North Texas nonprofit The Learning Bridge has been awarded a National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for $1 million to conduct research and development work on ADMITnGO, an edtech solution for college entrance and persistence in underserved populations.

ADMITnGo! is “a fun interactive game for the middle school and high school demographic,” Allen-based The Learning Bridge says on its website. The nonprofit adds that “each game will take a student on a fun learning adventure, teaching the ins and outs of college admission and preparation.”

The app aims to help students, particularly underrepresented students, learn about the college-going culture, and increase the admissions and enrollment of underrepresented students in college, particularly in STEM fields, the nonprofit said. It applies “a creative, original, and transformative process” to adapt the behavior of students and impact the college-going culture through mobile applications.

“We’re excited about this opportunity with the National Science Foundation and cannot wait to make our prototype available to further democratize access to higher education and meet global changes in workforce demand,” Learning Bridge CEO Laura Hayes said in a statement.

The ADMITnGo! development team includes Nat Tate, project manager and creative director, and software engineer Neng Ly.

More on the SBIR grant—and how nonprofits can get them

Learning Bridge said that once a small business is awarded a Phase I SBIR/STTR grant of up to $275,000, it becomes eligible to apply for a Phase II grant (up to $1 million). The nonprofit noted that small businesses with Phase II funding are eligible to receive up to $500,000 in additional matching funds with qualifying third-party investment or sales for a total investment of up to $2 million.

Entrepreneurs who submit a written Project Pitch will know within about a month if they meet the program’s objectives to support innovative technologies that show promise of commercial and/or societal impact and involve an appropriate level of technical risk. Startups and small businesses with innovative science and technology solutions, and commercial potential are encouraged to apply. All proposals submitted to the NSF SBIR/STTR program, also known as America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, undergo a rigorous merit-based review process, the organization said.

Social Innovation Accelerator and America’s Seed Fund 

The Learning Bridge is one of 10 organizations in United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ 2025 Social Innovation Accelerator. The 10 organizations in the 2025 accelerator are:

•  The GEMS Camp

• CardiacFITT

• Dementia Care Warriors

• Hear My Cry Foundation

• ATLAST’s La Tiendita

• Housing Connector

• The Learning Bridge

• Urban Arts Collective

• Creative Flow School

• The Mama Wellness Foundation

America’s Seed Fund awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses that are transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across nearly all areas of science and technology can receive up to $2 million to support research and development, helping de-risk technology for commercial success.

America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated via the Small Business Innovation Research program.

The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $8.5 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering.

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