xTech|Phantum Competition (ARM26BX01-NP003)

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

The U.S. Army is seeking small businesses developing quantum sensors and photonics technologies through the xTech|Phantum Competition. This is a gated pathway to SBIR funding—only competition winners can submit a Phase I proposal. Companies can earn prize money, engage directly with the Department of War, and position themselves for follow-on SBIR funding.

White paper submission deadline: May 6, 2026

How much funding would I receive?

• Phase I SBIR:

  • Up to $300,000

  • 6-month period of performance

• Prize money:

  • Not specified in the solicitation

What could I use the funding for?

Phase I funding is for feasibility and concept development, including:

• Demonstrating technical advantage over existing solutions

• Developing concept plans aligned with Army modernization priorities

• Providing supporting technical literature and performance data

• Building a commercialization strategy (defense and commercial markets)

• Creating a technology development roadmap

• Delivering a concept demonstration at the end of Phase I

Technology focus areas include:

• Quantum sensors and quantum clocks for non-GPS PNT

• Quantum RF sensors

• Quantum electromagnetic sensors

• Photonics for communications and edge processing

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

• Direct engagement with the Department of War (DoW)

• Feedback from Army stakeholders to accelerate technology development

• Entry into the Army’s Science & Technology ecosystem

• Eligibility to submit a Phase I SBIR proposal (only if selected as a winner)

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

• White paper submission deadline: May 6, 2026

• xTech|Phantum competition selection timeline: Not specified

• Phase I SBIR award timing: Not specified

• Phase I performance period: 6 months

Where does this funding come from?

• Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT))

• U.S. Army Directorate for Strategy & Transformation (DAMI-ST)

• Delivered via the xTech|Phantum Competition and Army SBIR program

Who is eligible to apply?

• Must participate in the xTech|Phantum competition

• Only competition winners are eligible to submit a Phase I SBIR proposal

Additional eligibility requirements are not specified in the provided document.

What companies and projects are likely to win?

The Army is prioritizing companies developing:

• Quantum technologies enabling non-GPS positioning, navigation, and timing

• Quantum RF sensors with improved sensitivity, bandwidth, and SWaP

• Electromagnetic sensors detecting low-power or non-RF signals

• Photonics systems for secure, high-speed communications and edge computing

Strong applications will:

• Demonstrate clear technical feasibility and differentiation

• Show dual-use commercial potential

• Align directly with Army modernization priorities

• Provide credible pathways to prototype and field deployment

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

• Only xTech|Phantum competition winners can submit a Phase I SBIR proposal

• Proposals from non-participants or non-winners will not be evaluated

• CMMC requirement: Level 1

Other restrictions (e.g., cost share, ownership constraints) are not specified.

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

• Not specified in the solicitation

• Application requires submission of a white paper by May 6, 2026

How can BW&CO help?

BW&CO can support across both stages of this opportunity:

• xTech white paper strategy and drafting

• Positioning your technology against Army priorities

• Translating commercial tech into defense use cases

• Preparing a competitive Phase I SBIR proposal (if selected)

• Building commercialization and transition plans aligned with Army expectations

Additional Resources

Review solicitation here.

Engage SOF (eSOF) Capabilities of Interest – U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

USSOCOM’s Engage SOF (eSOF) program provides a rolling pathway for companies to submit technologies aligned with Special Operations Forces (SOF) capability needs. Selected solutions may receive funding through contracts, OTAs, SBIR/STTR, or other mechanisms. Submissions are open through December 31, 2026.

How much funding would I receive?

Estimated $500K to $5 Million - Funding is not fixed. Awards vary depending on the pathway and may include contracts, OTAs, SBIR/STTR, CRADAs, or prize competitions.

What could I use the funding for?

Projects must align with USSOCOM Capabilities of Interest (CoIs), including (full list here):

• Aviation Systems

• Biometrics and Forensics

• Command, Control, Communications, and Computers (C4)

• Cyberspace Operations

• Human Performance/Human Machine Interface

• Information Operations

• Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR)

• Irregular Warfare

• Medical Technology

• Canine Medicine

• Mobility

• Power and Energy

• Soldier Systems

• Weapons and Electronic Attack

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Beyond direct funding, there are significant indirect benefits:

Government Validation and Credibility: Selection by USSOCOM signals strong alignment with real-world defense needs and increases trust with DoD stakeholders, primes, and investors.

Direct Access to End Users: eSOF connects companies directly with Program Executive Offices, Directorates, and operators for real-world feedback and validation.

Multiple Contracting Pathways: Companies can transition into OTAs, FAR contracts, CRADAs, or prototype programs without starting from scratch.

Follow-on Opportunities: Successful technologies may progress into experimentation, prototyping, and eventual procurement pathways.

Stronger Exit Potential: Government-backed validation and nondilutive funding can significantly increase company valuation and acquisition interest.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis from March 26, 2026 through December 31, 2026.

Funding timing varies depending on the pathway and evaluation process after submission.

Where does this funding come from?

Funding comes from U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and is executed through various federal acquisition and research mechanisms including OTAs, FAR contracts, SBIR/STTR, and others.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any organization capable of providing relevant commercial technologies may apply. Submissions must present unclassified information and align with published Capabilities of Interest.

What companies and projects are likely to win?

• Clearly match one or more published Capabilities of Interest

• Demonstrate strong technical maturity and real-world applicability

• Show measurable impact on SOF mission effectiveness

• Meet security and compliance requirements

• Provide evidence supporting performance and readiness

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

• Submissions must be UNCLASSIFIED

• Solutions must align with current Capabilities of Interest to be prioritized

• May require CMMC compliance and security vetting

• Some pathways may involve classified applications and facility clearance requirements

How can BW&CO help?

Our team specializes in complex federal R&D proposals and can:

1. Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

2. Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

3. Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth.

How much would BW&CO Charge?

We have both fractional engagements ($250 an hour) and full engagements ($15,000 + 5%) available (Only $4,000 for preliminary application).

Additional Resources

Review the solicitation here (Requires Login).

NRL Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Basic and Applied Research - Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is seeking innovative basic and applied research proposals across a wide range of scientific and engineering disciplines. Organizations can submit White Papers through September 30, 2026, with potential follow-on contracts, grants, or other agreements awarded based on technical merit.

How much funding would I receive?

Est. $500k to $5 million.

What could I use the funding for?

Funding supports basic and applied research aligned with Navy priorities, including (verbatim/high-level categories from the BAA):

• Systems Directorate (e.g., radar, antennas, computational electromagnetics, information systems, AI/ML, human systems integration)

• Materials Science and Component Technology (e.g., energy storage, corrosion, materials processing, bio/chemical detection)

• Ocean and Atmospheric Science (e.g., ocean acoustics, remote sensing, environmental modeling)

• Space Technology (e.g., spacecraft systems, sensors, propulsion, hypersonics)

Specific topic areas include (selected verbatim examples):

• “Virtual simulations and mixed reality systems… situational awareness, and training”

• “Data management and exploitation technologies that apply emerging mathematics and machine learning techniques”

• “Multi-agent and multi-robot systems, reinforcement learning, game theory”

• “Electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems such as batteries and fuel cells”

• “Optical sciences… lasers, sensors, and photonic technologies”

• “Cyber security, cryptographic technologies, and high assurance computing”

• “Spacecraft payloads; spacecraft propulsion systems; advanced materials for spaceflight use”

Many More Topics are listed in the Solicitation (See below).

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Beyond the formal funding award, there are significant indirect benefits:

Government Validation and Credibility:
Being selected by the Naval Research Laboratory signals strong technical credibility and alignment with U.S. Navy and DoD priorities.

Access to Defense Ecosystem:
Awardees gain exposure to Navy researchers, program managers, and potential transition partners across defense and aerospace.

Flexible Contracting Pathways:
The BAA allows for multiple award mechanisms (contracts, grants, OTAs), enabling faster and more flexible engagement than traditional procurement.

Follow-On Funding Opportunities:
Successful projects may lead to additional funding phases or expanded research programs based on performance.

Increased Strategic Positioning:
Participation positions companies for future DoD funding, partnerships, and potential acquisition interest.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

• White Papers Due: September 30, 2026 (4:00 PM EDT)

• Rolling evaluation and invitation for full proposals after White Paper review

• Funding timing varies based on evaluation and award negotiations

Where does this funding come from?

Department of Defense (DoD) → Department of the Navy → Office of Naval Research (ONR) → Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)

Who is eligible to apply?

• Educational institutions

• Small businesses

• Small disadvantaged businesses

• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

• Minority institutions

• Other qualified organizations

What companies and projects are likely to win?

Selections are based on:

• Technical merit and scientific quality of the proposed approach

• Relevance to NRL research priorities

• Potential benefit to the Government relative to cost

• Feasibility and innovation of the solution

• Cost realism and overall value

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

• Must submit a White Paper first before a full proposal

• Some topics may require security clearances or classified work

• Awards depend on availability of funding

• Government may select all, some, or none of proposals

How can BW&CO help?

Our team specializes in complex federal R&D proposals and can:

1. Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

2. Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

3. Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth.

How much would BW&CO Charge?

We have both fractional engagements ($250 an hour) and full engagements ($15,000 + 5%) available.

Additional Resources

Review the solicitation here.

NAVWAR Open Topic for Resilient Wideband RF Photonic Architectures for Assured Communications and PNT in Contested Electromagnetic Environments - SBIR Topic DON26BX01-NP001

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop, prototype, and demonstrate next-generation radio frequency (RF) photonic front-end technologies that improve the reliability, clarity, and resilience of wireless communications and navigation in high-interference environments. These solutions will leverage advances similar to those used in commercial fiber-optic telecommunications, satellite broadband (e.g., Starlink-class systems), 5G wireless infrastructure, and autonomous vehicle sensor systems to ensure the U.S. Navy maintains assured communications and assured position, navigation, and timing (APNT) during contested maritime operations.

Description:

The United States Navy must maintain reliable communications and accurate navigation to operate effectively at sea, coordinate with allies, and ensure freedom of navigation in increasingly complex and contested environments. Modern naval operations depend on uninterrupted wireless communications and precise timing and positioning, much like commercial aviation, autonomous shipping, satellite internet providers, and global logistics companies.

The Navy’s Communications and GPS Navigation Program Office (PMW/A 170) is responsible for delivering resilient and adaptive communications and APNT capabilities to Fleet forces and coalition partners. As commercial technology rapidly advances in areas such as fiber-optic networking, 5G/6G wireless systems, high-speed satellite communications, and advanced sensing platforms, the Navy seeks to harness and adapt these innovations to strengthen maritime mission performance.

The Golden Fleet initiative emphasizes modernizing not only ships, but also the systems that enable command, control, communications, navigation, and situational awareness. Modern Naval operations depend heavily on reliable communications and precise navigation, much like commercial aviation, satellite broadband networks, autonomous systems, and global logistics enterprises. As commercial industries continue to advance technologies that maintain reliable performance in crowded and interference-heavy environments, the Navy seeks to adapt and transition these innovations to strengthen maritime mission resilience.

Naval communications and navigation systems must operate reliably not only in routine conditions, but also in environments where adversaries attempt to disrupt signals or where the radio spectrum is heavily congested. Traditional RF front-end electronics can experience degraded performance or signal loss when exposed to jamming, electromagnetic interference, or strong competing signals. These vulnerabilities can create operational risk and threaten mission continuity in contested electromagnetic environments.

To address these challenges, this Open Topic invites system-level innovations in wideband RF photonic front-end architectures. RF photonics combines radio and optical technologies by using light and fiber-based components to carry, preserve, and condition radio signals with high fidelity. Similar approaches are widely used in commercial fiber-optic communications, high-capacity wireless infrastructure, and precision timing networks to improve signal quality, expand bandwidth, and reduce distortion over long distances. When adapted to Naval RF systems, these technologies offer a promising path to lower noise, improved resistance to interference, wider signal capture, and more reliable signal recovery than conventional electronic front ends.

Proposed solutions may incorporate commercially inspired technologies such as:

Coherent optical signal processing used in high-speed telecom networks

Advanced phase-tracking techniques similar to those used in precision satellite navigation and autonomous vehicle localization

Interference suppression approaches used in dense commercial wireless environments (e.g., stadiums, smart cities, and industrial IoT networks)

Compact photonic integrated circuits (PICs), similar to those being developed for next-generation data centers and lidar systems

Desired capabilities include systems that:

Reduce receiver noise without relying on traditional RF amplifiers

Maintain signal integrity under heavy interference and jamming

Capture and reconstruct wideband signals with high accuracy

Automatically detect and remove unknown interference sources

Support scalable, ruggedized deployment on ships, aircraft, and distributed maritime platforms

Reduce size, weight, power, and cost while improving survivability

Of particular interest are integrated, fiber-remoted, and packaged front-end modules that can operate reliably in harsh maritime environments, similar to ruggedized telecom and offshore energy communications equipment. Solutions that enable real-time interference excision without prior knowledge of the signal or threat are strongly encouraged.

Work produced in Phase II may become classified. Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. owned and operated with no foreign influence as defined by 32 U.S.C. § 2004.20 et seq., National Industrial Security Program Executive Agent and Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been implemented and approved by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances. This will allow contractor personnel to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and NAVWAR in order to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this will be an inherent requirement. The selected company will be required to safeguard classified material during the advanced phases of this contract IAW the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), which can be found at Title 32, Part 2004.20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Optical Power Limiters Countering Frequency Agile Lasers and Dazzlers - SBIR Topic DON26BZ01-NV012

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop Mid-Wave Infrared/Long-Wave Infrared (MWIR/LWIR) nonlinear optical (NLO) dyes embedded in sol-gel glass operating as an Optical Power Limiter that protects optical sensors from damage caused by high-intensity light by reducing transmittance at high input power levels such as from frequency agile lasers and dazzlers.

Description:

The proliferation of commercial, visible, and infrared wavelength laser systems is increasingly becoming a threat to our warfighters, which drives the need for further research and development for electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor. Current fielded sensor protection equipment is limited to fixed wavelength filters. However, broad band filters that are designed to circumvent multiwavelength laser threats are plagued by low transmittance, which degrades the sensitivity and performance of the sensor. Future warfighter threats include frequency agile lasers and dazzlers which have the potential of defeating fixed filters. Self-activating (passive) devices, where protection is activated by the incoming radiation (optical limiters), are the best approach to counter frequency agile and short pulse laser threats. The current state of the art of optical limiters are hampered by off-state low transmittance, low laser damage threshold, high activation laser threshold, and narrow field-of-view (FOV) and bandwidth. In addition, a sensor’s size, weight, and complexity greatly affect the user’s acceptance as a potential optical-limiting device. A sensor protection device is generally designed as an insert, an add-on, or replacement to the optical system. The optical limiter must be designed not to impact the sensor’s FOV and optical transmission. Currently available systems are very bulky and narrow band in their protection.

This SBIR topic solicits new, innovative NLO dyes embedded in sol-gel glass to provide sensor protection from frequency-agile laser and dazzlers operating in the MWIR/LWIR spectrum. The proposed NLO dyes embedded in sol-gel glass should allow ample transmission of ambient MWIR/LWIR light and be of high optical quality so as not to significantly degrade sensor performance. It should have a fast response time when exposed to dangerous fluence levels, sufficient to react to and block incident laser pulses to a high optical density. The dyes should be capable of changing from a high transmission state to a very low transmission state within sufficiently short time to block nearly all of the light contained in a light pulse emitted from frequency agile lasers and dazzlers . When harmful radiation is no longer incident, it must recover to a high transmission state in a short amount of time so that the sensor’s optics are not interrupted or significantly degraded after exposure. The proposal should discuss in detail the spectral transmittance in the attenuating state, activation threshold, response time, optical density in the attenuating state, and recovery time of the technology, the electric and other parameters of the excited state to be taken for measurements, excimer formation as well as any other important technical details.

The NLO dyes embedded in sol-gel glass critical requirements are:

1) Wavelengths – threshold MWIR 3 to 5 micron goal MWIR/LWIR 3 to 12 microns;

2) Response time: 3) Recovery time: 4) Low-intensity transparency is > 50%

5) For light intensity or fluence above the limiting threshold (LT), the attenuation is > 20dB

6) The Damage threshold (DT) is at least 10 times larger than that of the nonlinear optical material used

7) The fluence limiting threshold (LT) is below 500 milli-joules/cm^2/pulse

8) Multiple use without performance degradation exceeds 10,000 pulses

9) Wide acceptance and protection angles

10) Testing should be performed using f-number optics no greater than f/10, unless a higher f-number is required by a specific application

11) Dynamic range (~120 dB)

12) Rapid response time (~20 us)

13) Optical limiting threshold of 6.5 W / cm2 at room temperature.

Use of government materials, equipment, data, or facilities will not be offered and will not be required. If the technology is capable of exceeding any of the above requirements, the proposal should note this as well. Likewise, the proposal should note any limitations inherent to the proposed technology.

New and innovative material solutions may be proposed to provide new options for sol-gel glass production. Potential candidates include but are not limited to vanadium dioxide, use of commercially available or novel silanes and solvents. Processing approaches could include methods to control the rate of curing of the glass and the type, material, and shape of container used for the cure, as well as the cure temperature.

The goal is to develop a process that can make larger optical elements more reliably. Well established materials and processes may be proposed with a focus on improving the manufacturability, producibility, and reliability for current and next generation optical elements. Increasing size, manufacturing yield, and reducing cost while at the same time reducing manufacturing variability is desired. Proposers must have experience in the production of dye containing sol-gel glasses.

A second requirement of the optical elements are dyes which have the required optical transmittance/absorbance properties while being compatible with the sol-gel materials and production methods and are reliably available from domestic sources. This is currently a challenge. The performer will be required to identify suitable dyes for the optical elements and to design synthetic approaches to any dyes that are not commercially available from reliable domestic sources. The performer will synthesize any required dyes not commercially available from domestic sources in amounts exceeding 10 grams by the end of Phase II and have the capability to produce the dye(s) at batch sizes of at least 10 grams going forward or to work with another domestic producer to do so, or both. Proposers should have documented experience in the design, synthesis, and production of novel and existing absorbing and fluorescing dyes in the infrared regions of the spectrum and must have demonstrated the ability to reliably and reproducibly synthesize, purify, and characterize light-absorbing dyes at greater than 10-gram batch size. The proposal should clearly identify the current state of the art of the sol-gel and dyes of interest including both technical and manufacturing readiness and how the proposed work will advance readiness for the proposed optical elements.

Work produced in Phase II may become classified. Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. owned and operated with no foreign influence as defined by 32 U.S.C. § 2004.20 et seq., National Industrial Security Program Executive Agent and Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been implemented and approved by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances. This will allow contractor personnel to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and NAVAIR in order to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this will be an inherent requirement. The selected company will be required to safeguard classified material during the advanced phases of this contract IAW the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), which can be found at Title 32, Part 2004.20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Domestic Production of Zirconium and Hafnium Metal Organic Precursors - SBIR Topic DON26BZ01-DV002

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $2 Million.

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop and demonstrate a pilot-scale manufacturing process for producing high purity tetrakis(dimethylamido)zirconium(IV) (TDMAZ), tetrakis(dimethylamido)hafnium(IV) (TDMAH) and related metal dimethylamide compounds, with a targeted annual production capacity exceeding 6,000 kg of TDMAZ.

Description:

The Department of the Navy is seeking a domestic source of critical chemical feedstocks including TDMAZ, TDMAH, and other metal dimethylamide compounds. These chemical feedstocks can be used as metal organic precursors for atomic layer deposition (ALD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) of metal oxides, nitrides, and carbonitrides used in microelectronics and ceramic manufacturing [Refs 1-3]. While TDMAZ is a vital ceramic precursor for the electronics and semiconducting industry, this effort will also support the use of TDMAZ for the preparation of metal nitrides and carbonitrides for ceramics and ceramic matrix composites.

This SBIR topic seeks to establish a domestic manufacturing capability for the production of > 6,000 kg/year of TDMAZ. Synthesis of TDMAZ and other metal dimethylamides often involves pyrophoric and air/water sensitive reagents, and the proper storage and handling of these reagents is crucial for the development of a cost-effective and large-scale manufacturing process. Along with the production volumes mentioned above, the metal precursors must have a purity > 99% and a target retail price of < $4,000/kg of TDMAZ, preferably < $2,500/kg. The proposed manufacturing facility must be located in the United States or US territories, and the company owning and operating this manufacturing facility must be wholly US owned and based.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Reentry Test Body Telemetry Antenna - SBIR Topic DON26BZ01-NV039

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Design, develop, and test a reentry body antenna or antenna system capable of transmitting high speed, real time, inflight, encrypted data. The data transmission should be in bands alternate to S band such as the K & Ka bands and communicate with geostationary satellites used as a pass-through mechanism to relay the encrypted data to ground.

Description:

The development of a next-generation telemetry communications antenna for Navy Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) reentering test bodies is critical in advancing developmental technologies being evaluated on flight tests. While common ground tests such as wind tunnels, arc jets, and vibration provide insights into predictable reentry environments, flight testing remains the gold standard in evaluating reentry bodies (RBs) and their onboard technologies. Flight tests evaluate a reentry body’s ability to withstand the harsh and sometimes unpredictable environments of flight to include launch, separation, and reentry.

The current technology to monitor SLBM payloads during flight include a transmitter/receiver system between the reentry body and ground stations. Data is captured during flight and transmitted to the ground in the S band (2-4 GHz), making data transfer slower than higher frequency bands [Ref 3]. Due to the S band being a highly populated frequency band and the power on the RB required to telemeter data in the S band back down to the ground receiver, midflight data transmission is both slow and costly. Additionally, since the transmitter/receiver system today is only between the RB and ground station, real time data transmission is lost during a portion of the flight when the RB is the furthest away from the ground, otherwise commonly known as “over the top” of the flight trajectory as well as during reentry when the body enters plasma blackout. To solve this problem, the technology proposed should use alternate frequency bands, such as K and Ka bands (18-40 GHz) and make use of geostationary satellites as a pass-through mechanism to capture real time data from the RB and telemeter the encrypted data back down to the ground at high speeds in order to minimize data transmission latency and loss. The use of alternate frequency bands allows for high data rate information exchange [Ref 1]. This new technology would solve the issue of losing real-time data transmission midflight.

By having real-time, high-speed data throughout the duration of flight on a flight test, the Navy can better understand technology performance throughout the various environments and environment transitions and can more effectively diagnose issues or failures resulting in faster technology maturation.

Work produced in Phase II may become classified. Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. owned and operated with no foreign influence as defined by 32 U.S.C. § 2004.20 et seq., National Industrial Security Program Executive Agent and Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been implemented and approved by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor must be able to acquire and maintain at least a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances. This will allow contractor personnel to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and SSP in order to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this will be an inherent requirement. The selected company will be required to safeguard classified material during the advanced phases of this contract IAW the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), which can be found at Title 32, Part 2004.20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

High-power, Long Coherence Length Blue Laser - SBIR Topic DON26BZ01-NV038

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop a blue wavelength, high-power laser with a long coherence length capable of high pulse repetition frequencies.

Description:

In recent years, blue laser diode technology has enabled improved data storage, enhanced fluorescence imaging, metal processing, and other applications [Ref 1]. Lasers in this wavelength band also fall within the ‘optical window’ of water and will experience less attenuation than other wavelength bands [Ref 2]. The wavelength band will also experience less diffraction compared to other communication wavelengths [Ref 3]. This SBIR topic seeks to develop a blue laser capable of high pulse repetition rates and long coherence length light while maintaining a high optical power.

Target specifications for the desired product include:

High optical power output: 10 W continuous wave

Optical wavelength: 425 nm to 475 nm

Long coherence length: > 10 m

High pulse repetition frequency: > 100 MHz

Laser will need to operate continuously and reliably for lifetime of 2000 days

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Synthetic Alkali Atom Vapor Density for Atom-Based Sensors - SBIR Topic DON26BZ01-NV037

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Simplify the thermal management of practical atom-based quantum sensors based on alkali atoms by creating a passive atom source operated at thermal equilibrium based on a synthetic alkali vapor density for rubidium or cesium atoms.

Description:

Quantum sensors based on atoms offer the opportunity to produce measurements with excellent sensitivity or long-term stability, making them attractive use in atomic clocks, magnetometers, or inertial sensors. In these sensors, the atomic vapor represents the sensing media where variations in signal magnitude from fluctuations in atom number can lead to instability or loss of sensitivity. Maintaining consistent signal throughout environmental conditions represents one of several key design criteria for atom-based sensors for use outside the laboratory.

Many atom-based sensors rely on heavy alkali atoms, specifically rubidium and cesium. This is because of the simplified, hydrogen-like energy level structure, the availability of narrow-linewidth semiconductor diode lasers on the relevant D1 (795/895 nm) and D2 (780/852 nm) transitions, the accessibility of commercial microwave electronics at the 3-10 GHz hyperfine splittings, and the ease of production of vapor phase atoms at modest temperatures. The temperature dependence of the alkalis [Ref 1] leads to thermal stabilization at 80-130°C (ideal for vapor cells at 10e12-10e14/cc) or closer to room temperature (ideal for atom trapping at 10e8-10e10/cc). These temperatures rarely align with thermal profiles of other aspects of the system, requiring additional design at the expense of size, weight, and power (SWaP).

Active approaches to alkali regulation have been demonstrated to manipulate the vapor to a non-equilibrium state. These approaches involve forced chemical reactions, intercalated graphite, alkali impregnated materials glasses [Refs 2,3]. In each case, a feedback loop must respond to measurements of the vapor density, leading to extra sensor complexity.

An equilibrium vapor density represents the simplest atom source which can be synthetically adjusted to an elevated temperature through a mixture [Ref 4]. Here, a primary species mixed with a secondary species reduces the equilibrium vapor density of both species by the mixing ratio following Raoult’s Law [Ref 5]. Selecting a lower vapor density secondary species limits the negative impact of additional atom-atom collisions. Such an approach can be applied to laser-cooled systems in addition to vapor cells to enable equilibrium operation at elevated system temperature, providing tight thermal regulation at low power.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Low Cost Malleable Metastructure Adherents for Maritime Environments - SBIR Topic DON26BZ01-NV029

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop a material with the ability to rapidly and cost effectively produce metastructures or frequency selective surfaces which can be adhered to naval assets or similar systems (e.g., apertures, super-structures substructures, deployable, etc.).

Description:

Several industries and Department of War (DOW) systems rely on Frequency Selective Surfaces (FSS), metastructures, or comparable materials to protect critical assets, including communications, radar, and Electromagnetic Warfare (EW) systems. Similar materials are also used as protective coatings for Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) systems—particularly in airborne and maritime applications—where they are consistently challenged by harsh maritime environments. These coatings, covers, and materials are susceptible to degradation from salt, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and water intrusion due to their attachment to substructures, structures, or apertures.

Furthermore, the manufacturing and application of these materials are often considered expensive, time-consuming, and technically demanding due to platform-specific requirements. Recent constraints within the industrial base—such as the reduced availability of certain materials like CFC resins and polymers—have further exacerbated production challenges. These limitations have driven up costs, which have not benefited from economies of scale or broader adoption.

This SBIR topic seeks to develop alternative solutions that offer frequency selectivity, moldability (to conform to existing superstructures, substructures, or complex geometries), and resilience to maritime environments. In theory, such advancements would enable optimal dynamic performance across RF, microwave, or EO/IR domains, while maintaining durability in challenging conditions.

FSS remains the incumbent solution of choice, given its broadband frequency response, manufacturability, and superior durability in maritime conditions—advantages not matched by commercially available polymer-based fiberglass radomes, which typically lack frequency selectivity or the directive enhancements required by DOW systems. The reduction in availability and manufacturability of certain composites—due to regulatory restrictions or hazardous byproducts—has created an urgent need to pursue viable alternatives. Operating apertures across multiple frequency octaves remains a significant challenge for manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Addressing the outlined challenges while achieving required performance objectives will likely demand innovation across multiple technical disciplines, including:

Frequency Response – such as L, S, C, X and Ku Band and/or EOIR: Optical, midwave, longwave, others

Advanced high-performance materials (ceramics, polymers or superalloys)

Novel manufacturing or machining techniques

Advanced 3 D optimized material additive manufacturing

3D optimized structures, magnetics or similar (inductor/capacitive/parasitic imbedded circuits)

Highly resilient coatings, or new coating application techniques to existing materials

Highly flexible embedded thin film materials

While existing materials with modifications will be considered, alternative solutions are also welcomed. However, the potential impact of these alternative designs—relative to existing materials or coatings—will be a factor during the selection process. Proposers should clearly identify any necessary mitigation considerations (e.g., storage, handling, disposal, etc.) required to support a credible path to qualification and approval for shipboard or airborne use.

The primary objective of this SBIR effort is to develop a material capable of broadband performance—defined here as the ability to provide frequency response across multiple octaves compared to existing materials. However, the proposed material must also be operationally viable and capable of meeting several critical performance objectives. Specifically, the solution should:

demonstrate through-performance (S21) in a near-field environment across multiple frequency octaves.

operate effectively across multiple bands of the EO/IR spectrum.

adhere to materials with sharp angles and varied geometries.

be capable of long-term storage without degradation after manufacturing or adherence to a structure.

withstand at least five years in a maritime environment without significant performance degradation (defined as be rapidly applied to a surface with minimal preparation, achieving adherence in less than 24 hours.

demonstrate a reduction in abatement of signal return in multiple bands within the microwave and or the EO/IR energy regime radio frequency/midwave (RF/MW).

demonstrate that at scale the production cost can be lower than production of existing materials.

Acceptable solutions must also align with intended deployment scenarios, including shipboard/surface, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), and land-based applications. For demonstration purposes, a commercial broadband antenna or a commercially available EO/IR camera may serve as the interface to evaluate proposed materials as radomes, covers, or adapters under defined boundary conditions. Demonstrations must show functional performance across at least two frequency bands—within the L-band to Ku-band range (e.g., S-band and C-band).

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

3D-Heterogeneously Integrated Photonic (HIP) Imaging Sensor - SBIR Topic DON26BZ01-NV024

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Design, fabricate, and verify the performance of a 3D-heterogeneously integrated photonic (HIP) imaging sensor consisting of a detector array, read-out integrated circuit (ROIC), and photonic transmitter.

Description:

Emerging military electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) sensors enable high resolution through small pixels, wide field-of-view through large arrays, and high frame rate through high sensitivity and low latency. For the most advanced focal plane array (FPA) sensors, the data bandwidth dictated by the high pixel count and bit rate is reaching the limits of conventional copper wire interconnects. Datalinks using optical interconnects offer a unique and commercially mature solution that can obviate the copper bandwidth limitation, while offering additional advantages of lower power, lower cost, and on-chip integration. For large arrays, the high data rate can be further managed by tiling synchronized, independently addressed smaller arrays, which divides the serialized data stream into multiple parallel paths, while also improving foundry yield. However, existing FPA layouts place read-out electronics, including column analog-to-digital converters, serializers, and bias sources, along the periphery of the imaging chip. To enable tiling with sub-pixel gaps between tiles, the peripheral electronics must be moved below the detector layer. A photonic layer could also be added to create a 3D vertically integrated FPA stack, enabling large arrays to operate at exceptionally high data rates. 3D heterogeneous integration of the FPA stack can be accomplished using bump-bonding, direct-bond integration, or other techniques, but ultra-low capacitance connections are required for low-noise operation to permit the short photon integration times inherent to high-frame-rate imaging. As militarily relevant EO-IR imagers often operate at cold temperatures of 100K+/-20K, the 3D HIP FPA transmitter must also perform well under cryogenic conditions. When tiled in large arrays of small pixels, the 3D-HIP imaging sensor will provide concurrent wide-FOV, high-resolution, and ultra-high frame rate, circumventing conventional imaging sensor paradigms. Frame rate should use 1 KHz as the goal is to address high data rate challenges, however, since the pixel size and format are flexible for this effort, this is not a hard requirement. This SBIR topic’s intent is the development and maturation of 3D heterogeneous integration (3DHI) of electrical and optical/photonic layers that achieves high bandwidth interconnection.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

High Energy Laser Optically Rugged Maritime Beam Director Components & Subassemblies - STTR Topic DON26TZ01-NV017

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop new, innovative processes and methods of reproduction, and deliver prototypical end item high precision optics suitable for use with high energy lasers in beam directors - as scalable components and/or subassemblies, through automated and additive manufacturing techniques for structures, optics, and mirrors (flat and parabolic) - including any required finishing processes, (e.g., coating and polishing processes) to develop, document, achieve and demonstrate “end item” durable, rugged, reliable, tested components and/or products.

Description:

Highly precise, small to large diameter (10 to 50 to 100cm) high energy laser optics and mirrors have very long lead times often exceeding individual fiscal year funding, and experience a high rejection rate due to complex, multi-step processing between multiple dislocated facilities. Resulting optics have high defect rates and low ruggedness requiring depot supplies of spares and replacements, creating logistical shortages and non-availabilities which impact readiness and capacity.

Creating multiple kinds of components for a notional or specific beam director that offers a series of developmental components and elements toward a finalized ruggedized beam director, suitable for at-sea deployment for up to ten years without maintenance is the objective. Threshold shall be the development of an optic that provides initial research and development value that can be tested in multiple laser inducted damage tests (LiDT). Examination of capabilities for scale, with optics from 10cm to 50cm or 100cm diameters, is expected.

Specifically, there is a very high interest in creating components from bulk materials with finished or near finish high quality optical surfaces and properties, transmissive or reflective, at a greatly reduced cost compared to traditional optical components (e.g., an optical transformation lens, a simple transmissive optic, or a fast steering mirror) utilizing “on-demand” adaptive, additive 3-D printing, etching, and highly automated finishing techniques. High interest exist in optical elements from 40 to 50 centimeters in diameter (e.g., ceramic, metal or other optical materials), small lightweight optics (e.g., from plastics or ceramics), and items that are completed to form a fully finished component through “no touch” human intervention processes or via fully automated decision-based manufacturing and processing (e.g., including finished robust optical coatings suitable for sea water based atmospheric exposure – such as fog or sea water splash contamination).

The Navy seeks a capability to create custom optical components, potentially including required integrated subassemblies, from processes that result in highly precise end item optics for high energy laser beam directors and laser weapons systems, either as components, replacements and/or subassemblies, through automated and additive manufacturing techniques for structures, optics, mirrors both shorten timelines for availability, and also enable innovative laser architectures - including or beyond current state-of-the-art modular architecture designs. Especially those where limited lifetimes due to environmental exposure require unique materials and innovative generational designs that change based on emergent requirements and increased commercial capacity. These can potentially open new avenues that enable new, innovative laser architectures - including capabilities or beyond current state of the art modular architecture designs, such as “ball on gimbal”, heliostats and celiostats – but the focus is on the processes and means to scale component designs, rapidly prototype multiple initial designs, and then move to quickly produce production grade high quality optics for initial use or as replacement utility spares. Preference shall be given for use of existing, commercially available materials, starting feed stock, or machine tooling. Similarly, preference shall be given for use of existing or modified “open system, open software” code and manufacturing methods.

The Navy has special interest in those components where limited lifetimes are expected (e.g., exit apertures, rotating or moving optics) due to environmental exposure and require unique materials (e.g., hard coatings for dust resistance, hydrophobic water shedding or chemical resistance) and innovative designs (e.g., flexible substrates) that can adapt, be replaced quickly, or change based on when emergent requirements and increased commercial capacity are noted.

Work produced in Phase II may become classified. Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. owned and operated with no foreign influence as defined by 32 U.S.C. § 2004.20 et seq., National Industrial Security Program Executive Agent and Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been implemented and approved by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances. This will allow contractor personnel to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and ONR in order to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this will be an inherent requirement. The selected company will be required to safeguard classified material during the advanced phases of this contract IAW the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), which can be found at Title 32, Part 2004.20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Non-Radio Frequency, Covert Maritime Transceiver - SBIR Topic DON26BZ01-NV014

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop a reliable and covert transceiver for use in contested areas where the use of traditional radio frequencies are not permitted in order to remain concealed. The Navy is looking for new technologies that can transmit and receive wireless communications from distances of at least 5km. The signal medium may be, but not limited to, acoustic, infrared, or ultraviolet. The communications link must be highly resistant to interference, detection, and exploitation.

Description:

Covert communications have continuously evolved during the history of warfare. Paradigm shifts in communication (in warfare) have enabled evolutionary tactical advantages that have lasted for finite periods of time until an adversary adjusts technology and tactics to detect, and in some cases monitor, seemingly covert communications. Various modalities are available to attempt to provide secure, covert communications including many Radio Frequency (RF) techniques, free-space optics (laser comm.) and others. Due to the United States’s reliance on RF for communications and sensing (e.g., radar), various peer-adversaries have engineered around many of these modalities putting secure communications at risk. For this reason, it is necessary to go “out-of-band” to provide a modality of communication not commonly used and enabled by technology that is wholly new and therefore restricted by rarity. Another limitation to this application is the need to avoid bulky, power-hungry systems that may require a high degree of attention in order to operate properly.

Therefore, the Navy is looking for a low power, small communications transceiver that offers low probability of intercept (LPI) and low probability of detection (LPD). The new technology must be able to acquire, track, and maintain a secure communications link between rapidly moving vehicles (manned and unmanned). Emerging applications include cognitive operations with other autonomous systems for armed combat, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR), casualty extraction, and field communications. Each of these applications have different objectives but all require uninterrupted, high bandwidth, and secure communications.

Attributes:

- Must be able to communicate between two or more points at least 5km away

- Low Size, Weight, and Power/Cost (SWaP-C)

- Reliable, continuous communication link

- Field Programmable

- LPI/LPD

- Flexible data rate requirement (up to 10MB/s)

Work produced in Phase II may become classified. Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. owned and operated with no foreign influence as defined by 32 U.S.C. § 2004.20 et seq., National Industrial Security Program Executive Agent and Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been implemented and approved by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances. This will allow contractor personnel to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and NAVAIR in order to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this will be an inherent requirement. The selected company will be required to safeguard classified material during the advanced phases of this contract IAW the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), which can be found at Title 32, Part 2004.20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Compact Battery Operated Mid-wave Infrared (MWIR) Hyperspectral, High-Definition, Real-Time Video Camera Integrated with Photonic Crystal - SBIR Topic DON26BZ01-NV011

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop and demonstrate a compact battery-operated mid-wave infrared (MWIR) hyperspectral imaging (HSI) photonic chip video camera for integration into mobile network enabled small sensor platforms.

Description:

Hyperspectral imaging allows quantitative evaluation of material composition and spatial distribution and finds numerous applications in areas such as remote sensing and military reconnaissance. In particular, the operational utility of HSI for detection, recognition and identification of hard-to-detect targets in environments cluttered with background noise is especially critical. Spectral imaging can aid the detection, acquisition and tracking of a potentially camouflaged, low-signature target, with significantly improved accuracy that cannot otherwise be detected using more conventional imaging means.

Conventional HSI systems [Refs 1, 2] tend to use large, bulky optical elements, such as a Michelson interferometer or other tunable optical filter components to spectrally resolve the input optical signals, and therefore usually have the characteristics of significant size, weight, and power (SWaP) consumption, mechanical complexity, as well as non-compliance with military specifications. More importantly, the mechanical mechanism of the conventional tunable filtering system gives rise to extremely slow spectral scanning speed and thus, slow imaging speed at that rate of one hyperspectral image per approximately one to two minutes. Traditionally, hyperspectral algorithms have considered only static images, and existing algorithms process single frames without regard for sequential similarities or correlations. The difficulty in capturing and processing hyperspectral video sequences in real-time is correlated directly to the high dimensionality of the data. As a result, conventional HSI systems cannot be deployed to the more demanding field applications that require images that can be captured and analyzed on a real-time basis at a much higher frame rates due to HSI’s inherent image acquisition speed bottleneck.

A typical hyperspectral image consists of a high-resolution 3-dimensional (3-D) data cube, with two dimensions in space and a third dimension in wavelength. A focal plane array (FPA) can only acquire a 2D data set in one exposure. In the conventional approach, spectral scanning is thus often used to attain the third dimension of wavelength for a 3-D data cube. As stated earlier, this process makes HSI operation very slow because wavelength scanning requires multiple exposures over a specific spectral range. In addition to the very slow scan speed, it also suffers from a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) resulted from a high level of noise in infrared detectors and a low light throughput caused by narrow-band filters used in spectral scanning. The use of narrow-band filters also limits the number of spectral bands.

Infrared spectroscopy routinely uses spectral multiplexing to overcome the challenge of detector noise. This is known as the Fellgett’s multiplexing advantage [Ref 3]). The best example is Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Instead of spectral scanning, it projects an unknown spectrum onto a serial of sinusoidal functions constructed by a Michelson interferometer and thus greatly improves light throughput. However, it is difficult to integrate FTIR with FPA because of their bulky size and single channel operation. Recently, on-chip multiplexing has emerged as a new approach for hyperspectral sensing. It uses the spectral response of judiciously designed nanostructures to construct the multiplexing basis. Exploiting optical interference and resonance effects at the nanoscale, these nanostructures can provide a highly complex and diverse range of response functions suitable for efficient multiplexing [Ref 2]. They can be directly integrated into FPA to have an ultra-compact form factor. Multiplexing can be performed in both spectral and spatial domain. Advanced data-driven optimization such as machine learning can be used together with compressive sensing to reconstruct 3D data cube in single-shot operation [Ref 4].

It is therefore the objective of this SBIR topic to develop a battery-operated, compact, high-performance MWIR HSI camera system capable of capturing HSI video at real-time or higher frame rates in the room temperature thermal infrared region. One of the key challenges in on-chip photonic multiplexing of a photonic crystal-integrated FPA is the computational design. Constructing the multiplexing basis is a delicate balance between the physical limit of on-chip photonic structures and the imposed requirement from demultiplexing algorithms. The former requires solving multi-scale Maxwell’s equations, and the latter requires large-scale data-driven optimization of demultiplexing algorithms. The coupled design process needs to be iterated efficiently to reach any useful design. It is expected that this challenge can be addressed by using massively parallel simulation of electrodynamics paired with efficient optimization algorithms such as adjoint method.

The project should demonstrate a systematic design method that leverages large-scale simulation, machine learning, and data-driven design to realize real-time hyperspectral video imaging. The final goal of this project is to experimentally demonstrate a battery operated MWIR HSI video camera with the following specifications.

System required parameters include:

Wavelength range: 3-5 microns

Array size: Threshold -- 1280 x 1024 pixels; Objective -- 2048 x 1536pixels

Spectral resolution: below 5 nm

Pixel pitch: Threshold – 12 microns; Objective – 8 microns

Real-time hyperspectral video imaging Programmable; 0.0015 Hz to 125 Hz frames per second

Acquisition time of hyperspectral image with 500 spectral bands: Size and Weight: 7.5 grams and Battery Type: Lithium-ion battery enhanced by using carbon-based nanostructures with a specific energy > 600 Wh/kg at 0.5C discharge rate, and specific capacity of > 600 Ah/kg.

Low power consumption, starting at 600 mW

Humidity Non-condensing between 5% - 95%

Non-Operating Temperature Range -57 °C to +80 °C (-65 °F to +176 °F)

Operating Temperature Range -40 °C to +71 °C (-40 °F to +160 °F)

Operational Altitude 40,000 ft (~12km)

Shock 40g w/ 11ms half-sine pulse, 3-axis

Vibration 5.8 grms 3-axis, 1hr each

Responding to the 21.2 AC1 S&T Domain comments: Surface Optics produces multi-spectral camera that can only provide multispectral images with about 10 spectral bands. Also, their multi-spectral camera is in the SWIR band. This current topic is for the first time a topic that can produce MWIR hyperspectral images at better than real-time video frame rate (24 frames per second or higher) with up to 500 (not 10 in the multispectral camera situation) high-resolution hyperspectral images per frame. This current proposed technology can produce up to 50 times more spectral information than the current multispectral camera in the market. Hence, there is zero overlap in terms of technology innovation between what Surface Optics and other commercial concerns market as multi-spectral or hyperspectral cameras and this current topic. In fact, the current proposed topic's performance and SWaP are far superior to any commercially available hyperspectral images by a 10 to 1 to 50 to 1 wide margin.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Robust Universal Adaptive Denoising Technology - STTR Topic DON26TZ01-NV009

Disclaimer:
This topic was temporarily posted by the Department of War SBIR Program on March 2nd 2026 and removed the following day.
We believe this topic is planned to be released once the SBIR program is reauthorized; however, this topic may ultimately be modified or withdrawn.

Sign up below to be notified as soon as this topic is released again. In the meantime, we’d recommend you start planning to respond if within your capabilities.

Funding Amount:

Est. $240,000

Deadline to Apply:

Est. April 29th, 2026.

Objective:

Develop robust denoising approaches that are highly adaptive and effective.

Description:

Signal denoising has shown to be highly effective in improving performance of signal processing radio frequency and acoustic sensing systems. The main hindering signal in these applications is noise as it degrades the ability to sense low level signals masked by ambient noise sources which may be external to the sensor or generated by the sensor itself. The main goal of this SBIR topic is to develop a denoising technology that suppresses noise while preserving the underlying signal features. Traditionally, denoising methods have struggled to maintain performance when presented with highly non-stationary or complex noise patterns. The traditional approaches typically require extensive and time-consuming tuning to achieve desired performance. On the other hand many of learning-based methods have demonstrated excellent denoising performance but suffer from limited robustness. Therefore, the method’s performance will drop if the training conditions do not adequately reflect the characteristics of the operational environment. The Navy seeks improvements in denoising performance greater than 10 dB.

For such a system installed on an aircraft, it will experience both wind- and aircraft-generated noise. That noise has components that are narrow band (< 10 Hz wide) and broadband (10s to 100s of Hz wide). The spectrum of interest for sensing extends from approximately 10 Hz to 1000 Hz. When compared with more traditional active noise cancellation techniques, the denoising approach should be capable of providing 6 dB of additional cancellation and show potential to deliver 10 dB or more cancellation.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Fast and Curious – DARPA Defense Sciences Office (DSO)

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

DARPA’s Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is soliciting proposals under the Fast and Curious Disruption Opportunity to develop next-generation logic devices that surpass CMOS performance limits. Selected teams will receive Other Transaction (OT) prototype awards to demonstrate ultra-low-energy, high-speed, scalable logic technologies for advanced computing applications. Optional but recommended abstracts are due February 19th. Full proposals are due March 31, 2026 at 4:00 PM ET.

How much funding is available?

Estimated $1M to $5M. DARPA anticipates making multiple OT prototype awards, with total funding levels determined by proposal quality and availability of funds. The DO does not specify a fixed award size or ceiling, and funding may be awarded for Phase 1 only or for both Phase 1 and Phase 2.

What could I use the funding for?

See a detailed description here.

This program explores new device physics, materials, and architectures that enable energy-efficient, scalable, and integrable logic circuits capable of surpassing CMOS transistor switching energy and speed limits while remaining compatible with advanced microelectronic manufacturing.

Performers will fabricate and engineer non-traditional transistor-like heterostructures with ultra-low energy and high speed switching characteristics, design and develop logic in computational circuits using these heterostructures, and perform theoretical analysis and modeling to guide the device design and optimization.

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Beyond the formal funding award, there are significant indirect benefits to receiving a DARPA Disruptioneering award:

• Government Validation and Technical Credibility: Selection by DARPA DSO signals exceptional scientific merit and alignment with long-term U.S. defense computing priorities.

• Acceleration of Deep-Tech Development: Milestone-based OT agreements allow rapid prototyping without FAR constraints, enabling faster technical progress than traditional grants or contracts.

• Enhanced Visibility and Strategic Positioning: Awardees gain visibility within DARPA, DoD, and the advanced microelectronics ecosystem, often leading to follow-on funding or partnerships.

• Stronger Commercial and Acquisition Outcomes: Retention of IP ownership and government license rights enables companies to mature technology nondilutively while increasing long-term enterprise value.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

Abstracts (optional but strongly encouraged) are due February 19, 2026 at 4:00 PM ET. Full proposals are due March 31, 2026 at 4:00 PM ET. DARPA’s goal is to execute awards within 120 calendar days of the DO posting date (January 30, 2026), with negotiations concluding no later than May 29, 2026. The anticipated program start date is June 1, 2026.nths

Where does this funding come from?

This funding is provided by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) within the Department of Defense, administered by the Defense Sciences Office (DSO) using Other Transaction authority under 10 U.S.C. § 4022.

Who is eligible to apply?

All responsible U.S. and non-U.S. organizations capable of performing the research may apply, including startups, small businesses, large companies, universities, and nonprofit research institutions.

What companies and projects are likely to win?

DARPA will evaluate proposals based on:

• Scientific and technical merit, feasibility, and innovation

• Relevance and contribution to DARPA’s mission to advance defense computing

• Clear, quantitative evidence supporting the ability to meet program metrics

• Well-defined milestones with credible risk mitigation strategies

• Reasonable and well-justified pricing

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

Awards are made as Other Transactions, not grants or FAR-based contracts. Proposals must be unclassified, comply with export control and CUI requirements if applicable, and adhere strictly to DARPA’s template, submission, and milestone payment rules. Cost share may be required depending on proposer status under OT statute.

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

Without BW&CO’s Assistance, preparing a fully compliant and compelling proposal will likely take 150-200 hours.

How can BW&CO help?

Our team specializes in complex federal R&D proposals and can:

• Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

• Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

• Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth under Federal & State R&D Initiatives.

How much would BW&CO Charge?

For Full Support, $15,000 Initial Fee + 5% Success Fee

Fractional support is $300 per hour.

For startups, we offer a discounted rate of $250 per hour to make top-tier consulting more accessible while maintaining the same level of strategic guidance and proposal quality.

Additional Resources

See the solicitation here.

FBI Enterprise Technology Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) – Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

The FBI’s Enterprise Technology Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is open through May 16, 2026 and accepts white paper submissions at any time during the open period. The program seeks innovative R&D concepts from industry and academia across multiple FBI problem sets (including AI, cybersecurity, biometrics, counterintelligence, digital exploitation, and enterprise data fabric). Submissions are emailed to BAA@FBI.GOV and follow a two-step process: Step 1 is a white paper (or recorded oral presentation), and selected applicants may be invited to Step 2 to submit a full proposal.

How much funding is available?

Although not explicitly mentioned in the solicitation, typical awards range from $500k to $2m for periods of performance ranging from 6-24 months

What could I use the funding for?

Funding supports R&D efforts aligned to the FBI’s “Problem Set Areas”. See an overview below and full description here:

1. Leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its Sub-Fields

• Content Extraction and Triage

• All-Source Data Management

• Workflow Automation

• Actionable Analysis and Alerting

• Semi-Autonomous Multi-Sensor Fusion

• Business Operations

• Data Science

• Knowledge Management

• Open-Source Information Gathering

• Correspondence Management from Multiple Sources

• Dynamic Threat Analysis

• Human Resource (HR) Recruiting

• Signature Identification

• Cybersecurity

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance

2. Enhance Counterintelligence and Security

• Counterintelligence (CI) Capability

• Personnel Assessment and Evaluation

• Cyber Behavior

• Foreign Contacts

3. Mission-Enhancing Science and Technology

• Digital Exploitation

  • Document and Media Acquisition

  • Human Language Technologies

  • Computer Vision

  • Digital Signals Processing

  • Data, Process, and User Artifact Analysis

  • Document and Media Exploitation (DOMEX)

• Directed Energy Weapons (DEW)

• Biometrics

• Weapons of Mass Destruction

• Electro-Optical Detection

• Pulsed Power Detection

• Radio Frequency Detection

4. Improve Mission Support Capabilities

• Information Technology (IT)

  • IT Governance

  • Data Management and Analytics

  • Infrastructure and Cloud Management

  • Information Assurance and Cyber Defense

  • Operations Support

  • Strategic Information and Operations (SIOC)

• Cyber Capability Requirements Process

• Enterprise Common Data Fabric Solutions

5. Increase Organizational Effectiveness

• Performance Management

  • Applicant Screening

  • Career Advancement

  • Workplace Learning and Performance

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Beyond the formal funding award, there are meaningful indirect benefits to winning an FBI BAA award:

• Government validation and mission alignment: Selection indicates the FBI sees strong technical merit and mission value in your R&D approach, which can accelerate future government relationships and contracting credibility.

• Partnership acceleration: The FBI explicitly encourages partnering among industry and Government to speed adoption of new science and technology into fielded systems—awardees may benefit from stronger collaboration opportunities.

• Higher valuation via nondilutive R&D: Funding supports R&D without equity dilution, allowing companies to mature technology and strengthen valuation narratives for future financing or acquisition (general commercial benefit; not explicitly stated in BAA).

• Positioning for follow-on work: Award performance may strengthen eligibility and competitiveness for future FBI or broader federal procurements in adjacent mission areas.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

BAA open period: Effective 5/17/2023 – 05/16/2026.

1. When to submit: White papers may be submitted at any time during the open period to BAA@FBI.GOV.

2. Two-step process:

   • Step 1: Submit white paper

   • Step 2: If selected, FBI requests a formal proposal (do not submit full proposal unless requested)

3. Selection timing: FBI may make selections anytime during the open period and up to six months after closing for white papers submitted during the open period.

4. Funding receipt timing: Not specifically stated; awards depend on selection, negotiations, and funding availability.

Where does this funding come from?

This is a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Broad Agency Announcement run through the FBI Finance Division | Procurement Section.

The BAA is conducted under the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) for R&D.

Who is eligible to apply?

The BAA is intended to encourage participation by:

• Science and technology firms

• Educational institutions

Additional eligibility-related requirements include:

• Offerors must be registered in SAM prior to submission and maintain active SAM registration.

• Offerors may propose subcontracting and teaming arrangements, including industry-academia and industry-government partnerships.

• Submissions are generally expected to be UNCLASSIFIED, but classified approaches require prior FBI approval.

What companies and projects are likely to win?

The FBI evaluates white papers using three equal factors:

• Technical Approach: strong scientific/technical merit, innovation, sound concept, awareness of state of the art, understanding scope, and potential FBI mission benefit.

• Capabilities and Relevant Experience: evidence the team/facilities can execute and safeguard controlled unclassified/classified info (if applicable), and prior work can be leveraged.

• Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM): cost realism based on total estimated labor, materials, subcontracts, ODCs, indirect, and fee/profit.

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

Key restrictions and compliance items include:

• White paper page limit: written submissions must not exceed 10 pages (pages beyond are not evaluated).

• Communications must be UNCLASSIFIED and emailed to BAA@FBI.GOV; do not email classified info.

• Security requirements: work expected unclassified, but some efforts may require personnel clearable to Top Secret (TS) and potentially SCI access with NDAs and polygraph.

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

Not explicitly stated, but the required Step 1 white paper format suggests typical preparation time depends on complexity:

• Written white paper: up to 10 pages plus additional sections (program plan, experience, ROM).

• Alternative format: a pre-recorded oral presentation up to 10 minutes may be submitted instead of written format.

How can BW&CO help?

BW&CO can provide fractional or full support to increase the likelihood of success and save you a significant amount of time in the application process. Most clients don’t spend more than 3 hours a week in their engagement with us and our success rates are 2x-3x the national average. We collect your data, write an initial draft, have your team approve, and then move on to the next deliverable.

How much would BW&CO Charge?

Fractional support is $300 per hour. For full grant writing support, we would charge a $9,000 fee for submitting the initial white paper. If you receive an invitation for a full submission, there would be a follow-on payment of $9,000 to submit the full proposal with a 5% success fee contingent on award.

For startups, we offer a discounted rate of $250 per hour to make top-tier consulting more accessible while maintaining the same level of strategic guidance and proposal quality.

Additional Resources

See the solicitation here.

AFRL Multiple Award Contract (AMAC) – Air Force Research Laboratory

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) AMAC program establishes a multiple-award IDIQ contract vehicle enabling qualified U.S. companies to compete for future AFRL-funded science and technology (S&T) research task orders. There is no funding awarded at the base contract level; funding is provided only through competitively awarded task orders after selection. Proposals are due February 27, 2026.

How much funding would I receive?

There is no fixed funding amount awarded at the base IDIQ level. Each awardee is guaranteed a minimum of $500 over the life of the contract. Actual funding is awarded later through individual task or delivery orders, which may range from small research efforts to very large programs. The estimated ceiling value across all AMAC contracts is $10 billion.

How does the program work?

AMAC is not a single grant but a long-term contract vehicle that allows AFRL to rapidly fund unclassified science and technology research through future task orders. If you meet the criteria, you will receive the long-term contract vehicle. Companies selected to the AMAC vehicle become eligible to compete for AFRL-funded projects covering basic and applied research, technology development, modeling and simulation, manufacturing, experimentation, integration, and technology transition. Importantly, there is no funding awarded upfront—all funding is issued later through individual task orders, each with its own scope, budget, and performance period.

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Beyond task-order funding, AMAC awardees gain several indirect but material benefits:

• Government Validation and Credibility: Selection confirms AFRL validation of your company’s technical experience as a prime contractor.

• Long-Term AFRL Access: Awardees are eligible to compete for AFRL task orders for up to 8 years.

• Increased Visibility: Awardees become part of AFRL’s active R&D contractor ecosystem.

• Non-Dilutive Growth: Task-order funding enables technology maturation without equity dilution.

• Stronger Strategic Positioning: Proven AFRL work can enhance acquisition, partnership, and future DoD contracting opportunities.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

Proposals must be submitted by February 27, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET. Base IDIQ awards are made after evaluation. Funding is only received after winning individual task orders, which may be issued at any point during the contract’s ordering period.

Where does this funding come from?

Funding for task orders comes from AFRL directorates and partner agencies using AFRL as the contracting vehicle. The base AMAC contract itself does not carry dedicated funding.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include U.S.-based companies that can demonstrate qualifying prime contractor experience in federal S&T research. This includes:

• Small businesses

• Large businesses

• Joint ventures

• Universities and non-profits

Foreign-owned or foreign-influenced companies are not eligible unless formally approved through the National Industrial Security Program.

What companies will receive the contracting vehicle?

To receive an AMAC award, offerors must:

• Be a responsible source under FAR Part 9

• Submit a compliant proposal following Section L instructions

• Achieve a validated minimum score of 1,000 points in the self-scoring technical experience evaluation here

• Demonstrate prime contractor experience in AFRL technical Areas of Interest

• Receive an Acceptable rating for both Technical Experience and Small Business Participation Commitment

There is no price competition at the base contract level.

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

Yes. Key restrictions include:

• No classified work is permitted under the AMAC base contract

• Only prime contractor experience counts toward technical scoring

• Subcontractor experience does not qualify for scoring

How can BW&CO help?

The AMAC solicitation is fundamentally a compliance-driven, pass/fail process. AFRL has stated that any offeror who submits a fully compliant proposal and meets the minimum technical threshold will receive an AMAC contract—while even minor non-compliance can result in elimination, regardless of technical merit. BW&CO helps ensure your proposal is structured correctly, fully compliant, and strategically positioned so you don’t lose this opportunity due to avoidable errors.

How much would BW&CO Charge?

Fractional support is $300 per hour.

For startups, we offer a discounted rate of $250 per hour to make top-tier consulting more accessible while maintaining the same level of strategic guidance and proposal quality.

Additional Resources

See the solicitation here.

National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research Program (NSF SBIR/STTR)

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

The NSF SBIR/STTR Phase I program, also known as America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, provides up to $305,000 in non-dilutive funding to U.S.-based startups to conduct high-risk, high-reward R&D based on novel science or engineering. The goal is to help companies build a proof-of-concept or prototype with strong commercial and societal impact. Companies must first submit a Project Pitch and receive an invitation before applying. Multiple submission deadlines occur each year.

How much funding would I receive?

Phase I awards provide up to $305,000 in total non-dilutive funding for a 6–18 month project. This amount is inclusive of all direct and indirect costs, the small business fee, and recommended commercialization support such as NSF I-Corps training and Technical and Business Assistance (TABA).

Companies that successfully complete Phase I are eligible to apply for Phase II funding of up to $1,250,000 over 24 months, with the opportunity to apply for additional supplemental funding that may exceed $500,000, bringing total potential NSF support to $2 million or more across phases.

What could I use the funding for?

Funding may be used to develop technologies in almost any area below - See a full expanded list here:

• Advanced Manufacturing (M)

• Advanced Materials (AM)

• Advanced Systems for Scalable Analytics (AA)

• Agricultural Technologies (AG)

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• Augmented Virtual and Mixed Reality (AV/VR/MR)

• Biological Technologies (BT)

• Biomedical Technologies (BM)

• Chemical Technologies (CT)

• Cloud and High-Performance Computing (CH)

• Cybersecurity and Authentication (CA)

• Digital Health (DH)

• Distributed Ledger (DL)

• Energy Technologies (EN)

• Environmental Technologies (ET)

• Human-Computer Interaction (HC)

• Instrumentation and Hardware Systems (IH)

• Internet of Things (I)

• Learning and Cognition Technologies (LC)

• Medical Devices (MD)

• Mobility (MO)

• Nanotechnology (N)

• Other Topics (OT)

• Pharmaceutical Technologies (PT)

• Photonics (PH)

• Power Management (PM)

• Quantum Information Technologies (QT)

• Robotics (R)

• Semiconductors (S)

• Space (SP)

• Wireless Technologies (W)

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Beyond the direct funding, NSF SBIR/STTR awards provide several significant indirect benefits:

Government Validation and Credibility:
Being selected through NSF’s highly competitive merit review process signals strong technical innovation and commercial potential, which can materially increase credibility with investors, partners, and customers.

Founder-Friendly, Non-Dilutive Capital:
Awards are grants with 0% equity taken, allowing founders to advance core technology without dilution or repayment obligations.

Expert Feedback and Coaching:
All applicants receive detailed feedback from technical and commercial reviewers, and awardees work closely with experienced NSF Program Directors.

Enhanced Market Visibility:
Awardees are publicly recognized through NSF communications and often gain increased visibility within the deep tech and innovation ecosystem.

Stronger Follow-On Funding and Exit Potential:
Companies that de-risk technology with NSF funding are often better positioned for Phase II funding, venture capital, strategic partnerships, and higher-value exits.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

• Project Pitch: Can be submitted on a rolling basis starting mid-February (estimated)

• Full Proposal Deadlines: Multiple deadlines each year. Estimated deadline March 2026.

• Review Process: Typically 5–7 months from proposal submission to award decision.

• Funding Release: Most funds become available 1-2 months after award notification.

Where does this funding come from?

Funding is provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) through its congressionally mandated SBIR and STTR programs, administered by the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants must:

• Be a U.S.-based small business with 500 or fewer employees

• Be majority U.S.-owned

• Perform R&D primarily in the United States

• Not be majority-owned by venture capital, hedge funds, or private equity firms

• Have a Principal Investigator primarily employed by the company (≥51%)

What companies and projects are likely to win?

Successful applicants typically demonstrate:

• A novel scientific or engineering breakthrough with strong differentiation

• High technical risk that requires R&D to resolve

• Clear commercial market pull and scalable business potential

• A defensible competitive advantage difficult to replicate

• A technically strong, committed founding team focused on commercialization

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

Key restrictions include:

• No funding for clinical trials, marketing, or incremental product development

• No foreign R&D or foreign travel

• Letters of support from customers are not allowed in Phase I

• Equipment purchases over $5,000 are not allowed

• Only one proposal per company per submission deadline

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

Most first-time applicants should expect 80–120 hours of effort over 8–12 weeks, including technical writing, budget preparation, registrations (SAM, SBA, Research.gov), and internal reviews.

How can BW&CO help?

Our team specializes in complex federal R&D proposals and can:

• Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

• Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

• Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth under Federal & State R&D Initiatives.

How much would BW&CO Charge?

Our full service support is available for a flat fee of $9,000 + 5% Success Fee.

Fractional support is $300 per hour.

For startups, we offer a discounted rate of $250 per hour to make top-tier grant consulting more accessible while maintaining the same level of strategic guidance and proposal quality.

Additional Resources

Learn more about the program here.

Defense Sciences Office (DSO) Office-wide BAA – DARPA

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

DARPA’s Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is soliciting proposals under its Office-wide Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) to fund revolutionary basic or applied research that enables breakthrough advances in science, devices, or systems for national security applications. Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis through June 2, 2026, and may be submitted as executive summaries, abstracts, or full proposals. This BAA is designed to capture novel, high-risk, high-reward ideas not already addressed by existing DARPA programs.

How much funding would I receive?

DARPA anticipates making multiple awards, but no fixed award size or funding range is specified in the BAA. Award amounts, duration, and structure are determined based on the proposed technical scope, cost realism, and selected award instrument. An accelerated award option is available for select proposals not exceeding $2,000,000, with awards made within approximately 30 days of selection.

What could I use the funding for?

Funding may be used to pursue innovative basic or applied research concepts that enable revolutionary (not evolutionary) advances aligned with DARPA’s mission. Proposals may address, but are not limited to, the following DSO technical thrust areas:

• Materials, Manufacturing, and Structures - Breaking the tension between performance and efficiency for critical parts, production processes, energetics, superconductors, and propulsion

• Sensing, Measuring, and Affecting - Developing and leveraging new science to overcome existing barriers limiting the performance and/or practicality of sensing, measurement, and control, to achieve orders of-magnitude improvement in operational capabilities.

• Math, Computation, and Processing - Enabling quantum, reimagining classical, and developing entirely new forms of computing for enhanced efficiency and new capabilities. Solutions may range from new approaches to hardware (implementation) to representation and computation.

• Complex, Dynamic, and Intelligent Systems - Creating new scientific capabilities for classes of systems that evolve and adapt and for which traditional reductionist, data-driven, and statistical methods fail. Systems of interest include, but are not limited to, foundations of intelligence, human-AI ecosystems, homeostatic mechanisms, and global systems.

Proposals focused primarily on incremental improvements or manufacturing scale-up are explicitly excluded.

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Beyond direct funding, selection under a DARPA DSO BAA provides substantial indirect value:

• DARPA Validation and Credibility: Being selected signals strong technical merit and alignment with DARPA’s mission to create or prevent technological surprise.

• Increased Visibility: Awardees gain visibility within the national security R&D ecosystem and among DARPA program managers.

• Access to DARPA Engagement Pathways: Participation can lead to future invitations to targeted DARPA programs, Disruption Opportunities (DOs), or Advanced Research Concepts (ARCs).

• Nondilutive De-Risking: Advancing frontier technology with nondilutive capital can materially improve company valuation and future exit outcomes.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

1. Review Process: Rolling through June 2, 2026

2. Accelerated Award Option: Awards made within ~30 days of selection for qualifying proposals

Where does this funding come from?

Funding is provided by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) within the U.S. Department of Defense, through the Defense Sciences Office (DSO).

Who is eligible to apply?

1. U.S. and non-U.S. organizations may apply

2. Small businesses, startups, universities, and large firms are eligible

3. FFRDCs, UARCs, and Government Entities (including National Labs) are not eligible

4. Non-U.S. participants must comply with export control, security, and nondisclosure requirements

What companies and projects are likely to win?

DARPA evaluates proposals based on the following criteria:

• Scientific and technical merit of a novel, feasible, and well-reasoned approach

• Relevance and contribution to DARPA’s mission and national security impact

• Clear articulation of technical risk and credible mitigation strategies

• Strong alignment between scope, cost, and schedule realism

• Ability to enable revolutionary—not incremental—advances

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

• Incremental or evolutionary improvements are not of interest

• Manufacturing scale-up is explicitly excluded

• Some projects may involve Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and require compliance with NIST SP 800-171

• Projects involving human subjects or animal research must follow DARPA approval procedures

• DARPA retains discretion to determine whether work is fundamental or non-fundamental research

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

For a first-time applicant, preparing a competitive submission under this BAA will likely take 120–160 hours in total.

How can BW&CO help?

Our team specializes in complex federal R&D proposals and can:

• Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

• Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

• Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth under Federal & State R&D Initiatives.

How much would BW&CO Charge?

Our full service support is available for a flat fee of $5,000 for the Abstract Submission.

Fractional support is $300 per hour, with most DARPA proposal projects requiring 80–100 hours of expert support from strategy through submission of full proposal.

For startups, we offer a discounted rate of $250 per hour to make top-tier grant consulting more accessible while maintaining the same level of strategic guidance and proposal quality.

Additional Resources

See solicitation on sam.gov