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Request for Information for U.S. National Science Foundation to establish NSF Tech Accelerators

Closed

NSF-RFI-FY26-TechAcceleratorsFederal

Submission Closed07/14/2026, 08:00:00 PM UTC

Contract Overview

Solicitation details, issuing organization, response deadlines, documents, and interested companies for this government contract opportunity.

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NAICS: 541715

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AI Contract Overview

The U.S. National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships is soliciting input through a Request for Information to establish four NSF Tech Accelerators, each focused on a high-priority deep-technology domain: Agricultural Technology, Materials Technology, Ocean Technology, and Scientific Instrumentation. These accelerators are designed to bridge the gap between basic research and commercialization by investing in early-stage, high-risk technology teams that are typically underfunded at the pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages. The initiative seeks organizations with demonstrated expertise in innovation management, business coordination across academia, industry, and investors, entrepreneurial support services, and deep technical knowledge in areas such as AI, robotics, biotechnology, and quantum. Each accelerator must be a domestic entity with the capability to assemble novel partnerships and structure operational models that foster risk-taking and accelerate technology translation, particularly through the “crowding in” of private capital over time. A key requirement is substantial cost-sharing, especially in later stages of development, ensuring alignment with market-driven outcomes. The selection process is structured as a competitive, multi-step Other Transaction (OT) contract formation under 42 U.S.C. § 19116(1), which operates outside traditional FAR-based procurement and financial assistance frameworks. Responses to this RFI are mandatory for any organization seeking eventual invitation to submit a formal proposal. Applicants must submit one response via the official OT submission portal, using the prescribed RFI response form, and may not respond as both lead and partner. Each response must be concise, under 400 characters without spaces, and must include the organization’s Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), domestic status certification, and website. Organizational capabilities, structure, size, and ownership must be clearly described. Successful respondents will be invited to submit formal proposals, for which SAM.gov registration is required prior to submission. The anticipated performance period for each selected accelerator is up to six years, incrementally funded, with potential for extension based on performance and funding availability. Deliverables will include comprehensive plans for project execution, staffing, technology development, intellectual property strategy, and impact measurement, along with monthly reporting from sub-recipients. The submission deadline is July 14, 2026, at 4 p.m. ET, and no reimbursement is provided for response costs. All submitted information becomes government property, and proprietary data must be clearly marked by the submitter.

General Info

NSF Tech Accelerators fund early-stage deep-tech teams in agri, materials, ocean, and instrumentation technologies.

Agency

National Science Foundation → Directorate For Technology, Innovation, & PartnershipsView Agency

NAICS

541715 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)View NAICS

Place of Performance

Alexandria, VA, 22314, USA

Set-Aside

NONE

Documents

(3)

NSF Tech Accelerators RFI Response Form

XLSX•rfi-response-form

NSF Tech Accelerators Informational RFI FAQ

PDF•rfi-faq

NSF Tech Accelerators Request for Information

PDF•rfi

AI Contract Breakdown

Uniform Contract Format

Timeline

1 update

PhaseClosed

PostedMay 27

Sources Sought

Amendment 1Jun 22

Contract was updated

Response DeadlineJul 14

Deadline has passed

Submission Closed

07/14/2026, 08:00:00 PM UTC

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Organization & Contact Information

AgencyNational Science Foundation → Directorate For Technology, Innovation, & Partnerships

Contacts1 person available

OfficeAlexandria, VA, 22314, USA

Organization / Agency

National Science Foundation → Directorate For Technology, Innovation, & Partnerships

View Agency Profile

Office AddressAlexandria, VA, 22314, USA

Contacts

Tech-Accelerators

contact@example.gov

Full Description

The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) introduces the NSF Tech Accelerators initiative to enhance the process of transforming research outputs emanating from basic research into scalable, market-ready technologies that strengthen the U.S. economy and enhance American national security.

NSF Tech Accelerators are new or existing organizations comprising a range of stakeholders (e.g., researchers, innovators, founders and entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and other investors, leading industry experts, government funders and beyond). They in turn invest in teams to advance their deep-technology ("deep-tech") ideas from the lab to the market. NSF Tech Accelerators focus on deep-tech areas currently under-invested at the pre-seed, seed and Series A stages and they demonstrate viability for these areas by, in part, "crowding in" investment from venture and other funders over time (note that a requirement of successful NSF Tech Accelerators will be significant cost-sharing on the part of the proposing teams especially in the later stages of technology development and commercialization).

NSF TIP envisions the new partnerships necessary for each NSF Tech Accelerator to comprise: (i) strong technical domain expertise in a deep-tech area, facilitated by high-value collaborations with experts in that area; (ii) understanding of the existing investment landscape, commercially-viable research directions and barriers hindering technological advancement along with pathways to address these challenges; and (iii) operational capability and agility to support teams aiming to accelerate their ideas from the lab to the market, including by creating opportunities for new thinkers from science and business to take risks and approach problems differently.

The novel organizational structures that can bring together a wide range of stakeholders in new partnerships, patiently invest in early-stage deep-tech teams and accomplish the lab-to-market outcomes described above are key foci for the NSF Tech Accelerator initiative. Consequently, this RFI seeks input from potential NSF Tech Accelerator applicants as well as the teams that would benefit from the NSF Tech Accelerators on the following topics:

The NSF Tech Accelerator program model – the needs in the deep-tech lab-to-market ecosystem not currently being met and how to overcome these with an eye toward impact and speed;
Organizational structures – the key stakeholders necessary to engage in this effort, along with the novel partnership modalities to foster that engagement; and
Suitable deep-tech areas – the key technologies where investment by NSF will be uniquely catalytic, complement existing efforts from deep-tech venture capital, other private sector and philanthropic investment and unlock matching commitments particularly for scaling. Note that NSF has identified four initial topics through prior stakeholder engagement, namely agricultural technology (AgTech), materials technology (MaterialsTech), ocean technology (OceanTech) and scientific instrumentation (SciTech) (refer to Appendix A for details) and seeks input on these topics and other areas ripe for this framework.

This RFI contemplates a competitive, multi-step Other Transaction (OT) contract formation process for the first set of NSF Tech Accelerators. NSF intends to select four organizations, one for each NSF Tech Accelerator topic. A prospective NSF Tech Accelerator organization must be a domestic entity and can only respond to one of the initial topics. Organizations interested in the NSF Tech Accelerator role are encouraged to fill out the RFI response form in its entirety. Organizations that do not submit a response to the RFI will not be eligible to be invited to submit a proposal.

Individuals and organizations interested in providing feedback on the NSF Tech Accelerators initiative are encouraged to respond to the Sections 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 of the RFI response form.

To learn more about the NSF Tech Accelerators program model, initial topics, and role of an NSF Tech Accelerator, including qualifications, capabilities and expertise, refer to the RFI.

Informational Webinar for the NSF Tech Accelerators RFI

June 5, 2026 | 1 - 2:30 p.m. ET

Join the NSF Tech Accelerators for a webinar to learn about the NSF Tech Accelerators initiative and RFI. The webinar will include a 60-minute presentation covering the initiative’s program model, details about the RFI opportunity and essential submission information and deadlines and the role of an NSF Tech Accelerator. A 30-minute Q&A will follow the presentation.

Webinar registration: https://nsf.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_jx8Kl1zFREyZOSMiNJ9DmQ#/registration