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"U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences (IES) SBIR Program for AI Adaptive Tutors and Education Technology" is currently closed and not accepting applications.
ED/IES SBIR is the U.S. Department of Education's small-business commercialization channel for education technology, and its published technology scope names artificial intelligence adaptive tutors explicitly alongside games, assessments, VR, AR, simulations, data dashboards and assistive technologies.
That naming matters: AI tutoring companies routinely chase NSF SBIR or private capital without noticing that the Department of Education runs its own seed fund with an education-research review panel rather than a generic deep-tech panel. The structure is two-stage and the dollar figures are fixed, not negotiated.
Phase I gives USD 250,000 over roughly 9 months to build a rapid prototype and run a small pilot; Phase II gives USD 1,000,000 over 2 years for full-scale development plus an efficacy or usability evaluation. A Direct-to-Phase-II option exists for firms that already have prototype evidence.
IES released the FY2026 solicitations on 30 April 2026 with Phase IA and Phase IB closing 29 June 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT and Direct-to-Phase-II closing the same day at 2:00 PM EDT, so the FY2026 cycle has passed and the FY2027 solicitation is the next target.
The distinguishing feature of this program versus other SBIRs is the evaluation requirement - IES expects a research design, not just a build plan, and reviewers include education researchers who will read the learning-science claims behind an AI tutor rather than the model architecture.
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Or search similar grants →According to the current listing, eligibility includes: ED/IES SBIR is restricted to U.S. small businesses meeting SBA size and ownership standards for the SBIR program: for-profit, U.S.-based, majority-owned by U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and fewer than 500 employees. Universities and nonprofits are not eligible as prime applicants but commonly participate as subawardees or research partners, which is the usual route for a learning-science team to join an AI tutoring proposal. Phase I awards are USD 250,000 for approximately 9 months; Phase II awards are USD 1,000,000 over 2 years and are normally open only to prior Phase I awardees, except through the Direct-to-Phase-II track which requires documented evidence of equivalent prototype work. Solicitations are released annually, usually in spring, with proposals due roughly 60 days later and award notifications within 90 days. The FY2026 deadlines of 29 June 2026 have passed. Technical assistance from IES program officers is available before a solicitation opens but is prohibited during the open application window under FAR rules, so questions must be raised early. Applicants must download the current fiscal year solicitation from the IES SBIR site and verify topic scope, award levels, page limits and deadlines, which change between cycles. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows ED/IES SBIR runs two award lines. Phase I awards are USD 250,000 for an 8 to 9 month period to build and pilot a rapid prototype, and Phase II awards are USD 1,000,000 over 2 years for full-scale development and evaluation of the product. A Direct-to-Phase-II track carries the same USD 1,000,000 ceiling for firms that can evidence prior prototype work. amount_min of 250,000 is the published Phase I award and amount_max of 1,000,000 is the published Phase II and Direct-to-Phase-II ceiling. These are fixed award levels rather than a negotiated range, so budgets are built to the number rather than proposed against it. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
The published deadline was June 29, 2026, which has passed. Check the official notice for any future application windows before investing time in a proposal.
U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences (IES) SBIR Program for AI Adaptive Tutors and Education Technology is funded by U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (ED/IES SBIR). 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.
Violence Against Women Discretionary Grants for Indian Tribal Governments is sponsored by Department of Justice. To increase tribal capacity to respond to violent crimes against Indian women, and to develop and strengthen victim services in cases involving violent crimes against Indian women. This listing is currently active. Program number: 16.587. Last updated on 2024-11-26.
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The Institute of Education Sciences released its FY26 SBIR solicitations on April 30 with a single hard deadline of June 29. The triple-track structure — Phase IA for novel concepts, Phase IB for new components, and Direct-to-Phase-II for evidence-based scale-up — codifies a sharper theory of how federal dollars should move education technology from research bench to classroom.
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