Nucleus Grow gives Utah startups free help winning federal SBIR/STTR funding, including proposal reviews, $3,000 microgrants and $50,000 Phase 1 Bridge Awards. The one catch, says Director Dylan Doty: real R&D must back the product.
Salt Lake City, Utah — November 13, 2026
“There’s no such thing as free money,” says Dylan Doty, Director at Nucleus Grow. “Federal funding can be a lengthy and competitive process. Whether you’re pitching to investors or applying for a federal grant, it takes time and effort to succeed, and we’re here to help companies navigate that process.”
His team’s help, at least, costs nothing.
The pitch: free help with a $5 billion pool
Nucleus Grow provides specialized expertise helping startups navigate the complicated processes associated with federal funding, compliance, budgeting and commercialization.
Doty, Rebecca Gerth, and Alex Dalpe work with federal programs worth $5 billion that fund small businesses developing innovative technology. Washington backs these companies to protect national security, stay competitive, and turn scientific and engineering breakthroughs into commercial products.
Nucleus Grow helps Utah companies find the right opportunities and write proposals that win. The team offers one-on-one technical assistance, proposal reviews, and educational workshops.
The services are paid for by Utah Technology Innovation Funding (UTIF), so founders pay nothing. “Our services are free to Utah companies,” Doty said. “We help founders navigate complex federal funding programs and connect them with resources needed to succeed.”
What’s on the table
Nucleus Grow works with the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. It also offers $3,000 microgrants and $50,000 Phase 1 Bridge Awards, which Utah companies can apply for at no cost.
Doty says the payoff goes beyond the companies. “We are giving more resources to our consumers, to our war fighters, to our nation,” he said.
The catch
There is one, and Doty is upfront about it. “There needs to be some type of research and development behind the product, technology or service,” he said. Build something innovative on science and engineering, and “you are making the United States more competitive.”
Track record
Nucleus Grow has helped Utah companies win $400 million in awards and works with hundreds of companies every year, including developers of medical devices, therapeutics, and composite materials for war fighters.
Clients range from companies that aren’t fully formed yet to past award winners, and many return. “They keep coming back to us,” Doty said. “So no matter where you’re at in that stage of maturity, we have something that we can provide you.”
Meet the team
Dylan Doty directs Utah’s SBIR/STTR and other non-dilutive funding initiatives across federal agencies and leads the state’s SBA FAST Partnership Program. He joined the Nucleus Institute as a program manager in 2025 and became director in 2026. Before that, he spent three years as a project manager at the Utah Innovation Center, part of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, helping small businesses compete for federal R&D funding.
His path started in the U.S. Army, where he served as a platoon leader and operations officer at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He then managed commercial and municipal construction projects in the Washington, D.C.–Baltimore region. He holds a master’s in political science from the University of Utah and says he loves backing startups that solve big problems.
Rebecca Gerth holds a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh, with expertise in neuroscience, electrophysiology and biomedical research. She is co-founder and COO of Spike Neuro LLC, a neurotechnology company developing specialized neural probes, electrodes and recording systems for neuroscience research. Her experience includes securing and managing federal SBIR and STTR research awards and navigating the commercialization of advanced technologies. At Nucleus Grow, she serves as a Program Manager.
Alex Dalpe holds a master's degree in science from the University of Utah, with a focus on energy and environmental policy, information technology and data analysis. He brings 10 years of experience in federal and state compliance, budgeting and risk management. He also serves as a Program Manager at Nucleus Grow.
Whoever a client works with gets someone with a graduate degree and 10 years of program management experience, Doty said. “This team is stacked. The fact that they work for free to help companies is a resource that I think people need to get.”
The mission, according to the Nucleus Grow website, is to “turn bold ideas into marketplace ready solutions.”