NM FAST is accepting applications for its fall SBIR/STTR accelerator cohort, a 10-week program designed to guide New Mexico small businesses and researchers through the full development of a Department of Energy Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer proposal package. The cohort runs from Sept. 22 through Oct. 27, with a four-hour wrap-up session on Nov. 17, all conducted virtually. 

The cohort meets weekly, taking participants through each stage of the proposal process from initial DOE SBIR/STTR orientation and letter of intent to scoping, budget development, objectives identification, technical narrative, and commercialization planning. The final session on Nov. 17 covers key personnel requirements, forms, the submission process, next steps for DOE Phase II, and pathways to other federal energy agencies. 

In addition to weekly instruction, participants receive 28 hours of individualized coaching support across the cohort. That support includes weekly office hours, guidance on company registration and principal investigator affiliation, technical objective review, proposal writing work plan development, budget preparation, and review of final proposal packages before submission to DOE. 

The program is designed for New Mexico-based founders, researchers, and small businesses working in advanced energy and related sectors who are preparing to compete for federal innovation funding. Targeted outreach is directed to rural, women, veteran, and minority entrepreneurs. 

"New Mexico has a strong base of researchers and deep-tech founders translating work from national labs, universities, and startup communities across the state, and DOE is one of the most active federal agencies funding that kind of innovation," said Carlos Murguia, director of the Technology and Innovation Gateway at Arrowhead Center. "This cohort gives founders in Las Cruces, Albuquerque, Los Alamos, and rural communities the structured support to move from a research idea to a competitive federal proposal." 

Applications are open now. The deadline to apply is September 10, 2026. Space is limited. Interested applicants can apply at https://forms.gle/vzHU2XoKQLgZ7AUF6.  

NM FAST is administered by Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University and operates statewide. Over more than a decade of programming, NM FAST has supported more than 470 New Mexico startups and helped companies secure nearly $28 million in federal SBIR awards. Targeted outreach is directed to rural, women, veteran, and minority entrepreneurs. 

The program is sponsored by the New Mexico Economic Development Department's Technology and Innovation Office through the New Mexico Entrepreneurship Programmatic Support Grant, which supports continued statewide programming for SBIR/STTR-eligible companies in the four priority sectors: advanced computing, bioscience, advanced energy, and aerospace.

The full article can be seen at https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/nm-fast-opens-applications-for-department-of-energy-sbir-sttr-accelerator/s/64ed6638-bc94-412d-87d7-437e0fe27e04