Ansys Evaluation Licenses

See if you qualify for an Ansys eval — three things, one ask.

Ask one question — "do I qualify for an evaluation?" — and if the answer is yes you get three things at once: a short-term Ansys evaluation license for the exact tools your problem needs, live engineering support from an assigned application engineer, and free self-paced learning to ramp up. It costs nothing to ask, no obligation either way. Evaluations are Ansys programs, granted through Ansys and its authorized channel partners at their discretion — we make the request easy and set you up properly if it's approved.

1 · The evaluation license

The real, full-capability Ansys products — not a size-capped student build — scoped to the physics your project needs, running on your geometry and your data.

2 · Live engineering support

An application engineer from an authorized channel partner is assigned to your eval — someone who has solved your class of problem — for setup, meshing, physics, and reading results.

3 · Free learning content

Self-paced Ansys courses matched to your tools, so you learn between sessions and keep the knowledge afterward.

What you can use it for

Evaluate — or build the MVP that wins funding

An evaluation is for proving Ansys can do what you need on your real problem. For many founders, that same work is the first virtual prototype — the feasibility evidence that strengthens a NASA Startup & Space Technology Funding proposal and the demo that moves investors. There are no strings on what you build; you're encouraged to put it to work on your MVP.

Reassure yourself

Confirm, with your own model, that Ansys is the right tool — and that you can master it — before committing a dollar.

Build your MVP

Produce the stress plots, flow fields, and thermal maps that de-risk the physics and make the pitch. The MVP playbook →

Any physics combo

Scope the eval across tools — Fluent + Mechanical for FSI, HFSS + Icepak for RF electrothermal — to test your real multiphysics workflow.

Straight answers

Questions founders ask

Does NASA take equity in my startup?
No. NASA's core startup programs — SBIR/STTR, NIAC, TechFlights — are non-dilutive: they fund your work without taking ownership. Tipping Point requires a corporate cost share (your own money in), and defense programs like STRATFI/TACFI require matching funds, but none of these are equity investments. Always read the specific solicitation.
I'm not incorporated yet. Can I still pursue NASA funding?
You can start researching and even developing a NIAC concept, but to receive an SBIR/STTR or most contract awards you must be a registered U.S. for-profit small business in SAM.gov and NSPIRES. Registration takes weeks, so incorporate and register early — the paperwork, not the idea, is usually the bottleneck.
What's the difference between a funded and an unfunded Space Act Agreement?
A funded SAA transfers money from NASA to you; an unfunded SAA transfers no money — NASA gives you facilities, test time, software, and engineers in kind, and you pay your own costs. The ACO program uses unfunded SAAs. It's one of the most misunderstood distinctions in NASA partnerships; we cover it in detail in our SAA guide.
Do I have to simulate my hardware before I fly it?
You're not legally required to, but in practice every serious space program simulates first, because launch, thermal-vacuum, and hot-fire failures cost months and millions. Simulation is also how you make a NASA demonstration plan credible to reviewers. It complements physical qualification testing — it doesn't replace it.
Can you get me an Ansys license and engineering help?
We can arrange an Ansys evaluation license, live engineering support, and access to free learning content through a channel partner. Evaluations and any startup-program terms are Ansys programs offered at Ansys's and the partner's sole discretion, and you're always free to use any partner you choose. This site is informational — nothing here is a guarantee or an offer.
Which NASA program should an early hardware team start with?
Usually SBIR/STTR Phase I for feasibility money, or NIAC if your concept is genuinely visionary and years out. Save Tipping Point, InSPA, and defense programs like STRATFI/TACFI for after you have real hardware maturity. Match the program to your stage — our funding map lays out the ladder.

Ask if you qualify.

Under 20 minutes to a reply during business hours.