What’s Inside:
DoD + Army: Release 1 is open. The Army just restructured how it picks winners
NIH: Seed Fund is officially back. Start registrations now.
DARPA: 6 new Microsystems topics opening May 27
The DoD Phase I pre-submission checklist: from "I found a topic" to "I hit submit."
🗓️ Funding & Connection Opportunities Round-Up
Army restructures SBIR around FUZE and early soldier feedback
What: The Army launched the FUZE program and a new Pathway for Innovation and Technologies (PIT) office to change how SBIR dollars are invested. Army program manager Zeke Topolosky: "We're not talking about delivery of low-rate production prototypes. We're talking about, can we get soldier feedback on this instead of waiting years?" The Army invested $414M in SBIR/STTR in FY2025 to 359 firms. Five new topics were released in April.
What this means for your proposal: The Army now explicitly wants dual-use technologies where the commercial sector is already investing. "If somebody comes to us with technology that only the Army really needs, it's not a real best use of SBIR." If you're applying to Army topics, your commercialization section and your dual-use case need to be specific and supported by evidence of commercial traction.
Do: If you're targeting an Army topic in Release 1, read the FUZE program page before you write your commercialization section. Frame your proposal around a real end-user need, not just a technology demonstration.
NIH Seed Fund is officially back. Start registrations now.
What: NIH officially announced that SBIR/STTR (the "Seed Fund") is reauthorized for 5 years. Forecasted funding opportunities are now on Grants.gov. NIH can resume noncompeting continuation (Type 5) awards for existing projects. Key warning from NIH: registrations take 6+ weeks, and late submissions will NOT be accepted (NOT-OD-26-064).
Who should act now: Any biotech, medtech, or health-tech founder targeting NIH. If you don't have your SAM.gov, eRA Commons, and Grants.gov registrations current, start today. The 6-week lead time means waiting for the NOFO to drop could cost you the deadline.
Do: Review the forecasted opportunities on Grants.gov. If you have an active project, contact your Program Officer about continuation funding. Check NIH's application prep resources and sample applications.
DARPA Release 2: 6 new Microsystems topics (opens May 27)
What: DARPA dropped 6 new topics under Release 2, all in Microsystems Technology. This is a shift from Release 1's bio-heavy mix. Topics: nanopore bioelectronics for next-gen proteomics, thermal management for extreme environments (SMART), compact wideband tunable RF filters, temperature-hardened electronics up to 800C (THERMAL), automated radiation-hardening with security codesign, and low-resource computing (reusing existing DoD hardware assets). Opens May 27, closes June 24.
Who should look: Microsystems, RF, thermal management, rad-hard electronics, and single-molecule sensing companies. The nanopore proteomics topic bridges bio and microsystems. The low-resource computing topic is unusual: it's about reusing existing hardware, not building new.
Do: Topics are on DARPA's SBIR page. Solicitation instructions are on DSIP.
"From the Source's Mouth" webinar sessions with SBIR program directors
What: Free monthly sessions connecting you directly with federal SBIR program directors. Upcoming: DARPA (May 13), DOT (May 20), NSF (May 21), NHLBI (June 11). No cost, registration required.
Why this matters: Direct access to the people who evaluate your proposals. For pre-submission prep, this is the most underused resource available. Ask questions about what they're looking for before you write.
Do: Register now. DARPA - May 13 · DOT - May 20 · NSF - May 21 · NHLBI - June 11
DoD Release 1 is open, and the biggest mistake I see founders make is starting to write before they understand what they're actually required to submit. The general BAA is not the whole picture. Here's the step-by-step
✅ The DoD Phase I pre-submission checklist nobody gives you.
New to DoD SBIR? Every abbreviation in this checklist is explained in plain English in our SBIR Glossary.
The scenario
You found a topic on the Army SBIR page that fits your technology. You have six weeks before it closes. You've written proposals before, maybe to NIH or NSF, so you feel comfortable with the process. You download the topic description, open a Word document, and start writing the technical approach.
Three weeks later, you discover that DoD has a completely different submission structure than what you're used to. The budget cap isn't what you assumed. The format rules are different. There's a required training module you haven't completed. And the page limit for the component you're applying to is different from what the general BAA says.
The mistake
Most first-time DoD applicants start by reading the topic description and the general BAA preface. That's necessary, but it's not sufficient. Every DoD component (Army, Navy, Air Force, CBD, DARPA, DHA, SOCOM, etc.) publishes its own submission instructions that override or add to the general BAA. These set the actual budget cap, page limits, format rules, and what's required in each volume.
The consequence: you write a 25-page technical volume when the component allows 20. The extra 5 pages are not reviewed. You budget $250K when the component cap is $209K. Your proposal is rejected without evaluation. You skip the Fraud, Waste, and Abuse training because nobody told you it was required. Your submission is incomplete.
The general BAA is the floor. The component instructions are the rules.
The framework
Phase 0: Registrations and access (do this first, weeks before the deadline)
1. Verify your company's SAM.gov registration is active
Why: Expired registration means you can't submit. Renewal takes 4-6 weeks.
Watch out for: If your SAM.gov name doesn't match your DSIP registration exactly, you'll have issues at submission.
2. Register on DSIP and assign PI role
What to do: Go to dodsbirsttr.mil. Create accounts for all key personnel. The Firm Admin creates the Firm PIN and completes Firm-level forms. Assign the PI role.
Why: All key persons must have active DSIP accounts. Firm-level forms must be complete before any proposal can be submitted.
Phase 1: Read before you write (the step most people skip)