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Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (Department of Education - Institute of Education Sciences) is sponsored by U.S. Department of Education (ED), Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The ED/IES SBIR program funds the development and evaluation of new education technology products, including AI adaptive tutors, which directly relate to AI literacy and workforce training.
Small businesses with innovative education technology prototypes focusing on AI literacy for workforce development are highly relevant. The program emphasizes private sector commercialization after development.
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Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) | IES Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) 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 The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program at the U.S. Department of Education (ED) is administered out of its research office, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES).
ED/IES SBIR provides up to $1. 25M in funding in 2 phases: Phase I for $250,000 for 8-months for rapid prototype development and evaluation of new education technology prototypes and Phase II for $1,000,000 for the full-scale development and evaluation of new education technology products. Program solicitations for Phases I and II are released annually.
Proposals are due approximately 60 later with award notifications announced 90 days or less from the submission date. Projects begin shortly after the award date. Since its inception as a program in 2002, ED/IES SBIR has made 258 Phase I awards and 99 Phase II awards, including one Direct to Phase II award.
Product Innovation. ED/IES SBIR-supported awardees have brought emerging and innovative forms of learning and instructional technologies to classrooms, such as games, assessments, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), 3D-printing, simulations, virtual worlds, artificial intelligence (AI) adaptive tutors, data dashboards, and assistive technologies.
Many of our products have won national industry awards for technological innovation in education. Research. ED/IES SBIR emphasizes rigorous and relevant research for all projects – through cycles of iterative studies with end-users (e.g., students, teachers) to inform refinements to prototypes and pilot studies.
Many ED/IES SBIR awardees publish research results in refereed journals and briefs summarizing key findings. Many awardees partner with researchers to continue evaluating their product's effectiveness after commercial launch. Read how one firm received an IES Research Grant for a multi-year efficacy evaluation after the conclusion of its ED/IES SBIR project.
Commercialization. ED/IES SBIR focuses on private sector commercialization after development is complete so that products can be disseminated to schools and be sustained over time. Each year, more than a million students and teaches from thousands of schools across the country use technologies developed through ED/IES SBIR.
Read these Success Stories. Bringing Research and Practice. Many ED/IES SBIR awards focus on developing products to advance previous IES-supported or university-based basic research into modern, scalable products ready for commercialization in schools.
Here’s how one firm developed a technology-based platform in support of an IES-supported evidence-based intervention. Annual Innovation Showcase. The ED Games Expo is an annual public event in Washington, D.
C. , attendees of all ages can demo more than 100 educational learning games and technologies and speak directly with the developers. The technologies at the Expo were developed through the ED/IES SBIR program and across more than 20 other government programs.
Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) Federal Agency Sponsors About SBIR and Federal Agency Sponsors The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program was established under the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982 (P. L. 97-219).
Federal agencies with extramural research and development budgets over $100 million are required to administer SBIR programs using an annual set-aside of 2. 5% for small companies to conduct innovative R&D that has potential for commercialization and public benefit. At present, 11 federal agencies provide more than $2 billion annually to for-profit small business firms and their partners.
The federal agencies participating in this program include: the Departments of Education, Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Transportation; the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Science Foundation. The U.S. Department of Education operates its SBIR program through the Institute of Education Sciences.
The current SBIR Policy Directive is posted on this page. For more information on the SBIR program, please go to www. sbir.
gov . Technical Assistance Disclaimer ED/IES SBIR program personnel are permitted to address questions about the programs and provide technical assistance related to project ideas prior to the release of the annual solicitation.
Following the FAR regulations, please note that during the period of time when the annual solicitation is open, program personnel and other government officials are not permitted to provide technical assistance or respond to questions from individuals who are preparing proposals in response to the program solicitation.
Authentic Real-World Math Problem Solving in Tyto Online: Probability & Statistics Transforming STEM Learning: Local Ecosystems as Classrooms TrueMark: Developing a Teacher-Controlled AI Writing Platform
Based on current listing details, eligibility includes: For-profit small businesses with strong commercialization potential for innovative education technology products. Only recent SBIR Phase I/STTR awardees are eligible for SBIR Phase II. Applicants should confirm final requirements in the official notice before submission.
Current published award information indicates Up to $1.25M (Phase I: $250,000 for 8 months; Phase II: $1,000,000 for 24 months) Always verify allowable costs, matching requirements, and funding caps directly in the sponsor documentation.
The current target date is rolling deadlines or periodic funding windows. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, attachments, and final submission checks.
Federal grant success rates typically range from 10-30%, varying by agency and program. Build a strong proposal with clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and a well-justified budget to improve your chances.
Requirements vary by sponsor, but typically include a project narrative, budget justification, organizational capability statement, and key personnel CVs. Check the official notice for the complete list of required attachments.
Yes — AI tools like Granted can help research funders, draft proposal sections, and check compliance. However, always review and customize AI-generated content to reflect your organization's unique strengths and the specific requirements of the solicitation.
Review timelines vary by funder. Federal agencies typically take 3-6 months from submission to award notification. Foundation grants may be faster, often 1-3 months. Check the program's timeline in the official solicitation for specific dates.
Many federal programs offer multi-year funding or allow competitive renewals. Check the official solicitation for continuation and renewal policies. Non-competing continuation applications are common for multi-year awards.
Past winners and funding trends for this program
Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program is a grant from the U.S. Department of Education that funds innovative education technology prototypes and products developed by small businesses with potential for commercialization. The two-phase program supports rapid prototype development in Phase I and full-scale product development in Phase II, including games, simulations, virtual reality tools, AI adaptive tutors, and assistive technologies for classrooms. Awards are up to $1.25 million total — $250,000 for Phase I (8 months) and $1,000,000 for Phase II. Eligible applicants are for-profit small businesses with fewer than 500 employees.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (IES) is sponsored by U.S. Department of Education (ED), Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The ED/IES SBIR program provides funding for rapid prototype development and evaluation (Phase I) and full-scale development and evaluation (Phase II) of new education technology products. This program supports innovative R&D in education technology with potential for commercialization and public benefit.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, Phase I is sponsored by U.S. Department of Education (ED), Institute of Education Sciences (IES). The ED/IES SBIR program funds the development and evaluation of new education technology products, including assistive technologies. This includes AI adaptive tutors, which could directly relate to AI literacy and workforce training. The program emphasizes rigorous research and commercialization planning.
Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Education & Human Resources (IUSE: EHR) Program is sponsored by National Science Foundation (NSF). This program promotes novel, creative, and transformative approaches to generating and using new knowledge about STEM teaching and learning to improve STEM education for undergraduate students. It supports projects that bring recent advances in STEM knowledge into undergraduate education, adapt, improve, and incorporate evidence-based practices, and lay the groundwork for institutional improvement in STEM education. Professional development for instructors to ensure adoption of new and effective pedagogical techniques is a potential topic of interest.
The National Leadership Grants for Libraries Program (NLG-L) supports projects that address critical needs of the library and archives fields and have the potential to advance practice and strengthen library and archival services for the American public. Successful proposals will generate results such as new models, tools, research findings, services, practices, and/or alliances that can be widely used, adapted, scaled, or replicated to extend and leverage the benefits of federal investment. Applications to IMLS should both advance knowledge and understanding and ensure that the federal investment made generates benefits to society. Specifically, the goals for this program are to generate projects of far-reaching impact that: • Build the workforce and institutional capacity for managing the national information infrastructure and serving the information and education needs of the public. • Build the capacity of libraries and archives to lead and contribute to efforts that improve community well-being and strengthen civic engagement. • Improve the ability of libraries and archives to provide broad access to and use of information and collections with emphasis on collaboration to avoid duplication and maximize reach. • Strengthen the ability of libraries to provide services to affected communities in the event of an emergency or disaster. • Strengthen the ability of libraries, archives, and museums to work collaboratively for the benefit of the communities they serve. Throughout its work, IMLS places importance on diversity, equity, and inclusion. This may be reflected in an IMLS-funded project in a wide range of ways, including efforts to serve individuals of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds; individuals with disabilities; individuals with limited functional literacy or information skills; individuals having difficulty using a library or museum; and underserved urban and rural communities, including children from families with incomes below the poverty line. Application Process: The application process for the NLG-L program has two phases; applicants must begin by applying for Phase I. For Phase I, all applicants must submit Preliminary Proposals by the September 20th deadline listed for this Notice of Funding Opportunity. For Phase II, only selected applicants will be invited to submit Full Proposals, and only those Invited Full Proposals will be considered for funding. Invited Full Proposals will be due March 20, 2024. Funding Opportunity Number: NLG-LIBRARIES-FY24. Assistance Listing: 45.312. Funding Instrument: G. Category: AR,HU. Award Amount: $50K – $1M per award.
The California Department of Education (CDE) Early Education Division is making approximately .7 million available to expand California State Preschool Program (CSPP) services statewide, appropriated under the 2021 Budget Act. Eligible applicants are local educational agencies (LEAs), including school districts, county offices of education, community college districts, and direct-funded charter schools—both current CSPP contractors and new applicants. Funding supports full-day/full-year or part-day/part-year preschool services for income-eligible children beginning in FY 2024–25. Awards are allocated by county based on Local Planning Council priority areas and application scores, with redistribution provisions if county allocations are underutilized.