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Fiscal Year 2026 ED/IES SBIR Program Solicitation (Phase IA, Phase IB, and Direct to Phase II) is sponsored by U.S. Department of Education (ED) / Institute of Education Sciences (IES). This program provides awards to for-profit small businesses and partners to develop and evaluate new research-based, commercially viable education technology products.
This includes artificial intelligence (AI) adaptive tutors, data dashboards, and assistive technologies.
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Fiscal Year 2026 ED/IES SBIR Program Solicitation Information | IES Fiscal Year 2026 ED/IES SBIR Program Solicitation Information Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program & Applicant Information Fiscal Year 2026 ED/IES SBIR Program Solicitation Information ED/IES SBIR: Frequently Asked Questions Preventing Fraud, Waste, and Abuse On April 30, 2026, ED/IES SBIR released its FY2026 Phase IA, Phase IB, and Direct to Phase II solicitations.
Deadline for Phase IA and Phase IB proposals: June 29, 2026 at 11AM EDT. Deadline for Direct to Phase II proposals: June 29, 2026 at 2PM EDT. Phase IA solicitation # 91990026R0003 is a request for proposals for $250,000 awards for 9 months for the research and development (R&D) and evaluation of prototypes of novel education technology products where no or limited previous technological development has occurred.
The novel education technology product that is proposed under the Phase IA solicitation is required to be independent from (will not be integrated with) any other existing education technology prototypes or products previously developed by the small business (or a member of the project team) and is required to employ a different technological approach from any other existing education technology prototypes or products previously developed by the small business (or any member of the project team).
The goal of the Phase IA track is to stimulate novel (i.e., first of its kind) approaches to solve pressing problems in education. Successful Phase IA awardees will be eligible to apply for a $1,000,000 Phase II award in FY2027 to fully develop and evaluate the new education technology product over a period of 2 years, and to prepare for commercialization.
Phase IB solicitation # 91990026R0004 is a request for proposals for $250,000 awards for 9 months for R&D and evaluation of prototypes of a new component to be added to an existing research-based education technology prototype or product. The new component is required to be distinct from the existing education technology prototype or product (i.e., not a continuation or expansion of the already-developed components).
The project plans for the technological approach to develop the new component is required to be different than the approach that was used to develop the existing prototype or product. The goal of the Phase IB track is to strengthen existing research-based prototypes or products in addressing pressing problems in education.
Successful Phase IB awardees will be eligible to apply for a $1,000,000 Phase II award in FY 2027, to fully develop and evaluate the component and the existing education technology product over a period of 2 years, and to prepare for commercialization of a new version of the product.
The Direct to Phase II solicitation # 91990026R0005 is a request for proposals for $1,000,000 awards for 2 years for R&D and evaluation of new education technology products to ready existing researcher-developed evidence-based innovations (products, interventions, practices) for use at scale, and to plan for commercialization.
Projects that focus on advancing innovations that are not evidence-based are not eligible for the Direct to Phase II program. The existing education innovation must have originally been created by researchers at either universities (or other academic institutions) or non-profit education research organizations. Direct to Phase II projects are awarded without a prior Phase I award.
The goal of the Direct to Phase II program is to support the successful transfer of evidence-based research to commercial products to be used at scale and sustained over time. ED/IES SBIR Proposal Preparation Requirements Each solicitation includes information and specifications on the requirements for that particular program.
As such, "offerors" (small businesses) that are considering preparing a proposal are strongly encouraged to review these solicitations to determine the most appropriate fit for a proposed project. Offerors are not permitted to submit the same or similar proposals under multiple 2026 (Phase IA, IB, and Direct to Phase II) solicitations.
Any duplicate or similar proposals that are submitted under more than one of these 2026 solicitations will be rejected without review. Offerors are permitted to submit multiple distinct proposals under the same or multiple solicitations, provided the proposals have different foci and goals. ED/IES SBIR requires offerors to registered on SAM.
gov ( SAM. gov | Duns - Sam UEI ) and to list their Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) in the proposal at the time of submission. Proposals without an UEI will be rejected without review.
If you do not already have a UEI registered on SAM. com please be advised, registration can take several weeks. Potential offerors are permitted to email questions to the Contracts Specialist listed in each solicitation by May 21, 2026.
Any reply by ED will be posted on the same SAM. gov website page as an Amendment to the solicitation. Per U.S. Government Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) , ED/IES SBIR program personnel (including Akilah Nelson and Shirley Huang), and other government personnel are not permitted to engage with potential offerors to provide technical assistance or answer questions while the solicitations are open and during proposal review.
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: For-profit small businesses. Partners, including non-profit firms or institutions, are permitted to collaborate, but the small business must lead the project. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows up to $250,000 (Phase IA/IB); Up to $1,000,000 (Direct to Phase II). Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
Applications for Fiscal Year 2026 ED/IES SBIR Program Solicitation (Phase IA, Phase IB, and Direct to Phase II) are due June 29, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, and final submission checks.
Fiscal Year 2026 ED/IES SBIR Program Solicitation (Phase IA, Phase IB, and Direct to Phase II) is funded by U.S. Department of Education (ED) / Institute of Education Sciences (IES). 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.
Fiscal Year 2026 ED/IES SBIR Program Solicitation (Phase IA and Phase IB) is sponsored by U.S. Department of Education (ED) / Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The ED/IES SBIR Program provides awards to for-profit small businesses to develop and evaluate new research-based, commercially viable education technology products, including artificial intelligence (AI) adaptive tutors, data dashboards, and assistive technologies. Phase IA supports novel education technology products, while Phase IB supports new components for existing research-based prototypes.
FY2026 ED/IES SBIR Phase IA Solicitation #91990026R0003 is sponsored by U.S. Department of Education (ED) / Institute of Education Sciences (IES). This solicitation provides awards for the research and development (R&D) and evaluation of prototypes of novel education technology products. The proposed product should be independent and without significant previous technological development.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program is sponsored by U.S. Department of Education (ED) / Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The ED/IES SBIR program supports the development and evaluation of new education technology products, including those using artificial intelligence (AI) adaptive tutors, data dashboards, and assistive technologies. It emphasizes rigorous and relevant research.
Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities Program (Stepping-up Technology Implementation competition) is sponsored by U.S. Department of Education. This program aims to improve results for students with disabilities by promoting the development, demonstration, and use of technology; supporting educational activities of value in the classroom for students with disabilities; providing captioning and video description; and ens…
The Robotics Grant Program is a grant from the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) that funds school-based robotics programs for elementary, middle, and high school students. Awarded through a competitive application process, the program provides up to $3,500 to eligible local education agencies (LEAs) in Alabama. Applicants must be public school systems submitting on behalf of schools with K–12 students. The grant supports the purchase of robotics equipment and program development aligned with AMSTI guidelines. Applications are submitted online through the AMSTI Robotics Grant portal. The Fiscal Year 2026 application deadline was September 30, 2025. Questions should be directed to robotics@amsti.org. The program is managed by the Alabama State Department of Education under State Superintendent Eric G. Mackey.
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.
Read articleED/IES released its FY2026 SBIR solicitations on April 30, 2026, with Phase IA and Phase IB closing June 29 at 11AM EDT for \$250,000 nine-month feasibility awards, and Direct-to-Phase-II closing the same day at 2PM EDT for \$1,000,000 two-year commercialization awards. The program funds edtech for special education, general education, and education research tools — a structurally underserved category that most SBIR-active founders never consider. Direct-to-Phase-II requires evidence-based innovations originally developed by universities or non-profit research organizations, which makes it one of the cleanest IP-licensing-to-commercialization paths in the federal portfolio. Here is the eligibility analysis, the phase structure, the question deadline that already closed, and how to position for the June 29 windows.
Read articleNSF's CAREER program — a minimum $400,000 over five years for pre-tenure faculty — has a single annual deadline on July 22, 2026. It rewards the integration of research and education, not research alone, and that is exactly where most proposals fail. Here is the eligibility math, the integration trap, and how to position in a tightening federal funding climate.
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