Princeton, NJ — December 2025 — Fedsprout continues to expand its commitment to supporting early-stage innovators by strengthening its partnership with Nucleate, a nationally recognized nonprofit known for empowering the next generation of biotech and deep-tech entrepreneurs. Through webinars, free consultations, discounted services, and targeted startup support initiatives, Fedsprout is helping Nucleate founders access the guidance they need to turn scientific discoveries into real-world impact.

Webinars and Free Consultations for the Nucleate Community

In 2025, Fedsprout hosted a series of agency-specific webinars exclusively for Nucleate members, covering topics such as:

• Understanding SBIR/STTR opportunities at NSF, NIH, and DoD
• What makes a competitive proposal for each agency
• How scientific founders can approach early commercialization expectations
• Timeline planning, preparation strategies, and common pitfalls to avoid

These sessions brought together students, academic researchers, alumni, and early-stage founders from Nucleate chapters across the country, offering targeted guidance tailored to the federal agency they were preparing to engage with.

In addition, Fedsprout offered complimentary one-on-one consultations to Nucleate members, providing personalized feedback on proposal concepts, funding fit, and early commercialization strategy. These office-hour sessions remain an ongoing offering.

Startup Contest and Free Proposal Writing for Top Teams

To further support the entrepreneurial pipeline, Fedsprout launched a Nucleate-focused startup contest this year. Dozens of applicants from the Nucleate community applied, sharing their technology concepts and readiness for federal funding.

From this pool, Fedsprout selected two outstanding teams to receive:

• A free proposal-writing engagement
• Guidance on strengthening their innovation narrative and agency fit

This initiative was designed to help standout Nucleate founders accelerate their progress toward federal funding opportunities without financial barriers.

Dedicated Support for Nucleate Members and Alumni

In recognition of Nucleate’s leadership in cultivating scientific entrepreneurship, Fedsprout now offers exclusive discounted pricing on federal funding strategy and proposal development services for Nucleate members and alumni.

The goal is to make professional-grade proposal development assistance more accessible to founders who are often navigating the startup journey for the first time.

“Nucleate has built one of the most impressive student-led innovation communities in the world,” said Aalap Shah, President & CEO of Fedsprout. “We want to make sure their founders have the resources, clarity, and support they need to compete for federal funding and build thriving companies.”

Why This Matters

Fedsprout’s support aligns with the core belief shared by both organizations: early access to expert guidance can dramatically increase a founder’s confidence, clarity, and long-term success. Many Nucleate teams are building at the intersection of scientific innovation and societal impact — but they often lack exposure to federal funding pathways or commercialization frameworks.

“Fedsprout’s partnership enables our teams to approach SBIR/STTR funding not as an obstacle, but as a strategic opportunity. By equipping Nucleate founders with expert guidance, tailored webinars, and hands-on proposal support, they are expanding what’s possible for early-stage biotech innovators. We’re excited to continue building on this momentum together.”
— Caroline Steingard, Director of Operations, Nucleate

By combining Nucleate’s nationally trusted educational platform with Fedsprout’s expertise in non-dilutive funding and commercialization, the partnership provides meaningful, practical support where it matters most.

Looking Ahead

Fedsprout is committed to expanding its engagement with the Nucleate community in the coming year. Planned initiatives include:

• Additional webinars and virtual workshops
• More free consultation sessions
• New competitions, challenges, and proposal-readiness activities
• Continued discounted support for Nucleate members and alumni

These efforts reflect Fedsprout’s broader mission to build a more accessible, equitable, and innovative startup ecosystem — one where scientific founders have the tools and confidence to bring transformative technologies to market.