What’s Inside:
NASA: 92 Phase I topics; due May 21
DoD: Release 1 in pre-release now; opens May 6; closes June 3-6 depending on component
DOE: No immediate Phase I deadline; Phase II for eligible Phase I awardees expected spring 2026
The reauthorization: I read the 14-page bill so you don't have to.
🗓️ Funding Opportunities Round-Up
What: DoD's first FY2026 SBIR/STTR solicitation is in pre-release with 90+ topics across Navy, Army, Air Force/Space Force, DARPA, and Defense Health Agency. Five more releases will follow on a rolling schedule through October. This is the first DoD SBIR window after a six-month authorization lapse; an analysis of SBIR.gov award data found DoD award counts fell 11% in FY2025 versus FY2024, while NASA and DOE saw much steeper drops.
What the government is looking for: Each component has different priorities and different award sizes:
Navy (heaviest contributor - 63 SBIR/STTR/D2P2 topics, plus one open-topic CSO): maritime autonomy, undersea warfare, directed energy, advanced materials for microelectronics, AI for threat intelligence. Topics come from MCSC, NAVAIR, NAVSEA, ONR, and SSP. Phase I typically ~$240K.
DARPA (5 topics - 4 in Biological Technologies): battlefield blood transfusion (SWiFT), regenerative medicine for extremity trauma, interoperable human/K-9 medical products (BARK), medical swarm robotics. Plus one Microsystems topic (photonic-electronic panel integration). This is unusually bio-heavy for DARPA. Phase I $140K-$250K depending on the topic.
Army (5+ topics): modular UAS payloads, blockchain in-transit visibility, Li-ion batteries, Ka-band metamaterial radar, xTech pathway. Award size and duration vary by topic - roughly $150K-$300K and 1-6 months depending on the opportunity.
Air Force/Space Force (AFWERX/SpaceWERX): DAF priorities include collaborative combat aircraft, C3BM (command/control/communications and battle management), contested logistics, counter-UAS, manufacturing/readiness, small UAS, and weapons technology. Phase I up to $200K / 6 months. Note: AFWERX lists DAF Release 1 closing June 6, slightly later than the June 3 date for other components.
Defense Health Agency (5 topics): military working dog injury treatment, infection detection wearables, antifungal compounds.
Who should look at this:
Hardware/defense teams with working prototypes (TRL 3+) and prior DoD experience.
Biotech/MedTech founders - if you've never considered DARPA, this release is worth a look. Four of five DARPA topics are biological technologies. DHA adds five more medical topics.
First-time DoD applicants - Navy's 63+ topics give you the widest selection to find a fit. But read the topic descriptions carefully: Navy rewards team credentials and prior performance.
Who can probably skip this:
Software-only companies without a hardware or integration angle. Most DoD SBIR topics require some physical deliverable or prototype.
Do: Go to dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app and filter by your technology area. The pre-release is live now, submission opens May 6. Technical questions are usually due 2-3 weeks before close - check each component's instructions. If you see a topic that fits, read the full description before committing - the title alone won't tell you whether they want a feasibility study or a working prototype.
NASA Phase I SBIR/STTR - 92 topics, proposals due May 21
What: NASA overhauled its entire SBIR/STTR structure. The annual one-shot solicitation is gone. It's now a standing BAA (Broad Agency Announcement) with rolling appendices released throughout the year. The first release dropped April 21 with 92 open topics across three appendices (73 SBIR and 19 STTR). Phase I awards are now up to $225K (a 50% increase from the old $150K cap). Phase II increased to $1.275M (was $850K). Max 2 proposals per company per appendix release, and limits reset with each new appendix.
What the government is looking for: NASA's topics span almost every directorate:
Lunar/Mars surface infrastructure - dust mitigation, regolith handling, surface power, 3GPP communications for the Moon, EVA suit design. Artemis is driving significant demand here.
In-space manufacturing and orbital economy - semiconductor/quantum materials production in space (CHIPS-QM), commercial logistics, robotic manipulation. NASA needs suppliers for a post-ISS commercial space station economy.
Aeronautics - sustainable aviation fuels, propulsion noise, AAM/VTOL, thermal management. Bread-and-butter NASA but with real near-term applications.
Instruments and sensors - planetary science instruments, space weather sensors, quantum sensing components, high-performance detectors and optics.
Computing and AI - quantum computing, computational AI, autonomous health management for small spacecraft.
Who should look at this:
Any hardware company in aerospace, materials, sensors, or energy storage - NASA's topics are unusually broad this cycle.
Founders with technology that has both space and terrestrial applications - the 50% award increase and rolling appendix model make NASA more accessible than before.
University spin-offs and STTR-eligible teams - 19 STTR topics, and the 13-month STTR timeline gives more room than the 6-month SBIR window.
Who can probably skip this:
Pure software/SaaS companies without a hardware or scientific computing angle.
Companies that need more than $225K to reach a meaningful proof of concept. Phase I is still a feasibility study.
Key change to know: At NASA specifically, TABA (Technical and Business Assistance) funds are now folded into the total award value, not added on top. Budget accordingly - if you allocate $6,500 to TABA, that comes out of your $225K, not in addition to it. Other agencies may handle this differently - the statute allows each agency head to decide whether TABA is included in or added to the award amount.
Do: Browse topics at sbir.gov/topics or NASA's 2026 info hub. Technical questions are due May 5. You have three weeks to submit. The 2-proposal-per-appendix limit means you need to choose carefully - but if you miss this window, another appendix release is coming later this year.
DOE SBIR moves to Office of Technology Commercialization
What: DOE restructured its SBIR/STTR programs under the Office of Technology Commercialization. New details: Phase I awards up to $250K, Phase II up to $1.6M each, with multiple sequential Phase IIs possible (up to 4 per project). Phase II topics expected spring 2026, Phase I solicitation expected later in 2026. Priority sectors: advanced manufacturing, biotech, critical materials, quantum, semiconductors, energy innovation.
So what: No live deadline yet, but the sequential Phase II model is a structural shift for energy/cleantech founders. Total funding per project could reach $6M+ across multiple Phase IIs. DOE is also one of the agencies that now has direct-to-Phase-II authority under the reauthorization.
Do: Subscribe to DOE OTC updates. If you're an existing DOE Phase I awardee, watch for the Phase II topics this spring - you'll get first shot.
Those are the live opportunities. Now for the bigger background question: the reauthorization was signed on April 13. What does it actually change? I read the 14-page bill.
The scenario
You're a scientist-founder running a small team. You saw the headline: "SBIR reauthorized through 2031." You felt a moment of relief - the program isn't going away. Then someone mentioned "proposal caps" and "strategic breakthrough funding" and you wondered if you missed something important.
You didn't miss much. Here's why.
The mistake
The reauthorization coverage falls into two camps: breathless takes calling it "a once-in-a-decade gift to every small innovator" and dismissive takes saying "it's just an extension." Both are wrong, but the dismissive camp is closer to the truth for most founders.
The law (S.3971, Public Law 119-83) has 10 sections. Two of them matter to the average SBIR applicant. The rest are either government-side plumbing (Phase III training for contracting officers, data tracking requirements), expanded security screening (relevant if you have foreign ties), or mechanisms designed for a very narrow set of companies. The strategic breakthrough allocation, for example, requires a prior Phase II, 100% matching funds, and market research supporting it as an effective solution to an identified agency need. Maybe a few dozen companies nationwide qualify.
The real story: Congress spent most of its energy on the "SBIR mills" problem. These are companies that collect dozens of awards for decades without ever commercializing anything. One analysis found that 25% of all SBIR awards from 2010-2024 went to just 70 companies, totaling 11,971 awards worth $5.3 billion. The proposal caps in Section 4 target these serial submitters.
The framework
The 2-3 provisions that might actually affect you:
1. Agencies must now make TABA available, and the amounts went up (Sec 7)
What changed: The law says agencies "shall authorize recipients" to select Technical and Business Assistance "if desired." Phase I recipients can access up to $6,500 per project; Phase II up to $50,000. You can now use TABA funds to hire staff, pay for I-Corps, or get cybersecurity assistance. You also choose your own vendor (the old agency-selected vendor model is gone).
Why this matters: Most founders don't use TABA because they don't know it exists or their agency didn't actively offer it. Now agencies must make it available. That $6,500-$50,000 can pay for a business advisor, market research, or compliance help you were going to pay for out of pocket anyway.
Watch out for: How TABA interacts with your award total varies by agency. At NASA, TABA is folded into the award amount. The statute gives each agency head discretion on whether TABA is included in or added to the award. Check your agency's implementation before budgeting.
2. Foreign affiliation screening got stricter (Sec 2)
What changed: The law requires agencies to evaluate whether applicants present a security risk, including examining relationships with entities or individuals on specified federal lists. It also expands due diligence to cover foreign ownership, financial ties, foreign affiliations of covered individuals and key personnel, investment relationships, technology licensing agreements, joint ventures, and business relationships involving countries of concern.
Why this matters: If you have co-founders, key personnel, or investors with ties to designated countries, your application will get additional scrutiny. This isn't automatic disqualification - but it means delays and potential denial if your disclosures don't match what the agency finds.
Watch out for: This applies to the due diligence process, which means existing awards could be affected if your situation changes. If you have any foreign affiliations, review your disclosures before your next submission, not after a flag appears.
3. Proposal caps are coming in FY2027, but probably don't affect you (Sec 4)
What changed: Starting FY2027, each agency's SBIR/STTR program director must set a limit on how many Phase I and certain Phase II proposals a company can submit - on a fiscal-year, solicitation, or topic basis. Agencies also have a waiver mechanism for urgent or time-sensitive topics.
Why this matters: It probably doesn't, unless you're submitting 20+ proposals per year across multiple agencies. The provision appears designed to curb SBIR mills, though the statute doesn't state that purpose explicitly.
Watch out for: The caps haven't been set yet. Watch for agency announcements in late FY2026. If you're a frequent multi-agency submitter, this could force you to prioritize.
What the law doesn't address: The reauthorization doesn't fix the valley of death between Phase I and commercialization. It doesn't reform the review process or address wired contracts. For most founders, the day-to-day experience of the SBIR program is unchanged.
The checklist
Does the reauthorization affect you? Quick check:
Do you have foreign co-founders, investors, or key personnel with ties to countries of concern? Yes → Review your security disclosures before your next submission. Read Section 2 of the law. No → No action needed on this provision.
Have you budgeted TABA into your proposals? No → On your next application, include up to $6,500 (Phase I) or $50,000 (Phase II) for business advising, market research, cybersecurity, or I-Corps. Agencies must now make it available. Yes → Check if the new amounts apply and whether your agency includes TABA within or on top of the award.
Do you submit more than 10 proposals per year across agencies? Yes → Watch for agency-specific proposal cap announcements in late 2026. No → The proposal caps won't affect you.
Do you have a prior Phase II, 100% matching funds, and market research supporting your technology as an effective solution to an identified agency need? Yes to all three → Look into the strategic breakthrough allocation (Sec 3). You may be eligible for up to $30M. No to any → Skip it. This mechanism wasn't designed for most companies.
One thing to do this week
Two actions, five minutes each:
1. Pick one opportunity from today's round-up that matches your technology area. Read the full topic description - not the title, the actual description. Check whether they want a feasibility study or a working prototype. That answer tells you whether it's worth three weeks of your time.
2. On your next proposal, budget TABA into your application. Under the new law, agencies must make up to $6,500 (Phase I) or $50,000 (Phase II) available for business advising, market research, cybersecurity, or I-Corps. Most founders leave this money on the table because they don't know to ask for it.
This is Edition 1. If you found this useful - forward it to a founder who's about to submit their first SBIR proposal. They need this more than you do.
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Till next time,
—Lana.