National Cancer Institute (NCI) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Innovative Concept Award Program – Fiscal Year 2027
Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).
Executive Summary:
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is seeking innovative technologies that address important problems in cancer research, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or survivorship through its FY27 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Innovative Concept Phase I Award Program.
This solicitation is designed to fund early-stage research and development projects that are responsive to one of the technical topic areas identified in the solicitation and have the potential for commercialization. Successful applicants must demonstrate that their proposed technology is innovative, technically sound, responsive to the selected topic, and capable of advancing toward a commercial product or service.
Applications must be received before 5:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time on September 21, 2026. White papers will not be accepted under this solicitation. Questions should be submitted by August 1, 2026 via email to the address listed in the solicitation.
How much funding would I receive?
The solicitation does not specify a single award amount because funding varies by topic.
Each topic within the solicitation identifies its own:
Maximum Phase I budget
Period of performance
Any topic-specific funding limitations
Applicants should refer to the individual topic description applicable to their proposed technology.
The solicitation does not guarantee that all proposals meeting the evaluation criteria will receive funding. All proposals are evaluated competitively, and the NCI is under no obligation to fund any proposal.
What could I use the funding for?
Funding supports research and development that is responsive to one of the technical topics included in the solicitation.
Projects should:
Address an important scientific or engineering problem
Present an innovative technical approach
Demonstrate commercialization potential
Align directly with the objectives of the selected topic
The proposal should provide sufficient information to demonstrate that:
The technical approach has a reasonable chance of meeting the topic objective.
The approach is innovative rather than routine.
The company has—or can obtain—the personnel and equipment necessary to successfully perform the work.
The solicitation also specifies that:
At least two-thirds of the research effort must be performed by the awardee.
Research and development work must be performed in the United States by the small business and its subcontractors, except where approved deviations are granted under rare circumstances.
Base SBIR funding cannot be used for market research intended to develop a new or expanded statement of work, although literature searches involving commercial database products are allowable.
Are there any additional benefits I would receive?
In addition to potential funding, selected performers may receive several forms of Government support during the program.
Government technical support
DARPA anticipates support from:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
NIST's Precision Photonic Synthesis Group within the Time and Frequency Division
The Government expects to provide information, analysis, and support related to vibration-hardened optical reference cavities and photonic microwave generation techniques.
Government-furnished information
By Month 6, DARPA anticipates providing performers with:
A Government reference design for a vibration-hardened chip-scale optical reference cavity
Associated design details
Test data
Government-furnished testing
At the end of Phase 2:
Final noise-performance testing will occur at a Government test facility.
Testing will use a Government-furnished airborne platform.
The Government will coordinate and execute the testing.
The Government will collect and post-process test data.
Potential follow-on opportunities
The solicitation states that:
Follow-on production contracts or transactions may be awarded pursuant to 10 U.S.C. § 4022.
During the transition between Phase 1 and Phase 2, DARPA intends to finalize technology application areas and notes there is potential for additional work based on architectural designs developed during Phase 1.
The solicitation does not guarantee any follow-on funding or production awards.
Are there any additional benefits I would receive?
Beyond Phase I funding, the solicitation highlights several additional benefits available to awardees.
These include:
Participation in the NIH SBIR program
Access to the NIH I-Corps™ program, which supports commercialization activities
Opportunities for specialized supplemental funding related to commercialization through Technical and Business Assistance programs, where applicable
Eligibility to compete for future Phase II funding if Phase I milestones are successfully achieved
The solicitation references I-Corps™ at NIH and Technical and Business Assistance as resources available to support commercialization efforts.
What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?
The solicitation establishes the following timeline:
Questions due: August 1, 2026
Proposal deadline: Before 5:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time on September 21, 2026
Proposals must be submitted electronically through the electronic Contract Proposal Submission (eCPS) website.
White papers will not be requested or accepted.
The solicitation does not specify when award decisions will be announced or when funding will be issued.
Where does this funding come from?
Funding comes from the:
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
within the
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
under the
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Innovative Concept Phase I Award Program
The solicitation is issued by the Office of Acquisition and Logistics Management, National Institutes of Health.
Who is eligible to apply?
Applicants must qualify as a Small Business Concern (SBC) in accordance with SBA regulations at the time of award and at any other required certification point.
The solicitation specifies that applicants must:
Qualify as a Small Business Concern under SBA regulations.
Certify eligibility on the proposal cover sheet.
Submit additional certification regarding size and ownership at award.
Perform at least two-thirds of the research effort.
Perform all research and development work in the United States unless an approved exception applies.
Have a Principal Investigator whose primary employment is with the small business (more than 50% employment).
Submit proposals responsive to one of the solicitation's technical topics.
The solicitation also states that the following may apply:
Joint ventures and limited partnerships are eligible if each participating entity qualifies as a small business.
Companies majority owned by multiple venture capital operating companies (VCOCs), hedge funds, or private equity firms are eligible but must submit the required VCOC certification with their pricing proposal.
The Department of Health and Human Services also limits each Small Business Concern (including affiliates) to nine new, renewal, resubmission, or revision SBIR/STTR submissions per fiscal year across all HHS SBIR/STTR activity codes.
Who is not eligible to apply?
The solicitation identifies several situations that would make a company ineligible or otherwise noncompliant.
These include companies that:
Do not qualify as a Small Business Concern.
Fail SBA size or ownership requirements.
Do not have a Principal Investigator primarily employed by the company.
Do not perform the required minimum percentage of research effort.
Perform research outside the United States without approved authorization.
Exceed the HHS annual submission limit.
Fail applicable SBIR commercialization performance benchmarks when those benchmarks apply.
Fail to submit required certifications, including the VCOC certification where applicable.
What companies and projects are likely to win?
According to the solicitation, competitive proposals are those that:
Present an innovative approach.
Address an important scientific or engineering problem.
Are responsive to the selected topic.
Demonstrate a reasonable likelihood of technical success.
Show clear commercialization potential.
Demonstrate that the company possesses or can obtain the expertise, personnel, and equipment needed to perform the work.
During review, proposals are evaluated for scientific and technical merit by peer reviewers knowledgeable in the relevant disciplines. The Government may also employ a multi-stage peer review process due to high proposal volume.
How competitive will this solicitation be?
This solicitation is expected to be highly competitive.
The solicitation states that:
All proposals are evaluated on a competitive basis.
Each proposal is judged on its own merit.
The National Cancer Institute is under no obligation to fund any proposal.
Scientific and technical peer review is conducted by experts, primarily from outside the Federal Government.
Review panels provide ratings and recommendations that inform award decisions.
Are there any restrictions I should know about?
Yes.
The solicitation includes numerous restrictions and compliance requirements, including:
Market research is generally not allowable under base SBIR funding.
Research must be performed in the United States unless approved otherwise.
Contract funds may not be used for promotional items.
Contract funds generally may not be used for conferences or food without prior approval.
Funds may not be used for abortion or human embryo research prohibited under federal law.
Funds may not be used for lobbying activities.
Funds may not be used for dissemination of deliberately false or misleading information.
Funds may not be used to promote gun control.
Funds may not be used for needle exchange programs.
Contractors must comply with E-Verify requirements.
Contractors must comply with anti-kickback, patent reporting, equal opportunity, and other federal contract requirements.
Additionally, applicants must include the required Appendix J – Required Disclosures of Foreign Affiliations or Relationships to Foreign Countries with their business proposal.
How long will it take me to prepare an application?
The solicitation does not specify the expected preparation time.
However, applicants should plan for substantial preparation because the solicitation requires:
Technical proposal
Pricing proposal
Required certifications
Registration requirements
Foreign disclosure documentation
Compliance with proposal formatting and submission instructions
Electronic submission through eCPS
How can BW&CO help?
BW&CO can help by:
Assessing whether your technology aligns with the appropriate NCI topic.
Developing a commercialization-focused proposal strategy.
Writing and editing the technical proposal.
Preparing required business and pricing documentation.
Reviewing eligibility, certifications, and compliance requirements.
Managing proposal development to ensure submission before the September 21, 2026, before 5:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time deadline.