Grant Eligibility in 30 Seconds
Every US programme is listed below by default. Tell us your stage and sector to narrow them to the SBIR/STTR, agency, and federal programmes that match your startup. Getting matched is 100% free - no fee, no commission, no credit card.
Choose your stage and sector below to see which US grants you may be eligible for
Want a definitive eligibility report? It's free.
This is a first-pass match based on stage, sector, and geography. Complete the application form and we'll automatically match you with the most relevant grants - including the one you're researching - cross-referencing your technology, IP, team, and traction against every active US programme. This matching service is completely free: no fee, no commission, no credit card required.
The strongest raises stack multiple non-dilutive programmes. Here are the other US grants you can apply for, all matched in one free eligibility check.
Up to $50,000 for National Teams. A $10,000 participation fee is paid from the award to the organisation that runs the training, so the net for travel and discovery expenses is around $40,000.
For the National Teams program, you need an active or recent NSF research award (within five years), or you can qualify by first completing a regional I-Corps program and receiving a letter of recommendation. Regional programs are the entry point for teams without NSF funding.
The real value isn't the cash, it's the methodology. The 100-interview requirement fundamentally changes how founders understand product-market fit, and a strong I-Corps outcome materially strengthens a subsequent SBIR proposal.
Most teams use I-Corps to validate a thesis and then pursue SBIR/STTR Phase I for development funding, and equity once there's traction. Our free check maps that full sequence for your startup.
The Full Capital Stack
Grants Are Only Part of the Stack
SBIR awards and federal grants cover early-stage R&D, but most US startups need equity capital to scale. The strongest raises combine non-dilutive grants with angel or VC investment.
AngelsPartners is the only platform where a founder can access all three capital pathways in one place: grants (this page), debt financing, and 120,000+ equity investors.
Equity funding
US Angels & VCs
Search a database of angels, micro-VCs, and funds investing in US startups. Filter by sector, geography, ticket size, and stage. Direct contact details included - no gatekeepers, no pay-to-pitch.
Venture debt, revenue-based financing, and startup loan programmes - without diluting your cap table. Our AI matches you to a curated lender network based on your revenue, traction, and geography.
