NASA SBIR 2026 Phase I Solicitation (Human Systems) is a grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that funds small businesses developing innovative technologies with strong commercial potential in the area of human space systems.

NASA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is a competitive, phased program supporting R&D with potential for commercialization, and Phase I awards establish the technical merit and feasibility of proposed research. The Human Systems focus area includes technologies supporting crew health, performance, habitation, and safety for space exploration missions. Phase I awards provide up to $150,000 in funding.

Eligible applicants must be for-profit small business concerns registered in the United States. The application deadline is May 21, 2026.

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Shift to a Broad Agency Announcement This year, the NASA SBIR/STTR program is undergoing a change from our traditional solicitation cycle to a Broad Agency Announcement, or BAA.

Traditional NASA SBIR/STTR solicitation cycle NASA SBIR/STTR Phase I “Mainline” Solicitation Contained the majority of subtopics for the program year NASA SBIR Ignite Phase I Solicitation Contained the remainder of subtopics for the program year Beginning this fall, we’ll be utilizing a BAA, which will empower us to release Phase I subtopics for SBIR, STTR, and SBIR Ignite over multiple appendices throughout the year.

New NASA SBIR/STTR solicitation cycle for program year 2026 NASA SBIR/STTR Broad Agency Announcement Outlines proposal guidelines and requirements Contains a small number of SBIR subtopics for proposal Additional appendix information To be announced at a later date Frequently Asked Questions What is a Broad Agency Announcement? A Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is a funding mechanism used to procure basic and applied research.

As outlined in section 35. 016 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), a BAA is used by agencies to fulfill their requirements for scientific study and experimentation directed toward advancing the state-of-the-art or increasing knowledge or understanding rather than focusing on a specific system or hardware solution. Why is the NASA SBIR/STTR program moving to a BAA?

The BAA opens up a world of opportunity for our community of innovators and for the Agency by allowing the NASA SBIR/STTR program to be more flexible and responsive. Through phased appendix releases, we can solicit proposals for both known and emergent technology needs in a way that can better adapt to changes in mission priorities and developments in the commercial marketplace.

Additionally, the phased release schedule creates more opportunities for small businesses to propose and participate throughout the year. When will the first appendix be released? The NASA SBIR/STTR BAA release is TBD.

This document will outline proposal guidelines and requirements. The pilot appendix release is TBD and will include a small number of SBIR subtopics for proposal. How do I know whether I should propose to the first appendix, or wait for others?

In the past, there have been limits on how many proposals can be submitted to the NASA SBIR/STTR mainline solicitation and a separate limit set on how many proposals can be submitted to the NASA SBIR Ignite solicitation. With the shift to the BAA, the NASA SBIR/STTR program will still have proposal limits, but they will reset for each appendix.

So, if there’s a subtopic you feel you’re well-equipped to propose to in the first appendix, don’t hesitate. What if the first appendix does not include relevant subtopics for my small business? If you don’t see the subtopic you were hoping for in the pilot appendix, you can look to our next appendix, release date TBD.

I am a current NASA SBIR/STTR awardee. Will the BAA affect my existing contract? The BAA will not affect existing NASA SBIR/STTR contracts.

These existing contracts will proceed according to the guidelines detailed in the solicitation to which you proposed. National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery. NASA en Español (opens in new tab) More NASA Social Accounts Office of the IG (opens in new tab) Responsible NASA Official: