NCBiotech Small Business Research Loan (SRL)
North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBiotech)
$150,000–$350,000
Researched for this program: 4 rejection traps · 5 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
NC early-stage life-science R&D loan
The Small Business Research Loan (SRL) program invests $150,000 to $350,000 in innovative early-stage North Carolina life-science companies to fund research and development that advances a commercially viable product, plus business-development activities that position the company for investor funding or partnering. Unlike the Strategic Growth Loan, the SRL is aimed at earlier companies and does not require a matching equity investment. The company is the direct borrower. Pre-applications are by invitation after an eligibility review, and the program runs on quarterly rounds.
- Funding type
- Loan
- Level
- State
- Amount range
- $150,000 – $350,000
- Realistic amount
- Most SRL awards fall in the $150,000–$350,000 band sized to a specific R&D milestone. Earlier or first-time borrowers tend toward the lower-to-middle of the range.
- Deadline
- Quarterly deadlines; next: November 5, 2026 (then February 5, 2027). Applications are by invitation following an eligibility review with the NCBiotech Investments team.
- Status
- active
- States
- North Carolina
- Payment model
- loan
Who qualifies
- Innovative early-stage North Carolina life-science company
- Develops and maintains a significant operating presence in North Carolina
- Business registration in good standing with the NC Secretary of State
- At least one management-team member in NC dedicating 30+ hours/week to the company as primary employment
- Holds a valid license to the IP necessary for product commercialization
- R&D project with a credible path to a commercially viable product
Hard requirements
- Must be an incorporated business
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- R&D directly advancing a commercially viable product
- Preclinical/technical development
- Business-development activities positioning the company for investor funding or partnering
- Personnel and project materials
Ineligible expenses
- Activities outside North Carolina inconsistent with the operating-presence requirement
- Uses unrelated to the funded R&D project
- Refinancing unrelated debt
How to apply
-
1
Eligibility meeting with the Investments team
Eligibility is assessed by meeting one or more members of the NCBiotech Investments team. Pre-applications are by invitation only after qualification.
~4 hrs
-
2
Submit pre-application into the quarterly round
Invited applicants submit a pre-application describing the company, the R&D project, the commercialization path, and the requested loan, timed to the nearest quarterly deadline.
~12 hrs
-
3
Full application and review
Provide the full project plan, budget, IP/licensing documentation, team, and financials; NCBiotech reviews technical merit and commercial potential.
~20 hrs
-
4
Close the loan
Negotiate and execute the loan agreement and receive funds against the R&D plan.
~6 hrs
Because the SRL (unlike the SGL) does not require a matching equity investment, it is the better first stop for a genuinely early NC life-science company — use the eligibility meeting to get the Investments team's read before you invest in a full application. Frame the project around a specific milestone that makes the company fundable.
Deadline & timing
Like other NCBiotech company loans, the SRL runs quarterly. Eligibility is qualified first via a meeting with the Investments team; qualified applicants are invited into the nearest quarterly round.
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