*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: - Small businesses concerns must meetALLof the following requirements: <ul> <li>Proposers that have submitted aSBIR/STTR Fast-Track Project Pitch and received an official invitation from a cognizant NSF SBIR/STTR Program Officerwithinthe 4 months precedingthe proposal submission date. To start this process, proposers must first create a log in and submit a Project Pitch document via the NSF SBIR/STTR Fast-Track Project Pitch<a href="https://seedfund.nsf.gov/project-pitch/">online form</a>. The cognizant NSF SBIR/STTR Program Officer will use the Project Pitch to determine whether the proposed project is a good fit for the Fast-Track program.</li> <li>Companies qualifying as a small business concern are eligible to participate in the NSF SBIR/STTR Fast-Track pilot programs (see<a href="https://www.sbir.gov/sites/default/files/elig_size_compliance_guide.pdf">Guide to SBIR/STTR Program Eligibility</a>for more information). Please note that the size limit of 500 employees includes affiliates. The firm must be in compliance with the<a href="https://www.sbir.gov/sites/default/files/SBA%20SBIR_STTR_POLICY_DIRECTIVE_May2023.pdf">SBIR/STTR Policy Directive</a>and the<a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/">Code of Federal Regulations</a>. For STTR proposals, the proposing small business must also include a partner research institution in the project, see additional details below.</li> <li>The SBIR/STTR Fast-Track pilot effort shares the same goals as the NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I and Phase II funding opportunities, but the Fast-Track pilot programs have different eligibility requirements. Small businesses applying to the NSF SBIR/STTR Fast-Track pilot programs must have 1) a lineage of NSF research funding, 2) at least one Senior/Key Personnel to have undergone formal customer discovery training, and 3) the entire team must already be in place (not yet to be determined) at the time of proposal submission. If the small business concern does not meet all three of these criteria, their proposal will be transferred to the NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I program for consideration. <ul> <li>Lineage Eligibility Requirement.The technical innovation in the Fast-Track proposal must be derived from a prior NSF research award that is either currently active or was active within the previous five years from the date of submission of the Fast-Track proposal. The Fast-Track Project Pitch and proposal must include the NSF award number and title of the research award that is relied upon to meet the lineage requirement. The Fast-Track proposal&rsquo;s PI or at least one Senior/Key Personnel must have been supported under the lineage award. If the Fast-Track team member relied upon to meet the lineage requirement is named on the lineage award, no further documentation will berequired. If not, the Fast-Track proposal must include a letter from the PI or a Co-PI of the lineage award confirming that either the PI or a named Senior/Key Personnel on the Fast-Track team was engaged in research undertaken under the lineage award.In addition to regular NSF research awards (e.g., CAREER, individual investigator awards, center/institute awards, etc.),<a href="https://new.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/pfi">Partnerships for Innovation (PFI)</a>and<a href="https://www.nsfgrfp.org/">NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)</a>awards<span>do</span>count as NSF lineage forSBIR/STTR Fast-Track eligibility.<a href="https://new.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/i-corps/about-teams">NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps)</a>and<a href="https://seedfund.nsf.gov/">NSF SBIR/STTR</a>awards<span style="text-decoration: underline;">do not</span>count as NSF research lineage and <span style="text-decoration: underline;">do not</span> convey SBIR/STTR Fast-Track eligibility.</li> <li>Formal Customer Discovery Eligibility Requirement.Companies must have received formal customer discovery training, defined as follows, within the