1,000+ Opportunities
Find the right grant
Search federal, foundation, and corporate grants with AI — or browse by agency, topic, and state.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase IB is sponsored by U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES). This program offers funding for small businesses to research, develop, and evaluate prototypes of a new component to be added to an existing research-based education technology prototype or product. The new component must be distinct from the existing product.
Get alerted about grants like this
Save a search for “U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES)” or related topics and get emailed when new opportunities appear.
Search similar grants →Extracted from the official opportunity page/RFP to help you evaluate fit faster.
ED SBIR 2026: Phase IA vs Phase IB vs Direct to Phase II (Funding Breakdown) — BW&CO Department of Education - SBIR/STTR Opportunities (IA, IB, and DT2) Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section). The U.S. Department of Education (ED), through the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), is offering three SBIR funding tracks in 2026: Phase IA, Phase IB, and Direct to Phase II .
These programs fund education technology companies at different stages—from early prototype to full-scale commercialization. Phase IA: Build a brand-new product (early-stage) Phase IB: Improve an existing product (mid-stage) Direct to Phase II: Scale a proven innovation (late-stage) All three tracks are competitive and mutually exclusive (you cannot submit the same or similar proposal across tracks).
Application deadline: June 29, 2026 at 11:00 a. m. Eastern Time (ET) for Phase IA and IB, and June 29, 2026 at 2:00 p.
m. Eastern Time (ET) for Direct to Phase II. How much funding would I receive?
Phase IA: $250,000 for 9 months Phase IB: $250,000 for 9 months Direct to Phase II: $1,000,000 for 2 years What could I use the funding for?
Across all three tracks, funding supports: Research and development (R&D) Data collection and analysis Personnel and subcontractors Phase IA: Build a new prototype from scratch Phase IB: Develop a new component integrated into an existing product Direct to Phase II:Scale and commercialize an existing evidence-based innovation Are there any additional benefits I would receive?
Phase IA and IB awardees can apply for $1,000,000 Phase II funding the following year All tracks provide federal validation and commercialization support Direct to Phase II provides immediate access to $1M scale funding without Phase I What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?
White Papers per Program: Continuous, after the posting of Q&As (Preferred) Full proposals: By invitation only Government evaluates for viability If selected → invited to submit full proposal If selected → negotiation → award Not specified in the solicitation. Where does this funding come from?
U.S. Department of Education (ED) Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Who is eligible to apply?
For-profit small businesses Track-specific requirements: Phase IA: Little or no prior product development Phase IB: Must have an existing functioning prototype or product Direct to Phase II: Must work with an existing evidence-based innovation developed by a university or nonprofit and include the original researcher on the team What companies and projects are likely to win?
Phase IA: Novel, high-risk ideas with strong potential impact Phase IB: Companies with working products and a clear, innovative upgrade Direct to Phase II: Teams with strong research evidence and a credible plan to scale Clear problem-solution fit Strong research and technical approach Path to commercialization Are there any restrictions I should know about?
Cannot submit the same or similar proposal across Phase IA, IB, or Direct to Phase II Phase IA: Must be a new, independent product Phase IB: New component must be distinct and not a continuation Innovation must be originally developed by academic or nonprofit researchers Cannot already be widely deployed at scale How long will it take me to prepare an application?
Phase IA / IB: Typically 4–8 weeks Direct to Phase II: Typically 6–10+ weeks Identify the right track (IA vs IB vs Direct to Phase II) Position your company and product for competitiveness Develop full technical, research, and commercialization narratives Build compliant budgets and submission packages Review solicitation here.
Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning eXtended Reality Robotics & Autonomous Systems Other Tech U.S. DOT SBIR Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Phase I NIH, CDC and FDA Small Business Innovation Research Grant (Parent SBIR [R43/R44] Clinical Trial Optional) - PA-27-100
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Small businesses with an existing functioning prototype or product. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows $250,000 (Phase IB), $1,000,000 (Phase II). Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
Applications for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase IB are due June 29, 2026. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, and final submission checks.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase IB is funded by U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES). 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.
Educational Technology, Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities Program (Stepping-up Technology Implementation competition) is sponsored by U.S. Department of Education. This program aims to improve results for students with disabilities by promoting the development, demonstration, and use of technology; supporting educational activities of value in the classroom for students with disabilities; providing captioning and video description; and ens…
The Robotics Grant Program is a grant from the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) that funds school-based robotics programs for elementary, middle, and high school students. Awarded through a competitive application process, the program provides up to $3,500 to eligible local education agencies (LEAs) in Alabama. Applicants must be public school systems submitting on behalf of schools with K–12 students. The grant supports the purchase of robotics equipment and program development aligned with AMSTI guidelines. Applications are submitted online through the AMSTI Robotics Grant portal. The Fiscal Year 2026 application deadline was September 30, 2025. Questions should be directed to robotics@amsti.org. The program is managed by the Alabama State Department of Education under State Superintendent Eric G. Mackey.
The Institute of Education Sciences released its FY26 SBIR solicitations on April 30 with a single hard deadline of June 29. The triple-track structure — Phase IA for novel concepts, Phase IB for new components, and Direct-to-Phase-II for evidence-based scale-up — codifies a sharper theory of how federal dollars should move education technology from research bench to classroom.
Read articleED/IES released its FY2026 SBIR solicitations on April 30, 2026, with Phase IA and Phase IB closing June 29 at 11AM EDT for \$250,000 nine-month feasibility awards, and Direct-to-Phase-II closing the same day at 2PM EDT for \$1,000,000 two-year commercialization awards. The program funds edtech for special education, general education, and education research tools — a structurally underserved category that most SBIR-active founders never consider. Direct-to-Phase-II requires evidence-based innovations originally developed by universities or non-profit research organizations, which makes it one of the cleanest IP-licensing-to-commercialization paths in the federal portfolio. Here is the eligibility analysis, the phase structure, the question deadline that already closed, and how to position for the June 29 windows.
Read articleNSF's CAREER program — a minimum $400,000 over five years for pre-tenure faculty — has a single annual deadline on July 22, 2026. It rewards the integration of research and education, not research alone, and that is exactly where most proposals fail. Here is the eligibility math, the integration trap, and how to position in a tightening federal funding climate.
Read article