The Small Business Research Loan program provides investments of $150,000 to $350,000 into innovative early-stage life sciences companies in North Carolina. The program supports:
- Research and development activities that advance commercially viable technologies and products
- Business development activities intended to help the company position itself for investor funding or partnering opportunities
Eligibility
For a candidate life sciences company to be eligible to apply for the Small Business Research Loan, it must meet the minimum criteria below:
-
Develop and maintain a significant operating presence in North Carolina. All applicants are required to establish and maintain a business registration with the NC Secretary of State. Preference will be given to companies that are engaged in significant research, product development, or manufacturing activity in North Carolina.
-
Be engaged in life sciences research, development, or manufacturing to develop a product or technology with commercial potential.
-
Have achieved a robust technical proof-of-principle of its technology for the intended product or application. Funding levels will be commensurate with stage of technology (e.g., achieved in vivo efficacy versus in vitro target engagement).
-
Have a dedicated management team. At minimum, one management team member in North Carolina is dedicating at least 30 hours per week to the company as his/her primary employment.
-
Have a valid license(s) to the relevant intellectual property necessary for successful product commercialization.
NCBiotech determines compliance with these requirements in its sole discretion on a case-by-case basis.
Application Process
Pre-Application: Pre-applications are accepted by invitation only following qualification of the applicant’s eligibility. Applicant eligibility is assessed by meeting with one or more members of the Investments team, after which qualified applicants are invited to apply into the nearest quarterly round. Pre-applications should describe the company’s management, technology, proposed project, and budget.
Full Application: Following competitive review of pre-applications, the strongest applicants will be invited to submit a full application further describing the company’s commercial opportunity, development and financing strategies, and other supporting documentation.
Review and Approval: Following competitive review of full applications, the strongest applicants will enter due diligence with a member of the Investments team to further evaluate the team, technology, and commercial potential. Final funding recommendations will be presented to NCBiotech senior leadership and a subcommittee of its Board of Directors for final review and approval.
Application Deadlines:
| Pre-Application Deadline: | Full Application Deadline: | For potential approval by: |
|---|---|---|
| November 3, 2025 | December 3, 2025 | March 6, 2026 |
| February 11, 2026 | March 16, 2026 | June 5, 2026 |
| May 26, 2026 | June 24, 2026 | September 11, 2026 |
| August 10, 2026 | September 14, 2026 | December 4, 2026 |
Loan Terms
The Small Business Research Loan consists of:
- A senior loan with favorable terms including:
- Five-year, fixed-term balloon note
- Interest rate equal to the current Wall Street Prime rate plus 2%, with a maximum rate of 7%
- A warrant to purchase company stock
For all SRL inquiries, please contact [email protected]