Last verified: October 14, 2026.
The Arizona Commerce Authority awards up to $3,000 each to six Arizona businesses per round to help prepare federal research (SBIR) proposals. The fall round closes Monday, November 2, 2026.
The SBA says it does not provide grants to start or expand a business, so federal money rarely covers everyday costs. Look to state and city offices, research awards and a few private programs, and never pay to apply.
Grants are only one option. See every way to fund your business.
Want the national picture first? See the small business grants hub.
At a glance: sources in Arizona
- State agency: Arizona Commerce Authority. Its homepage did not load for us today, but its FAST grant page below did.
- Local offices covered: 3.
- Programs below with details checked on their official pages today: 4.
State sources in Arizona
The Arizona Commerce Authority homepage did not load for us on October 14, 2026. Its FAST grant is listed below.
City and county sources in Arizona
| Office | Status | Official link |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Community and Economic Development | See official page | https://www.phoenix.gov/econdev |
| Phoenix grants, incentives and funding | See official page | https://www.phoenix.gov/residents/grants-incentives-funding.html |
| Maricopa County | See official page | https://www.maricopa.gov/ |
City and county grants often open for short windows. Check the official page for what is open now.
Programs open to Arizona businesses, verified today
AZ FAST Grant (Arizona Commerce Authority)
- Amount: up to $3,000 each for six applicants per round.
- Who qualifies: Arizona businesses that meet SBIR rules: a for-profit with a US place of business, more than 50% owned and controlled by US citizens or permanent residents, and no more than 500 employees including affiliates.
- Deadline: the Fall 2026 round closes Monday, November 2, 2026. The page lists a Spring 2027 round from March 1 to March 19, 2027.
- Official page: https://www.azcommerce.com/fast-program/
NIH Small Business Innovation Research (Parent SBIR)
- Amount: NIH's seed fund page points to $1.4 billion in small business funding; award sizes vary, so see official page.
- Who qualifies: only US small business concerns, as SBA defines them.
- Deadline: Grants.gov lists a close date of Monday, April 5, 2027. NIH uses set receipt dates, so see official page for the next one.
- Official page: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/359671
Tory Burch Foundation Fellows Program
- Amount: see official page. This is a fellowship with coaching and advisors.
- Who qualifies: a woman age 21 or older who owns the largest stake in a for-profit US business that is at least 51% women-owned and earns at least $75,000 a year.
- Deadline: applications close Tuesday, November 17, 2026.
- Official page: https://www.toryburchfoundation.org/fellows/
NASE Growth Grants
- Amount: up to $4,000.
- Who qualifies: NASE members in good standing when they apply and until the award is made.
- Deadline: ongoing. NASE says there is no single annual deadline and reviews completed applications each quarter.
- Official page: https://www.nase.org/become-a-member/member-benefits/business-resources/growth-grants
Other federal options in Arizona: search Grants.gov and SBIR.gov for research awards.
Free help and tips in Arizona
Small Business Development Centers, Women's Business Centers and SCORE offer free or low-cost counseling. Find one near you with the SBA local assistance locator.
How to apply
Read the official rules, register where the funder requires, gather documents and submit early. For federal grants, Grants.gov says to allow up to 10 business days for SAM.gov registration. See the full how to apply for a small business grant guide.
Here's a hypothetical. Saguaro Sensor Labs (a made-up business) in Tempe is drafting its first SBIR proposal. It applies for the FAST grant before November 2 to help cover proposal costs.
Red flags: grant scams to avoid
- Grants.gov says applying for a federal grant is completely free. A fee to get you a federal grant is a red flag.
- The SBA says it only emails from addresses ending in @SBA.gov.
- Be wary of anyone saying you won a grant you never applied for.
- Report it to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ and read the Grants.gov grant fraud page.
Next: other funding if no grant fits
If no grant fits, the full funding guide linked near the top of this page covers your other options. For other states, start from the small business grants hub.
Sources
All checked October 14, 2026.
- Phoenix Community and Economic Development: https://www.phoenix.gov/econdev
- Phoenix grants, incentives and funding: https://www.phoenix.gov/residents/grants-incentives-funding.html
- Maricopa County: https://www.maricopa.gov/
- AZ FAST Grant (Arizona Commerce Authority): https://www.azcommerce.com/fast-program/
- NIH Parent SBIR on Grants.gov: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/359671
- Tory Burch Foundation Fellows Program: https://www.toryburchfoundation.org/fellows/
- NASE Growth Grants: https://www.nase.org/become-a-member/member-benefits/business-resources/growth-grants
- SBA grants: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/grants
- Grants.gov applicant registration: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration
- FTC ReportFraud: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/