Grants your AI startup
can apply for right now.

The flagship non-dilutive grant for US AI startups. NSF explicitly lists Artificial Intelligence as a funded topic — covering deep learning, NLP, computer vision, AI safety, and AI hardware. Phase I awards up to $305K for 6–18 months of R&D. Phase II extends to $1.25M. Zero equity taken. The program funds 400+ startups per year.

NIST runs its own SBIR program separate from NSF, focused on AI, semiconductors, cybersecurity, and measurement science. Phase I awards average ~$100K for 6 months; Phase II awards reach $400K. NIST awarded $3.19M to eight firms in early 2026 alone, with AI-enhanced simulation among the funded topics.

DARPA posts SBIR topics multiple times per year with combined Phase I + Phase II potential exceeding $6M per company. DARPA specifically favors small businesses over large primes for breakthrough AI work. Topics span autonomous systems, AI safety, swarm robotics, and national security AI applications.

NIH SBIR/STTR was reauthorized in April 2026, with the next standard receipt date set for September 5, 2026. 24 of 27 NIH Institutes fund small businesses. If your AI touches healthcare, diagnostics, mental health, drug discovery, or clinical workflows, NIH is the most relevant federal funder.

The DOE's HPC4EI program funds AI/ML-driven manufacturing and materials challenges, pairing small businesses with DOE National Laboratory computing resources. Awards up to $400K per project. New rounds open regularly throughout the fiscal year. Selected teams work directly with DOE National Lab staff.

NSF I-Corps provides $50,000 to teams conducting intensive customer discovery and market validation for technology-based innovations, including AI. The 7-week national program requires 100+ customer interviews. Over 1,400 funded teams have collectively raised $3.16B in follow-on funding. Rolling deadlines via regional hubs.

The SBA's GAFC awarded $9M nationally in FY2026, with individual awards of $75K–$150K to accelerators and innovation hubs that support pre-revenue AI companies. The program focuses on lab-to-market commercialization and capital formation for startups during business formation. Delaware-based accelerators can route funds directly to qualifying AI startups.

AWS runs an 8-week accelerator specifically for generative and agentic AI startups, providing up to $1M in AWS promotional credits, technical mentorship, community access, and a Demo Day with investors. Applications typically open in spring and close in fall. Credits cover GPU compute, storage, and all AWS AI services.

Google for Startups offers up to $350,000 in Google Cloud Platform credits specifically for AI startups (seed to Series A), plus access to Google's technical team, mentorship, and the Founders Fund cash prize program. Rolling applications accepted year-round. Credits cover Vertex AI, BigQuery, Cloud TPUs, and all GCP services.

The McGovern Foundation awarded $200K–$750K grants in 2025 to AI companies working on AI policy, health AI, AI literacy, climate AI, and responsible AI governance. Unlike most foundations, McGovern funds for-profit entities when the work has clear societal impact. Recent grantees include AI safety organizations, health AI platforms, and AI education companies.