SBIR Phase II Winners and Award History

According to SBIR.gov data resources (opens in a new tab), SBIR/STTR award data is available for every award since inception through downloads and an API. According to the SBIR.gov API page (opens in a new tab), the APIs were still undergoing maintenance on October 18, 2026, so a public all-agency live pull wasn't a dependable source for this page. According to the NSF Seed Fund Phase II awardee page (opens in a new tab), NSF listed 265 companies with active Phase II awards across 39 states and territories on October 18, 2026 (the list changes continuously) and reports that 41% of 2011 to 2016 awardees received follow-on Phase II funding. According to the NSF 26-510 solicitation (opens in a new tab), posted May 22, 2026, Phase II proposals may request up to $1,250,000 for roughly two years, and only NSF Phase I awardees may apply, 6 to 24 months after their Phase I start date. The government-wide ceiling is higher: according to SBIR.gov (opens in a new tab), as of October 16, 2026 an agency can make a Phase II award of up to $2,239,578 without SBA approval. NSF's own $1,250,000 limit is the one an NSF budget has to fit.

Where official sources stop: official systems can show who received money, the award amount, and current solicitation rules. They usually do not tell a founder whether the Phase I evidence is strong enough for a Phase II proposal, whether the commercialization case is thin, or whether a different agency should own the next application. This guide adds that decision layer.

Phase II winner history is most useful after a Phase I final-results screen. If the company can't show technical progress, customer evidence, and a believable development plan, a winner table can make the route look easier than it is.

8 NSF SBIR Phase II Winner Records From 2025

This table shows selected NSF SBIR Phase II awards from the October 18, 2026 Grantsights pull. It is a public sample, not the full export and not an all-agency SBIR list.

The sample shows a different bar than Phase I. Phase I asks whether the risk can be tested. Phase II asks whether the company can build, validate, and move toward paying users. Weak Phase II drafts often sound like larger Phase I proposals. Funded Phase II records tend to show a more mature work plan and a clearer commercial path.

According to the October 18, 2026 Grantsights NSF API pull, the 2025 SBIR Phase II set had 99 awards, $118.4M in NSF estimated total award amount, a median of $1,244,177, and an average of $1,195,679; current obligations for the same awards were $121.5M. According to the same pull, the 2024 set had 100 awards, $99.0M in estimated total, a $999,812 median, and a $989,820 average. The 2026 set, all made after the restart, had 91 awards, $112.4M in estimated total, and a $1,248,176 median.

Next route: Pair this winner-history page with the SBIR Phase 2 guide, SBIR grants complete guide, SBIR agencies comparison, SBIR commercialization plan guide, and NSF SBIR guide.

2024 To 2026 NSF Phase II Pattern

The 2026 column covers less than four months of awards. SBIR and STTR authority lapsed on October 1, 2025, and the last 2025 Phase II award in the pull is dated September 18, 2025. According to the enrolled text of P.L. 119-83 (opens in a new tab), the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act, signed April 13, 2026, extends both programs to September 30, 2031. The first 2026 Phase II award in the pull is dated May 28, 2026, and 68 of the 91 came in July and August. California won 33 of the 91, or 36%, compared with 17 of 99 in 2025.

Do not read these counts as a success rate. NSF Award Search records show funded awards, not how many Phase I teams were invited, how many proposals were submitted, or how reviewers scored commercialization risk. That's why this page treats the NSF table as a source-backed comparison set, not an odds calculator.

5 State Signals In The 2025 Pull

State concentration is a peer-set clue, not a rule. A strong company in Nebraska, West Virginia, or Delaware can win if the agency fit is strong. A weak company in California should not assume the local ecosystem solves Phase II review risk.

For example, one Phase I company with working prototype data, signed pilot commitments, and a two-year test plan may be ready for Phase II even outside a top state. One company with promising Phase I experiments but no customer proof may need to wait, run pilots, or seek a smaller bridge route before writing.

What SBIR.gov Doesn't Tell You

Winner history does not decide route fit by itself.

Grantsights data adds the public decision screen: source method, award-year split, amount pattern, state pattern, and apply, wait, or skip logic.

6 Apply, Wait, Or Skip Checks

5 Proposal Screens From The 2025 Phase II Sample

According to NSF, standard Phase II proposals under NSF 26-510 can request up to $1,250,000 over 24 months. That cap matters because the Grantsights 2025 sample had a $1,244,177 median. A company asking for less than the cap should be able to explain why the development plan is narrower. A company asking for the cap should be able to show that the extra budget buys named validation work, not generic staff time.

For example, one North Carolina company in the 2025 NSF sample received a $1.24M Phase II record for printed electronics work. The applicant lesson is not "copy a hardware title." The lesson is that a development-stage project still needs a testable technical risk, user proof, and a credible build plan. Compare that route with the SBIR commercialization plan guide before assuming the proposal should lead with market size.

According to SBIR.gov, all participating agencies publish awards in the shared SBIR/STTR data system. That doesn't erase agency differences. An NIH Phase II application can hinge on regulatory and clinical evidence, while an NSF Phase II application can hinge on technical risk, market discovery, and the NSF Seed Fund review path. Use the SBIR agencies comparison and NSF SBIR guide before copying a winner table.

4 Budget Lessons From The Amount Pattern

According to the Grantsights pull, 2025 NSF Phase II records averaged $1,195,679 in NSF estimated total award amount. That figure should change how a founder plans the proposal budget.

The first budget lesson is to separate research, development, and commercialization work. Reviewers can tell when a Phase II budget is just a Phase I budget multiplied by four. The line items should show what becomes build-ready, what gets tested, what gets validated by users, and what moves toward sales or adoption.

The second lesson is to plan subcontracting before drafting. SBIR and STTR workshare rules can limit how much work leaves the company. A university lab, engineering firm, manufacturer, or clinical partner can be valuable, but the budget needs to keep the small business in the correct role.

The third lesson is to include the cash gap. Phase II winner history shows large awards, but it does not show the months between Phase I completion, proposal work, agency review, and award start. As a planning rule, a company with less than 6 months of runway after Phase I should treat financing as part of the proposal strategy, not an afterthought.

The fourth lesson is to avoid copying high rows. A $1.25M award does not mean every company should request $1.25M. One company building hardware, running field trials, and qualifying suppliers can justify a larger request. One company mainly writing software around known methods may need a smaller or different route.

How To Use This Page

This page gives a recent NSF sample, selected records, amount pattern, state pattern, source caveat, and route guidance.

Use it to decide whether Phase II remains on the shortlist before the company assigns staff time to a full package. SBIR.gov has the all-agency award data.

Sources

• SBIR.gov data resources - sbir.gov (opens in a new tab)
• SBIR.gov API page - sbir.gov (opens in a new tab)
• NSF Seed Fund Phase II active awardees - seedfund.nsf.gov (opens in a new tab)
• NSF Seed Fund Phase II apply page - seedfund.nsf.gov (opens in a new tab)
• NSF 26-510 solicitation - nsf.gov (opens in a new tab)
• SBIR.gov about page, award guidelines as of October 16, 2026 - sbir.gov (opens in a new tab)
• P.L. 119-83, Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act - govinfo.gov (opens in a new tab)
• NSF Awards API - api.nsf.gov (opens in a new tab)

Related Guides

• SBIR Phase 2 guide
• SBIR grants complete guide
• SBIR agencies comparison
• SBIR commercialization plan guide
• NSF SBIR guide
• SBIR Phase I winners