Steve Derezinski walks through the Small Business Innovation Research program as a funding route for technology startups, part of MIT's course 15.393, Nuts and Bolts of New Ventures, taught during the Independent Activities Period. He covers how SBIR grants work as non-dilutive government funding, which agencies run programs and how their solicitations differ, and what makes a proposal competitive against reviewers who are often scientists rather than investors. The session addresses the phased structure of SBIR awards, from small feasibility grants through larger follow-on funding, and how founders should sequence SBIR money alongside private capital. Derezinski draws on practical experience helping ventures pursue these contracts, giving concrete guidance on proposal writing, agency relationships, and common mistakes that sink applications. The seventy-five minute session is aimed squarely at founders of deep-tech and hardware startups weighing government funding as an alternative or complement to venture capital.