NIAID/NHLBI Innovator to Entrepreneur Program (ITEP)

May 5, 2026

Entrepreneurship Training Program for First-Time Entrepreneurs

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), in association with the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) provides training and resources for the Innovator to Entrepreneur Program (ITEP) administered by Foresight Science & Technology.

The Summer 2026 cohort is NOW FULL.

ITEP will assist aspiring entrepreneurs by providing 22 participants with cohort-based comprehensive training that covers the key elements of company launch, business strategy development, intellectual property protection, market research and customer discovery, startup financing, and small business innovation research (SBIR)/small business technology transfer (STTR) grantsmanship.

Starting June 2026, eligible participants will attend live training webinars presented by Foresight. The curriculum will cover topics necessary to understand the processes of business creation, operation, financing and technology commercialization and will assist in deep understanding of SBIR/STTR program.

The weekly webinars will be combined with one-on-one training with Foresight consultants. One-on-one training will be tailored to the specific needs of program participants. The goal of this training is to prepare participants for a virtual final presentation. This presentation will be a pitch of a mock business plan for a technology aligned with NIAID/NHLBI priorities, including plans to apply for NIAID/NHLBI SBIR/STTR funding. Upon successful completion of the program, participants will be equipped with the necessary knowledge, tools, and resources to launch and run a company and apply for diluted and non-diluted funding.

ITEP will be provided at no cost to all program participants. To be eligible for the program, participants must meet the following criteria:

Have little to no previous experience in entrepreneurship
Have not previously received a NIH SBIR/STTR award
Develop products that are within the scope of NIAID and NHLBI areas of interest

For questions regarding the ITEP, please contact:

Kelli Cardoso, Project AdministratorEmail: kelli.cardoso@foresightst.com

Phone: 401-273-4844 ext. 4009

Be sure to subscribe to the NIAID email list and NHLBI Newsletter to receive up-to-date information about ITEP and other opportunities!

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Martin Waters

RMD Inc.

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Mauricio Rodriguez

Nativo Inc.

“Having Foresight independently engage industry experts and validate our findings significantly boosted our confidence and credibility. Their analysis reinforced our discovery work and helped us gain stronger traction with stakeholders across government, military, business, and academia.”

Kim Reeves

Legacy

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Nadezda Ojeda

Water and Wastewater Quality Scientist

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Build with Circle

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