NSF Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines)
National Science Foundation — Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP)
Up to $160M / 10 yrs
Decade-long NSF investment in regional innovation ecosystems
NSF Engines are decade-long, place-based cooperative agreements that fund regional innovation ecosystems — coalitions of businesses, universities, governments, and community organizations — to become global leaders in critical technology areas. For-profit companies can serve as the lead organization or as core partners. Awards ramp from $15M (years 1–2) to up to $20M/year (years 6–10), capping at $160M total. The program prioritizes regions with less-established innovation ecosystems. The 2025 full proposal deadline was April 15, 2025 — the program is currently between-intakes.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Amount range
- $15,000,000 – $160,000,000
- Realistic amount
- Initial 2-year ramp-up award is $15M; continuation is performance-dependent. Awarded NSF Engines are typically announced…
- Deadline
- Between intakes — 2025 full proposal deadline was April 15, 2025 (invited teams only). 2026 cohort solicitation not yet announced.
- Status
- between-intakes
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- milestone
Who qualifies
- U.S.-based for-profit organizations (including small businesses with R&D or education capabilities) may serve as lead organization
- Lead organization must be a well-established entity capable of hiring a full-time CEO specifically for the Engine
- Tribal Nations, institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, state and local governments also eligible as leads
- Coalition must include meaningful participation from community organizations and underrepresented populations
- Focus area must align with NSF and national critical technology priorities
- Requires a compelling regional innovation vision with documented regional assets
Hard requirements
- Must be incorporated
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Salaries for the Engine CEO and core operational staff
- Subcontracts and subawards to coalition partners (universities, labs, community orgs)
- Research and development activities in the target technology area
- Workforce development and education programming
- Equipment and infrastructure for the Engine hub facility
- Community engagement and outreach activities
- Evaluation and performance measurement
Ineligible expenses
- Real estate purchase or construction (typically excluded; facilities must be leveraged or leased)
- Pre-award costs
- Voluntary committed cost sharing (prohibited)
How to apply
-
1
Monitor for new solicitation announcement
NSF releases periodic new solicitations for additional NSF Engines cohorts. Subscribe to NSF TIP updates and watch Grants.gov for NSF Engines opportunities.
~5 hrs
-
2
Assemble a regional coalition
Build a coalition of anchor institutions (universities, large employers), government entities, community organizations, and companies in the target technology area. Prepare signed letters of collaboration from at least 4–6 core partners.
~200 hrs
-
3
Submit Letter of Intent
Brief LOI describing the coalition, technology focus area, and regional context. Required for all teams. NSF uses LOIs to identify conflicts for reviewers.
~8 hrs
-
4
Submit Preliminary Proposal (if invited)
More detailed proposal of the regional vision, technology roadmap, and coalition structure. NSF reviews and invites a subset of teams to submit full proposals.
~80 hrs
-
5
Submit Full Proposal (invited only)
Comprehensive proposal including 10-year vision, governance structure, CEO hiring plan, technology roadmap, partnership agreements, and detailed budget for years 1–2.
~200 hrs
Full proposals are by invitation only after a preliminary review. Building the regional coalition — especially community partners — is more important than the technology pitch for getting invited.
Deadline & timing
NSF Engines has a 3-stage process: Letter of Intent → Preliminary Proposal → Full Proposal (invited only). The NSF 24-565 solicitation was the most recent active solicitation. Watch for a new solicitation or Dear Colleague Letter for the next cohort. Only teams invited after the preliminary proposal stage may submit full proposals.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.