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SBIR/STTR Program FY2026 AI and Autonomy Topics for Defense Small Business Innovation is sponsored by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). DARPA's SBIR/STTR program funds small businesses developing breakthrough technologies addressing specific DARPA research priorities, including artificial intelligence and autonomy, with a focus on high-risk, high-reward scientific breakthroughs for national security.
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Or search similar grants →According to the current listing, eligibility includes: U.S. small businesses (fewer than 500 employees) with at least 51% U.S. ownership. Principal Investigator must be primarily employed by the small business. STTR requires a formal partnership with a U.S. research institution. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows phase I: Up to $250,000; Phase II: Up to $1,800,000. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
SBIR/STTR Program FY2026 AI and Autonomy Topics for Defense Small Business Innovation is funded by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Yes — this listing is flagged as national in scope, so applicants across the U.S. may apply, subject to the sponsor's other eligibility criteria.
Applications go through the funder's official portal — the Apply Now link on this page goes there directly.
Past winners and funding trends for this program
Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) is sponsored by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). The Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) aims to determine whether it's possible to build a utility-scale quantum computer by 2033. It solicits research proposals in quantum benchmarking and is structured in three stages: concept description, R&D plan, and validation/co-design.
Photonic Integrated Circuit Architectures for Scalable System Objectives (PICASSO) is sponsored by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). The PICASSO program aims to overcome fundamental physical limits preventing photonic integrated circuits from delivering large-scale computing advantages for artificial intelligence and other data-intensive workloads. It seeks innovative circuit-level design strategies to develop scalable photonic circuits with predictable system-level performance, focusing on continuous optical signal processing rather than incremental component improvements.
DPA26BZ06-DV023 is a Direct-to-Phase-II SBIR paying $700,000 over 18 months plus a $500,000 option. The physics demands 256x more transmit power than the systems that qualify you to compete, and DARPA will not accept modeling alone as proof. Here is the eligibility wall, the five engineering problems, and who can realistically win it before the October 21 close.
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Read articleDPA26BZ06-DV026 offers $300,000 at Phase I or $1,800,000 as a single Direct-to-Phase-II tranche with no options. The deliverable is a simulated auction market that measures whether AI agents deceive, collude, or manipulate the humans they serve — measured entirely from the outside. Here is the 90% efficiency gate, the team composition most bidders will get wrong, and why this topic sits in DARPA's biology office.
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