Accelerated Research for Transition (ART) Program

Accelerated Research for Transition (ART) Program is sponsored by DoW Office for Small Business Innovation. The ART program is a Department of War (DoW) initiative designed to help promising SBIR/STTR technologies transition from research into actual military use.

An overview of the ART program at DoW - Center for Technology Commercialization The Accelerated Research for Transition (ART) program is a Department of War (DoW) initiative designed to help promising SBIR/STTR technologies transition from research into actual military use. Its core purpose is to bridge what is commonly called the “valley of death”—the gap between successful R&D funding and formal acquisition or fielding by the DoW.

Unlike exploratory research programs, ART is a technology pull program, meaning the demand must already exist from a DoW program or component. The program does not fund speculative technology hoping someone will adopt it later. ART is administered by the DoW Office for Small Business Innovation, as part of the broader SBIR/STTR ecosystem supporting small businesses working on defense‑relevant technologies.

The ART program is designed to accelerate transition of more mature SBIR/STTR technologies into programs of record, active acquisition programs, and Phase III contracts. It aims to align funding and technical resources around DoW modernization priorities.

The program encourages reach‑back into previously developed SBIR/STTR technologies instead of starting from scratch, which it hopes will reduce transition risk for both the government and small businesses. A project would be eligible for ART if there is a clear, documented commitment from a DoW sponsoring organization.

The sponsoring organization must need the technology, be prepared to integrate or acquire it, and actively participate in the transition planning. This requirement is central to ART’s philosophy of funding what the warfighter already wants. ART provides matching funds on a 1:1 basis, with 1 dollar from a DoW sponsor to be matched by 1 dollar from the ART program.

These funds would then be applied to an existing or new SBIR/STTR Phase II effort, including an active Phase II contract or a second Phase II contract. Participation requires a formal Technology Transition Agreement (TTA) between the sponsoring organization and the ART program.

This TTA commits the sponsor to transitioning the technology, documents the acquisition and integration plan, and identifies all funding needed to complete transition. The TTA is a major differentiator from earlier‑stage SBIR efforts and is intended to enforce accountability and realism.

ART may be especially useful for small businesses with successful Phase II SBIR/STTR results for technologies that are technically mature but not yet acquired. It is not well suited for early‑stage/exploratory research, technologies without a committed sponsor, and projects hoping to find a customer later.

ART exists to move proven SBIR/STTR technologies across the finish line and into real‑world DoW use — faster, with shared risk, and with a sponsor already on board. SBIR/STTR Reauthorization 2026: What Applicants and Awardees Need to Know After a six-month lapse in authorization, the SBIR and STTR programs were officially reauthorized on April 13, 2026, through the passage of the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act (S.