1,000+ Opportunities
Find the right grant
Search federal, foundation, and corporate grants with AI — or browse by agency, topic, and state.
This U.S. Navy SBIR open topic (DON26BX03-NP002) solicits small-business innovation in counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS), seeking AI- and machine-learning-driven capabilities for detecting, identifying, tracking, and neutralizing hostile drones.
Areas of interest emphasize sensor fusion across radar, electro-optical/infrared, radio-frequency, and acoustic sensors; autonomous threat classification; and real-time decision support for layered drone defense. Phase I awards provide up to approximately $315,000 to establish feasibility, with a path to larger Phase II prototype development and potential transition to Navy programs of record.
The topic is part of the DoD SBIR/STTR FY26 cycle with proposals due July 22, 2026.
Get alerted about grants like this
Get emailed when new opportunities from “U.S. Department of the Navy (Navy SBIR/STTR Program)” or related funders appear. Free, weekly, unsubscribe anytime.
Or search similar grants →According to the current listing, eligibility includes: U.S. for-profit small businesses meeting SBA size standards (fewer than 500 employees), majority U.S.-owned, with all work performed in the United States. Principal investigator employment requirements apply per DoD SBIR policy. Certain efforts may require the ability to obtain facility and personnel security clearances. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows phase I awards up to approximately $315,000 USD, with competitively selected projects eligible for substantially larger Phase II development awards. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
Applications for Navy SBIR Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Open Topic DON26BX03-NP002 for AI Machine Learning and Sensor Fusion Drone Defense are due July 22, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, and final submission checks.
Navy SBIR Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Open Topic DON26BX03-NP002 for AI Machine Learning and Sensor Fusion Drone Defense is funded by U.S. Department of the Navy (Navy SBIR/STTR Program). 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.
Navy SBIR Predictive Movement for Object Tracking DON26BZ03-NV061 for AI-Driven Maritime Intelligence and Automated Tracking is sponsored by U.S. Department of the Navy (Navy SBIR/STTR Program). This U. S. Navy SBIR topic (DON26BZ03-NV061) seeks an AI-driven maritime intelligence platform for predictive movement modeling and automated tracking of vessels and objects of interest.
Navy SBIR Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Open Topic DON26BX03-NP002 for AI Machine Learning and Sensor Fusion Drone Defense is sponsored by U.S. Department of the Navy (Navy SBIR/STTR Program). This U. S. Navy SBIR open topic (DON26BX03-NP002) solicits small-business innovation in counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS), seeking AI- and machine-learning-driven capabilities for detecting, identifying, tracking, and neutralizing hostile drones.
This U.S. Navy SBIR topic (DON26BZ03-NV061) seeks an AI-driven maritime intelligence platform for predictive movement modeling and automated tracking of vessels and objects of interest. The effort emphasizes machine learning for trajectory prediction, anomaly detection, multi-source data fusion, and autonomous tracking to enhance maritime domain awareness and decision support. Phase I awards provide up to approximately $315,000 to demonstrate feasibility, with a path to larger Phase II prototype development and transition to Navy operational systems. The topic is part of the DoD SBIR/STTR FY26 cycle with proposals due July 22, 2026.
Public Scholars is sponsored by National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Division of Research. Public Scholars is a fellowship grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Division of Research that funds individual authors conducting research and writing for nonfiction books in the humanities aimed at the broad public.
The U.S. Department of Energy's SBIR/STTR program funds early-stage research and development by U.S. small businesses aligned with DOE science and technology priorities, including artificial intelligence and machine learning applied across advanced scientific computing, basic energy sciences, high energy physics, nuclear physics, and fusion energy. Recent topic cycles explicitly solicit AI/ML approaches such as machine learning for accelerator and detector operations, AI-driven materials and chemistry discovery, autonomous experimentation, and scientific foundation models. The program runs multiple release cycles per fiscal year (Phase I Release 1 and Release 2, plus Phase II), each requiring a Letter of Intent prior to a full application. Phase I awards fund feasibility studies up to roughly $200,000, with competitively selected projects eligible for substantially larger Phase II development awards.
TechAccess: AI-Ready America is a national NSF coordination program to accelerate AI literacy, workforce readiness, and deployment across all U.S. states and territories. The program supports three integrated funding mechanisms. State/Territory Coordination Hubs act as neutral convening entities connecting education, workforce, industry, and government stakeholders; they maintain AI resource inventories, develop strategic plans, provide deployment support, coordinate training initiatives, and facilitate sector-specific collaboration. A National Coordination Lead provides national strategy, supports hub operations, manages the AI Deployment Network, and coordinates across priority sectors. AI-Ready Catalyst Award competitions fund innovative pilot projects addressing high-priority AI readiness needs identified by the hubs. The program targets all Americans, with particular emphasis on supporting small businesses, local governments, community and technical colleges, and workforce development organizations across rural, tribal, and underserved communities. Letters of Intent are required and proposals submit in three rounds through 2027.
The Department of the Navy pre-released FY26 Release 3 SBIR/STTR on June 3, 2026 — 12 BAA topics and one Commercial Solutions Opening for Counter-Unmanned Air Systems. Topics span adaptive sensor management, anomalous behavior detection, satellite imagery optimization, real-time zero-trust data for combat systems, and gun weapon systems modernization. Technical questions cut off June 23. Proposals open June 24 and close July 22. NAVAIR and NAVSEA co-host a Counter-UAS webinar June 16. Phase I funding tops out at $315,000. The CSO open topic for AI-powered drone defense is the structural news: it's the first time NAVAIR has used a CSO vehicle to fund counter-drone work outside the conventional Phase I/II structure, and it changes how small businesses can engage with the Navy's most urgent capability gap.
Read articleOn June 3, the Department of the Navy pre-released FY26 Release 3 SBIR/STTR — 12 conventional BAA topics and a Counter-Unmanned Air Systems Commercial Solutions Opening. Topics span adaptive sensor management, anomalous behavior detection, satellite imagery optimization, real-time zero-trust data for combat systems, and gun weapon systems modernization. The proposal window runs June 24 to July 22, 2026. The technical questions cutoff is June 23. NAVAIR and NAVSEA are hosting a Counter-UAS webinar on June 16. Here is what the topic mix actually signals about Navy priorities and how small businesses should position.
Read articleAfter the five-month SBIR shutdown, the Navy is centralizing contract execution, aligning with Pentagon acquisition reforms, and promising faster awards. What defense tech startups need to know.
Read article