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AFWERX is the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force powered by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), comprising four core arms: AFVentures, Spark, Prime, and SpaceWERX. The 2026 SBIR/STTR program supports U.S.-owned small businesses developing AI, autonomous systems, and dual-use technologies aligned with the Department of the Air Force's strategic goal of becoming an AI-first force.
AFWERX uses a predictable monthly cadence with pre-releases on the first Wednesday of each month, followed by one-month open submission windows. The program offers a structured progression from Phase I feasibility studies ($75K-$180K) through Phase II prototype development ($1. 25M-$1.
8M) to growth-stage funding via TACFI ($375K-$2M) and STRATFI ($3M-$15M), enabling small AI companies to scale from initial concept to operational deployment. AI focus areas align with the DAF AI Strategy released in 2026, including decision-support AI, autonomous platforms, AI for predictive maintenance, computer vision for ISR, and human-machine teaming. Upcoming FY2026 open solicitations include DoW SBIR Specific Topic 26.
BZ Release 1 (May 6-June 3, 2026), Release 2 (May 27-June 24, 2026), and STTR Specific Topic 26. TZ Release 1 (May 6-June 3, 2026).
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Or search similar grants →According to the current listing, eligibility includes: SBIR: For-profit U.S. business with 500 or fewer employees, at least 51% owned by U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Principal investigator must have primary employment (>50%) with the small business. STTR: Additionally requires partnership with a U.S. research institution (university or federal lab), with at least 40% of work by the small business and 30% by the research institution. STRATFI/TACFI eligibility limited to successful Phase II projects within 2 years of award. All applicants must register in System for Award Management (SAM). Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows phase I (Feasibility): $75,000-$180,000 for 3-12 months. Phase II (Prototype): $1.25M-$1.8M for up to 24 months. TACFI (Tactical Funding Increase): $375K-$2M for growth-stage Phase II projects. STRATFI (Strategic Funding Increase): $3M-$15M for strategically aligned post-Phase II projects. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
The published deadline was June 25, 2026, which has passed. Check the official notice for any future application windows before investing time in a proposal.
AFWERX SBIR STTR FY2026 with STRATFI and TACFI for AI and Air Force Innovation is funded by Department of the Air Force (administered by AFWERX in partnership with U.S. Small Business Administration). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
The FY2026 Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program supports basic research in science and engineering at U.S. institutions of higher education, with emphasis on multidisciplinary research where more than one traditional discipline interacts. The Army, Navy, and Air Force basic research offices are seeking applications across 22 topic areas including artificial intelligence and autonomy, information sensing and processing, and systems manipulation. MURI grants typically provide $1.25 million to $1.5 million per year for three years with option to extend two additional years. Approximately $170 million in total funding is available annually across all topics. The program is administered through the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Army Research Office (ARO), and Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR).
The NSF Convergence Accelerator is a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that funds multidisciplinary teams working to solve national-scale societal challenges through convergence research and innovation. Launched in 2019 under NSF's Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, the program operates in two phases: Phase 1 awards are up to $750,000, with successful teams advancing to larger Phase 2 awards. Eligible applicants include institutions of higher education and nonprofit or for-profit organizations. Track I and Track K focus on specific high-priority topics announced each funding cycle. The next deadline is June 15, 2026. Proposals must comply with updated NSF research security policies effective July 2025.
The AI3 Action Institute is a federal effort to build dedicated AI capacity within Native communities rather than fund a single applied AI project. The awardee establishes and operates an AI resource hub for Native communities, providing technology information, facilitating information sharing and technology deployment across tribal and Native-serving organizations, and conducting stakeholder engagement and coalition building across industry, government and academic sectors. Notably, allowable costs cover short-to-medium-term staff costs including the Institute's director as well as facility setup - a recognition that the binding constraint in this space is institutional infrastructure and staffing, not project ideas. The financial structure is the detail that most shapes strategy: with a $2,500,000 floor, a $3,500,000 ceiling and $3,500,000 in total expected program funding across a three-year period, this is effectively a single-award competition, so applicants should assume they are competing for the entire program rather than for a slot in a cohort. Eligibility is restricted to Native-serving entities - federally recognized Indian tribes, incorporated non-federally or state-recognized tribes, consortia of Indian tribes, Native community-based organizations, Urban Indian Organizations, Alaska Native villages and entities, Native Hawaiian serving agencies, Native Pacific Islander serving agencies, and tribal colleges and universities. That eligibility list is broader than many ACF opportunities, extending to Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander serving agencies as well as tribal entities. Applicants should expect the strongest proposals to combine an existing convening role in Native technology or education with a realistic plan for standing up durable staff capacity within the grant period, since a hub that dissolves when funding ends would not serve the program's purpose. The deadline is August 27, 2026, and applications are submitted through Grants.gov under opportunity number 362270.
On August 24, 2026, DOE and SBA signed a memorandum of agreement creating the Small Business Investment Company-Energy Initiative, pointing a $58 billion SBA-leveraged investment program at DOE's technology priorities. No application, no NOFO, no deadline. Here is how SBIC capital actually works, why a January 2026 rule change made this possible, and what a company sitting on a DOE Phase II award should do about it.
Read articleDARPA's DIAL program already had AI rediscover the Kalman filter and wavelets from scratch. SPEED DIAL (DPA26TZ05-DV003) funds the unglamorous next step: turning algorithm discovery into a tool that plugs into MATLAB, Simulink, and COMSOL. Up to $750,000 base plus a $1.25 million option, Direct to Phase II only, with a three-accomplishment feasibility gate and a mandatory university partner. Here is the milestone schedule, the interpretability requirement, and who is actually eligible.
Read articleBJA's FY 2026 Enhancing Security Measures for Houses of Worship solicitation (O-BJA-2026-172658) closes September 2, 2026 on Grants.gov with a $7.7 million pool, a $200,000 ceiling, and an eligibility and partnership structure that differs sharply from FEMA's Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Here is how the two programs divide the field, what the two-deadline JustGrants trap catches, and how faith communities should position for each.
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