Innovation Funding Database
Advanced Materials & Manufacturing Funding
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Types of Opportunities
Broad Topics
Broad topics cover wide areas of interest where the government wants solutions. They’re open-ended and give you room to define how your idea fits the mission.
Specific Topics
Specific topics describe clearly defined needs with exact technical goals or outcomes. They’re focused requests for solutions that meet specific requirements.
Broad Topic Opportunities:
Start Applying ASAP:
Either the deadline is approaching or there is a competitive reason for applying early (such as funds that will be awarded on a first come first serve basis)
Deadline: August 19th, 2026
Funding Award Size: Up to $5m
Description: NASA's CCRPP matches up to $5M for Phase II SBIR/STTR companies with an external investor. Applications due Aug 19, 2026. See if you qualify.
Deadline: August 7, 2026
Funding Award Size: $500k
Description: SBA's SCALE Program awards up to $500,000 to organizations supporting small business supply chains in manufacturing, biotech, defense, and energy. Apply by August 7, 2026.
Deadline: July 13th, 2030
Funding Award Size: $35m
Description: The DLA SUBNET BAA offers up to $35M through 2030 for small businesses in food tech, smart packaging, robotics, and AI. See eligibility, stages, and how to apply.
Deadline: April 30th, 2030
Funding Award Size: $5m
Description: AFRL's Enterprise CSO funds commercial tech via rolling "Spirals" across 94 Areas of Interest, from hypersonics to quantum. See eligibility, funding, and how to apply.
Deadline: Rolling Deadline
Funding Award Size: $5m
Description: Learn how the U.S. Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) funds innovative commercial technologies across robotics, AI, autonomy, power systems, software, cybersecurity, manufacturing, and defense applications.
Deadline: July 22, 2026
Funding Award Size: $5m
Description: Learn about the DIU Specular MIST Prize Challenge, offering a $5 million prize pool for commercial technologies supporting maritime electronic warfare, radar simulation, and electronic surveillance. Explore eligibility, funding, timelines, and how to apply before the July 22, 2026 deadline.
Deadline: July 23, 2026
Funding Award Size: $500k+
Description: Apply for the Defense Innovation Unit's Massed Modular Aircraft solicitation. Learn eligibility, prototype OTA requirements, evaluation criteria, application deadline, and follow-on production opportunities.
Deadline: October 8, 2026
Funding Award Size: $500k+
Description: Rapid Prototyping and Flight Demonstration of Medium-Range Affordable Mass Munition (MRAMM) Air Vehicle Configurations opportunity supporting affordable mass air-to-air weapon prototypes for collaborative combat aircraft, fighter platforms, and future operational systems through the ONIX OTA.
Deadline: July 7, 2027
Funding Award Size: $500k+
Description: Apply for the NSWC Crane Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), an open defense R&D funding opportunity supporting electronic warfare, AI, hypersonics, sensors, power systems, microelectronics, and other national security technologies. Rolling submissions accepted through July 7, 2027.
Deadline: August 24th
Funding Award Size: $10m-$20m
Description: Learn about the DARPA Radiofrequency Architectures Applying Photonic Timing and Routing (RAAPTR) solicitation, including funding, eligibility, deadlines, evaluation criteria, and how to apply for DARPA-PS-26-126.
Deadline: July 22nd
Funding Award Size: Under $2m
Description: Learn about DARPA's Advancing Autonomous Science for Biological Applications RFI (DARPA-SN-26-96), including eligibility, response requirements, research topics, submission deadline, and how organizations can help shape future DARPA programs.
Deadline: July 17th
Funding Award Size: $500k - $5m
Description: DIBC seeks prototype projects for domestic lithium-ion cell manufacturing and Silver-Zinc battery production modernization. Phase I submissions due July 17, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET.
Deadline: July 10th
Funding Award Size: $500k - $5m
Description: Apply for DIU’s Farseer program supporting quantum magnetometers, gravimeters, portable clocks, and enabling technologies for ISR applications. Responses due July 10, 2026 at 23:59:59 US/Eastern Time.
Deadline: July 15
Funding Award Size: $2m-$5m
Description: The DoD's RESHAPE 2.0 initiative will fund advanced packaging, semiconductor packaging, assembly, test, and manufacturing projects that strengthen the U.S. microelectronics supply chain. Multiple OTA awards available through a $1.25 billion program. Apply by July 15, 2026 at 12:00pm Central.
Deadline: July 27th
Funding Award Size: $305K + $1.25M+ in follow-on funding
Description: Apply for NSF SBIR/STTR funding for high-risk, high-impact technologies. U.S. startups can receive up to $305K in Phase I funding and up to $1.25M in Phase II. Project Pitch submissions begin June 2, 2026.
Deadline: September 5th, 2026
Funding Award Size: $300k - $2m
Description: Apply for up to $2.1M in NIH SBIR funding for osteoarthritis research using organoids, tissue chips, AI, regenerative medicine, and non-animal technologies. Learn eligibility, timelines, and funding uses.
Deadline: June 24, 2026
Funding Award Size: TBD
Description: The Department of Defense is seeking advanced manufacturing solutions for next-generation supersonic aircraft through the Tradewinds WIRE Special Topic. Submit by June 24, 2026, 12:00PM EST.
Deadline: June 10th, 2026
Funding Award Size: $75k - $400k
Description: The SBA Patriot Pitch Competition will award up to $1 million to innovative U.S. small businesses that have used SBA-backed capital products. Eligible companies can compete for prizes up to $400,000. Applications close June 10, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST.
Deadline: July Deadlines
Funding Award Size: $1.5m - $50m
Description: NSF X-Labs is offering up to $50M/year for independent R&D teams developing breakthrough quantum systems, integrated photonics, sensing, and imaging platform technologies. Learn deadlines, eligibility, and topic requirements for the 2026 NSF X-Labs funding opportunity.
Deadline: Summer 2026
Funding Award Size: Typically $75k - $15m
Description: Explore AFWERX Open Topic, SBIR/STTR, D2P2, and STRATFI/TACFI funding opportunities for startups and defense tech companies in AI, space, autonomy, cybersecurity, hypersonics, advanced manufacturing, and dual-use technologies.
Deadline: May 29th, 2026
Funding Award Size: $500k
Description: Apply by 9:30 AM ET, May 29, 2026 for ARPA-E IGNIITE 2026 funding. Early-career innovators can receive up to $500K for transformative energy technologies plus mentorship and national exposure.
Deadline: Rolling Deadline
Funding Award Size: $500k - $5m
Description: Apply to the LUCAS Component Challenge for funding to develop low-cost UAV components and defense technologies. Open for 120 days with rolling reviews and rapid awards.
Deadline: May 19th
Funding Award Size: $500k - $5m
Description: Apply by May 19, 2026 at 07:00 PM for U.S. Army funding to design and deploy a solar + battery microgrid at Fort Stewart. Prototype project with follow-on potential at Hunter Army Airfield.
Deadline: ASAP
Funding Award Size: Up to $8.3M
Description: Apply for DIBC IBAS funding to scale domestic manufacturing and secure supply chains. Up to $8.3M available for prototype projects in microelectronics, rare earth magnets, forging, and RF systems. Deadline not specified.
Deadline: July 7, 2026
Funding Award Size: $200k
Description: The U.S. DOT SBIR FY26 Phase I pre-solicitation is open through May 29, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Explore key dates, funding opportunities, and how to prepare for the upcoming solicitation.
Deadline: May 21st, 2026
Funding Award Size: $225k
Description: Apply for NASA SBIR 2026 funding—up to $225K for deep tech startups. Deadline May 21, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET. Limited submissions.
Deadline: September 30th
Funding Award Size: Est. $500K to $5M
Description: Apply for FY26 Navy propulsion and power R&D funding through NAWCAD’s open BAA. Submit white papers by 30 September 2026 across energy, propulsion, and aircraft systems.
Deadline: April 30th
Funding Award Size: $2m
Description: Apply for DOE’s $69M Critical Minerals Accelerator (DE-FOA-0003589). Get up to $2M for prototype projects and $8M for pilot-scale technologies in recycling, semiconductors, and lithium extraction. Deadlines start April 21, 2026.
Deadline: Notice to Apply April 26, 2026; Full Application May 14, 2026
Funding Award Size: Up to $12.5 Million
Description: Reimbursement funding for advanced nuclear project development, including engineering, permitting, site work, and supply chain manufacturing readiness in Texas.
Specific Topic Opportunities:
Start Applying ASAP:
Either the deadline is approaching or there is a competitive reason for applying early (such as funds that will be awarded on a first come first serve basis)
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop an integrated metal-ceramic matrix infusion for high-strength steel landing gear components to replace hard chrome and HVOF, improving wear/corrosion resistance, durability, readiness, and lifecycle cost while reducing hazardous processes.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop scalable multiphysics modeling tools that predict frontal polymerization cure behavior (front temperature/velocity/cure) and resulting distortion/residual stress, while optimizing resin additives and preventing front self-extinguishing.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop a lightweight, rugged, low-power device that converts seawater to safe drinking water for downed naval aircrew. Must fit NACES survival kit constraints, minimize human effort, deliver ≥1 gallon/day, and achieve ≥95% salt rejection across harsh environmental and ejection conditions.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to design a reduced-cost, multi-frequency helicopter dipping sonar that expands ASW inner/middle-zone coverage and adds aviation mine countermeasures (AMCM) capability in a single, retrofit-compatible transducer system.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop and demonstrate a cryogenic liquid hydrogen storage and delivery system for Navy/USMC UAS that achieves high mass fraction and low boil-off, improving endurance, range, and continuous payload power.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Develop nonlinear optical dyes embedded in sol-gel glass that act as optical power limiters to protect EO/IR sensors from frequency-agile lasers and dazzlers while maintaining high infrared transmission and fast response times.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $2 Million (Estimated)
Description: Develop and demonstrate a 10-inch air-launched rocket motor integrating Highly Loaded Grain (HLG) propulsion to increase total impulse and extend operational range by ~30%. The effort advances propulsion performance, thrust shaping, and manufacturing readiness for next-generation tactical rocket systems.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop low-cost, lightweight, flexible printed organic thermoelectric cooling films (tight bend radius <1”) for personal warfighter cooling or conformal cooling of curved military-platform surfaces.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $2 Million (Estimated)
Description: Develop a U.S.-based pilot manufacturing process to produce high-purity zirconium and hafnium metal-organic precursors (e.g., TDMAZ, TDMAH) used in semiconductor, microelectronics, and advanced ceramic manufacturing via ALD, CVD, and CVI deposition processes.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Develop an AI/ML-enhanced optical fire detector capable of operating in aircraft engine nacelles up to 400°F, enabling rapid fire detection, reduced false alarms, and reliable performance in high-temperature environments.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $2 Million (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop a passive structural health monitoring system that detects, locates, and characterizes ship hull cracks in real time, providing automated severity/criticality insights beyond strain-gauge inference methods.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop an A-size deployable low-frequency vertical line array of vector sensors for long-range passive ASW detection, directional sensitivity, and STANAG 4718 compliant communications in deep-water operations.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Development of a portable induction welding system that enables in-situ repair of thermoplastic composite aircraft components on naval aviation platforms, reducing downtime and scrap rates by allowing field maintenance without removing damaged material.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $2 Million (Estimated)
Description: Develop and integrate Highly Loaded Grain (HLG) propellant into a 2.75" Mk66 rocket motor to increase total impulse and extend weapon range by ~30% while maintaining compatibility with existing rocket motor materials, systems, and operational environments.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop a high-power (10W CW) blue laser (425–475 nm) with long coherence length (>10 m) and high pulse repetition (>100 MHz) for reliable continuous operation in demanding Navy environments.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop a throttleable solid-fuel rotating detonation ramjet by integrating a controllable gas generator for precise fuel regulation, enabling stable detonation operation and efficient high-speed propulsion across varied mission profiles.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop an integrated multidisciplinary design, analysis, and optimization (MDAO) framework for hypersonic boost-glide weapons. Solutions should combine physics modeling, AI/ML, and reduced-order models to optimize vehicle geometry, trajectory, and control while supporting cost, manufacturability, and mission trade studies.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Research the impact of additive materials in 3D-printed polymers to control electromagnetic properties while maintaining structural and thermal performance for defense systems, enabling RF attenuation and optimized materials for applications such as antenna radomes and other weapon system components.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to build modular “erector-set” mechatronic vehicle kits—swap-and-reconfigure motors, sensors, and software—for field-built tele-operated/autonomous systems that adapt to mixed disaster tasks (logistics, inspection, recovery) with rugged options (water/fire/cold).
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Develop AI/ML and digital twin tools that automate additive manufacturing by optimizing materials and build parameters, predicting mechanical performance, and enabling rapid production of mission-critical parts across diverse AM systems.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Develop low-cost, moldable metastructure or frequency-selective materials that can adhere to naval platforms and protect RF, microwave, and EO/IR systems while maintaining broadband performance and durability in harsh maritime environments.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop advanced overlay/bond coatings plus an ICME-based coating degradation model to predict and extend turbine hardware life against marine hot corrosion, oxidation, and stress-driven damage across varying temperatures.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop a 3D heterogeneously integrated photonic imaging sensor that combines detector arrays, electronics, and optical data links to enable ultra-high bandwidth, high-resolution, and high-frame-rate EO/IR imaging for advanced defense sensing systems.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop low-cost robocasting (direct ink writing) manufacturing techniques for large-format textured piezoelectric ceramics used in undersea sensors, improving acoustic performance and enabling scalable domestic production of advanced sonar sensing materials.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop SWaP-optimized silicon carbide MOSFETs (10kV+ blocking, 5–10kA pulsed current, <30ns low-jitter turn-on) with advanced packaging for high-power microwave pulsed switching.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Portable, self-powered pier-side UNREP tester/trainer to replace ship-to-ship in-port qualification testing, enabling dry cargo and liquid system testing/training without requiring an actual delivery ship or extra pier space.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop safe, efficient, scalable domestic production of norbornadiene from abundant U.S. feedstocks (preferably bio-feedstocks), targeting >500 metric tons/year, >97% purity, and <$20/kg cost.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop a durable, lightweight, corrosion-resistant articulated beaching ramp for Medium Landing Ships (LSM), supporting 70-ton vehicles, deploying in under 30 minutes, and lasting 30 years in harsh saltwater marine environments.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop automated and additive manufacturing methods to produce durable, high-precision optical components and mirrors for high-energy laser beam director systems used in maritime defense environments.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop and deploy safe, sustainable bridge lighting mitigation that reduces ambient light pollution, preserves night vision, and provides adjustable task lighting at select ship bridge workstations while complying with MIL-STD-1472H and shipboard environmental constraints.
Deadline: November 10, 2026
Funding Award Size: Up to $5m
Description: NASA's ROSES C.4 Planetary Science Enabling Facilities program funds research facilities for lunar, Mars, and astrobiology science. Proposals due Nov 10, 2026.