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Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (DoD) is sponsored by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The DARPA SBIR program funds U.S. small businesses to develop innovative technologies that advance national security. This includes high-risk, high-payoff research that goes beyond current military capabilities.
There are specific topics such as 'Influence Benchmarks for AI Systems' which aims to develop a testbed utilizing economic frameworks to benchmark AI biases in dynamic environments.
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SBIR & STTR Programs Overview | DARPA Department of War organization. SBIR & STTR Programs Overview SBIR & STTR Programs Overview The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are designed to stimulate technological innovation.
These programs are the largest source of early-stage technology financing in the U.S. By creating opportunities for small business concerns (SBCs) to participate in federal R&D and technology transfer, these efforts drive competitiveness, productivity, and economic growth. Our Small Business Programs Office (SBPO) administers a uniquely robust SBIR/STTR program that centers on the needs of our program managers.
We release research topics monthly that connect SBIR/STTR efforts into larger programs. SBIR and STTR funding account for 3. 2% and .
45% respectively of our Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) budget. Key differences between SBIR and STTR opportunities include requirements that affect partnerships, outsourcing and level of effort, and employment of the primary investigator (PI). Partnerships are allowed but not required.
Awardee may outsource 33% of work under Phase I and 50% of work under Phase II. PI must be employed at least half-time by the awardee. Partnership with a university or other nonprofit research institution is required.
The minimum work requirements are 40% for the small business and 30% for the partner institution. The PI can be employed either by the small business or the partner institution. DARPA funds SBIR/STTR projects based on agency need and the status of the effort.
Efforts are structured in three phases, with varying durations and typical funding levels. Phase I efforts focus on scientific and technical merit and feasibility of an idea. Typical funding is $250K over ~6 months.
Phase II continues the effort following completion of Phase I. Typical funding, which may include co-funding, is $1. 8M over 24-36 months.
Follow-on Enhancement projects may receive up to $500K in matching funds (1:1) over 12 months. Phase III derives from, extends, or completes efforts under prior SBIR or STTR projects and focus on commercialization. Phase III efforts vary in duration and do not receive SBIR/STTR funds.
SBIR/STTR projects may be co-funded by or transferred to another DOW component or federal agency. Broad Agency Announcements What is a Broad Agency Announcement? The term Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), or Announcement, refers to the period of time that the Department of War releases topics to the public that convey their R&D needs.
What is the Announcement schedule? DOW pre-releases SBIR and STTR topics the first Wednesday of every month. Each Announcement has a pre-release, open, and close.
During the pre-release period the government is not accepting proposals, but small businesses can view the topics and discuss technical questions directly with the topic authors (contact information is available in each topic). Once the Announcement is open, direct questions with the topic authors are no longer allowed. To see dates, go to the Announcement schedule .
To view our current open Announcements, go to the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal , select “More Filters,” then select “DARPA” as the Component. Note that DARPA may not release a SBIR or STTR topic in a given month. All eligibility requirements for participation in the SBIR and STTR programs are outlined on the Department of War SBIR/STTR website .
Can an academic PI be a collaborator on more than one proposal for a single opportunity? For a U.S. company, can the PI be a non-US citizen? Yes, but there are limits if the topic is subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
Noncitizen PIS typically requires an H1-B visa. Are non-U.S. vendors allowed? The prime must be more than 50% U.S. owned (see 13 CFR § 121.
702 ). Proposal Submission and Formatting How do I know if there are topics being solicited in my field of expertise? A topic of interest to our firm has closed for submission.
Will this topic be released again? DARPA does not re-release topics. To keep informed about SBIR and STTR releases across the Department of War, join the listserv on the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation portal .
How can we submit questions about a specific topic announcement? DARPA uses email for all correspondence regarding SBIR/STTR announcements. Instructions for submitting administrative, proposal preparation, award, and technical questions are provided in each topic announcement.
All questions should be addressed to the email address provided in the announcement, must be in English, and must include the name, email address, and the telephone number of a point of contact. Questions submitted within 7 days of the proposal due date may not be answered. In the cost proposal template, the G&A rate applies to a subtotal that includes labor and overhead.
With other SBIRs and on the DSIP platform, G&A can be limited to labor. Is there a way to opt for this alternate calculation? On the Labor Rates tab of the template, you can modify the formula to accurately calculate a Fully Loaded Rate for your organization.
Note that this Fully Loaded Rate is not used in the Base or Option tabs. It exists for our proposal evaluation purposes. On Base and Option tabs, the G&A is calculated on row 63.
If the G&A cost should not be calculated based on the Subtotal Costs from row 61, you may modify the reference/calculation in cells D63, L63, S63, etc. to make the base number accurate for your organization. The topic information on the DoW submission site does not contain information on the award structure (budget or period of performance). Where can I find it?
Full instructions can be found on the DoW SBIR/STTR website . Look for the correct BAA (SBIR 24. 4 or STTR 24.
D) and the correct DARPA release document under that BAA. My proposal has been selected for possible award. Now what?
Selection triggers a series of actions involving DARPA, the contracting agent, and your organization. Our SBIR/STTR Contracting Overview explains this process, including pre-negotiation actions and pre-award considerations. DoW SBIR/STTR Interactive Participation Guide SBIR/STTR Policy Directive SBA SBIR/STTR Online Tutorials DoW SBIR/STTR FWA Resources --> RSS feed for Opportunities Transition & commercialization support
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: U.S. small businesses. Partnerships are allowed but not required for SBIR. The Principal Investigator must be employed at least half-time by the awardee. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows typical funding is $250,000 over approximately 6 months for Phase I; $1.8 million over 24-36 months for Phase II. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
Applications for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (DoD) are due October 21, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, and final submission checks.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (DoD) is funded by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). 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.
Past winners and funding trends for this program
SBIR Phase I — US Small Business Innovation is sponsored by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). This program provides early-stage funding for highly innovative R&D projects, with active funding areas including blockchain for federal applications, decentralized identity, AI safety, and quantum computing. It is non-dilutive and open to US-based small businesses.
Kidney Cancer Research Program (KCRP) Idea Development Award (IDA) is sponsored by Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity - DHACA. This award supports the development of high-impact ideas that advance the understanding of kidney cancer and ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes, with a focus on well-formulated, testable hypotheses and strong scientific rationale.
Pancreatic Cancer Research Program (PCARP) Patient-Centered Focus Area Award is sponsored by Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), Department of Defense. This award supports the exploration and development of impactful and innovative concepts under a patient-centered focus that could ultimately lead to major advancements in patients' overall quality of life.
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