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Back to America’s Seed Fund (NSF / NIH SBIR & STTR Phase I) Scheme Overview
Official Assessor Preparation Checklist

America’s Seed Fund (NSF / NIH SBIR & STTR Phase I) Application Checklist

Step-by-step document schedule, eligibility rules, and assessor compliance items needed before submitting your application to U.S. Small Business Administration / NSF.

🌍 US
U.S. Small Business Administration / NSF
Funding: $275,000 – $305,000 Non-Dilutive R&D Grant
Application Readiness Score
0 of 8 Checked
0%Check each item as you gather documents to ensure a zero-defect submission.

1. Entity & Geographic Eligibility

0/3 verified

Registered business base in US

Assessor Mandatory

Must operate with commercial premises or trading address registered within the jurisdiction of U.S. Small Business Administration / NSF.

Headcount under 500 full-time staff

Assessor Mandatory

Official enterprise limit of fewer than 500 employees (including active founder-directors).

Trading history under 120 months

Assessor Mandatory

Must be within early-stage establishment window (less than 120 months since commencement of commercial sales or incorporation).

2. Required Assessor Document Pack

0/3 verified

Must be >50% owned by US citizens or lawful permanent residents

Assessor Mandatory

Ensure this item is fully drafted, proofread, and signed off prior to submitting the formal application.

Active registrations on SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and SBA.gov

Ensure this item is fully drafted, proofread, and signed off prior to submitting the formal application.

Submission of Project Pitch and formal Phase I technical proposal

Assessor Mandatory

Ensure this item is fully drafted, proofread, and signed off prior to submitting the formal application.

3. Procurement & 3-Quote Rules

0/1 verified

Itemised supplier cost breakdown & scope specifications

Clear written supplier proposals detailing scope of work, deliverables, timeline, and professional fees.

4. Budget & Matching Funds Verification

0/1 verified

Zero retrospective expenditure prior to formal approval

Assessor Mandatory

Ensure no deposits, invoices, or purchase orders have been signed or paid before receiving the formal Letter of Offer.

Assessor Timing & Retrospective Warning

Requires >50% US citizen/permanent resident ownership and all R&D work performed inside the United States.

Ready to assemble your grant pack?

Use Startup Preflight to draft, audit and compile your application.

Module A and K auto-generate the written concept, hiring schedule, financial forecast, and 3-quote supplier schedule in the exact format assessors expect.