USDA AI

The USDA AI program, administered by USDA, provides funding up to $500K for innovative research and development. This federal program supports small businesses commercializing high-risk, high-reward technologies with significant commercial potential.

For ZHC builders, this offers substantial non-dilutive funding — you keep 100% equity while receiving federal R&D support. The program is particularly valuable for deep tech and AI innovations requiring significant development investment.

Basic Requirements

• Small business with fewer than 500 employees
• US-owned: Majority owned by US citizens/permanent residents
• US operations: Work performed primarily in the US
• Principal Investigator: Primary employment by the company

ZHC-Specific Fit

✅ Excellent for:

• Deep tech and AI innovations
• High-risk R&D projects
• Commercialization of research
• Patent development

❌ Poor fit if:

• Foreign-owned entities
• Pure research without commercial potential
• Large corporations

Application Steps

Required Materials

1. Technical proposal
2. Commercialization plan
3. Budget and justification
4. Team qualifications
5. Supporting documentation

• Official Website
• Grants.gov
• SAM.gov
• Agency contact via program page