Innovation Funding Database
Defensetech & Dual-Use Tech 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 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 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: September 16
Funding Award Size: Up to $200k
Description: The FY26 Reconstructive Transplant Research Program Concept Award provides up to $200,000 for innovative vascularized composite allotransplantation research. Applications due September 16, 2026.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: Up to $1.12m
Description: The FY26 Rare Cancers Research Program offers Department of Defense funding through Concept Awards, Idea Development Awards, and Resource and Community Development Awards supporting rare cancer biology, therapies, AI/ML, research platforms, and community infrastructure.
Deadline: July 28th
Funding Award Size: Up to $1.2m
Description: The FY26 Kidney Cancer Research Program offers three Department of Defense funding opportunities, including the Concept Award, Idea Development Award, and Academy of Kidney Cancer Investigators Early-Career Scholar Award, providing up to $1.2 million for innovative kidney cancer research.
Deadline: August 12th
Funding Award Size: $500k
Description: Apply for NASA’s Robotically Manipulated Payload Challenge and compete for up to $500,000 in prize funding. Develop ISAM technologies for robotic manipulation in orbit and gain access to a potential hosted orbital flight test.
Deadline: April, 22nd 2027
Funding Award Size: $500k
Description: The U.S. Army is seeking commercial Electromagnetic Warfare & Collection (EW&C) solutions through the REWSI CSO. Multiple contracts and OTA awards are anticipated for AI-enabled EMSO, EW, SIGINT, spectrum operations, and open-architecture defense technologies. Solution Briefs due 22 April 2027 at 1600 EST.
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: 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: Rolling Submission Deadline
Funding Award Size: $20M–$100M
Description: AFRL MSDEW ARA offers $20M–$100M awards for electronic warfare, sensor fusion, and defense systems. Rolling calls open through 13 JULY 2027.
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: Rolling Submissions
Funding Award Size: $500k - $10m
Description: Apply to the Golden Dome for America Commercial Solutions Opening. Rolling submissions through 30 September 2035 for innovative defense technologies, prototypes, and mission-critical capabilities.
Deadline: Rolling deadline until December 31, 2026
Funding Award Size: Est. $500K to $5M
Description: Rolling submission program connecting commercial technologies to USSOCOM needs across AI, ISR, cyber, mobility, medical, and more, with multiple non-dilutive funding pathways.
Deadline: Rolling Deadline Until September 30, 2026
Funding Award Size: Est. $500K to $5M
Description: Funding for basic and applied research across defense-critical areas including AI, materials, energy, cybersecurity, sensing, and space systems to advance U.S. Navy capabilities.
Deadline: Rolling Submissions until 9/30/26
Funding Award Size: Est. $500K to $5M
Description: Flexible Air Force funding for innovative commercial technologies in AI/ML, cyber, and defense applications through a rolling CSO process with white paper submissions and invited proposals.
Deadline: May 11th, 2026
Funding Award Size: $25m
Description: Apply by 11 May 2026, 02:00 PM local time for the NSWC Crane Mobility MAC Follow-On. Multi-award contract supporting vehicle prototyping, testing, and integration with task orders up to $25M.
Deadline: April 6th, 2026
Funding Award Size: $500k - $2m
Description: Apply for U.S. Army GVSC funding through a Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO). Open to innovative commercial technologies in autonomy, power systems, AI, and defense. Key deadline: April 6, 2026.
Deadline: September 30th
Funding Award Size: $500k - $5m
Description: Apply for U.S. Army funding to support advanced manufacturing, automation, and digital modernization. Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) open until September 30, 2030.
Deadline: June 30th, 2026
Funding Award Size: $500k - $5m
Description: Apply for the ERDC Geospatial Research Laboratory Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) for innovative geospatial, mapping, remote sensing, and navigation technologies.
Deadline: December 31st, 2026
Funding Award Size: $500k - $5m
Description: The U.S. Army ERDC Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) is accepting proposals for innovative commercial technologies supporting cold-region operations.
Deadline: October 30th, 2026
Funding Award Size: $500k - $5m
Description: The U.S. Army ERDC CERL Commercial Solutions Opening seeks innovative technologies in energy systems, robotics, additive construction, infrastructure management, and environmental monitoring.
Deadline: March 24th
Funding Award Size: $500k - $5m
Description: Apply for the DIU MYSTIC DEPOT opportunity to build vendor-agnostic AI evaluation infrastructure and benchmarks for national security missions.
Deadline: May 11th
Funding Award Size: $2.5m
Description: Apply for the $100M SMART Antiviral Prize from BARDA to develop broad-spectrum small-molecule antivirals targeting Flaviviridae or Togaviridae. Concept Stage deadline: May 11, 2026.
Deadline: Rolling until September 2026
Funding Award Size: $500k - $5m
Description: The Air Force AMIC Commercial Solutions Opening (FA4890-CSO-0001-24) seeks innovative commercial technologies for AI, cybersecurity, communications, counter-UAS, and data systems. Submissions accepted until September 5, 2026.
Deadline: April 3rd, 2026
Funding Award Size: $14m
Description: The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is seeking contractors for the COMET IDIQ supporting missile evaluation, testing, and intelligence analysis at the Missile & Space Intelligence Center. Proposals due APR 03, 2026 04:00 PM
Deadline: Rolling
Funding Award Size: $500k - $2m
Description: DARPA is funding revolutionary research through the Strategic Technology Office Innovation Solutions Opening (DARPA-PS-26-09). Submit a short abstract for breakthrough technologies in AI, autonomy, sensing, robotics, space systems, and defense innovation. Abstracts accepted until October 31, 2027 at 11:59 PM ET.
Deadline: Rolling
Funding Award Size: $500k - $2m
Description: DARPA’s Bordeaux program funds innovative research in AI cybersecurity, AI models, and AI hardware. Proposals due May 15, 2026 at 1:00 PM ET.
Deadline: Rolling
Funding Award Size: $500k - $5m
Description: The Air Force Research Laboratory Endless Forge solicitation offers access to a $149M funding program for materials and manufacturing technologies. White papers accepted until 1400 EST on 19 February 2028.
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: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $314k
Description: Apply for up to $314,000 in MDA SBIR funding to develop GPS-denied event-based navigation for missile defense and space systems. Deadline: August 19, 2026.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $2,000,000
Description: The United States currently faces an "unprecedented" military buildup by China and increasing air and missile threats that demand a robust deterrent. However, the current inventory of longrange strike weapons is dominated by high-cost, low-volume systems or aging strategic assets like the Minuteman III, which dates back to the 1960s. The lack of a cost-effective, ground-launched payload delivery system prevents the Joint Force from achieving producibility at scale, leaving the U.S. vulnerable in high-intensity, multi-domain environments where high-end munitions would be rapidly depleted. The objective of this topic is to facilitate innovative research on low-cost, rapidly manufacturable, payload delivery systems.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $2,000,000
Description: This topic will explore optimizing the UH-60M interior to provide improved capability over the existing HH-60M in terms of survivability, functionality, and patient access by designing a modular Patient Handling System (PHS) that could be tailored to fit a multitude of aircraft.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $300k
Description: Develop and integrate a distributed Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that can collaboratively command and control a multi-agent Group 1 or Group 2 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) swarm to defend an area against a numerically superior enemy swarm.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $300k
Description: Develop and integrate a distributed Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that can collaboratively command and control a multi-agent Group 1 or Group 2 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) swarm to defend an area against a numerically superior enemy swarm.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $2m
Description: Development and application of highly dispersible, survivable, and scalable kinetic defeat mechanisms capable of neutralizing Group 1-3 UAS threats.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $2m
Description: The objective of this SBIR is to develop integrated digital capabilities that will assist spaceport operations in enhancing mission readiness.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $175k
Description: The objective of this Phase I effort is to identify, assess, and demonstrate the feasibility of novel, non–missile-warning space and/or ground enabled sensing and analytic capabilities that can deliver rapid, commercially derived insights with meaningful operational utility.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $315k
Description: Provide specialized waveguides capable of high temperature, high power, low loss, robust, and agile transmission of radio frequency (RF) signals within a hypersonic vehicle.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $315k
Description: Develop an environmentally friendly processing method to produce a plant-based carbon fiber precursor for high-temperature applications.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $1.2m
Description: Develop and demonstrate a co-packaged temperature-hard (-269°C to +600°C) and radiation-tolerant NOR Flash memory system for extreme environment applications.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $1.5m
Description: The goal of this effort is to combine advanced machine learning (ML) methods that can be computationally efficient in structured data with large language models (LLM) that are general and can extract context from data. The aim is to derive powerful and efficient technology for interactive statistical analysis of large-scale data seen such as in enterprise or battlefield.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $2m
Description: To develop and demonstrate a predictive/forecasting model that leverages Temporal Knowledge Graph Forecasting using In-Context Learning from novel, multilingual, and multimodal data. The goal is to develop and test a capability that increases the forecasting timeline from days to weeks in advance of an event, while increasing forecasting precision to at least 90%.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $314k
Description: Develop a universal assessment framework capable of automating Control Validation Tests (CVT) across diverse operating environments (Cloud, On-Premise, and Air-Gapped/Tactical). The solution must ingest data from existing vulnerability scanners and automatically correlate technical findings to NIST SP 800-53 controls, reducing manual administrative overhead and allowing assessment teams to focus on mission-critical risk analysis.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $314k
Description: Realize next-generation neuromorphic technology to enable continuous adaptation and self-optimization to maintain overmatch in Electronic Warfare (EW) and cyber-contested domains.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $314k
Description: To advance and adopt chip-scale photonic and quantum technologies for operation in the Missile Defense System.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $314k
Description: The application of Very Large Array (VLA) techniques to the utilization of existing transmission infrastructure.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $314k
Description: Develop low-cost software defined circular-band (ring shape) antenna for near-omnidirectional missile to missile communication in high-speed endo-atmospheric and exo-atmospheric environments.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $314k
Description: Develop a process to radiation harden commercial microelectronics that were not originally designed to operate in radiation environments.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $314k
Description: Develop and demonstrate advanced thermal battery technology that significantly reduces size and weight while extending operational life, enabling enhanced performance and mission capabilities for missile defense systems.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $314k
Description: Design and develop an agile software defined radio (SDR) system capable of supporting multi-band communications with advanced frequency management for interceptor platforms.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $314k
Description: Develop and demonstrate low-volatility, reduced-toxicity hypergolic fuels suitable for Divert and Attitude Control System (DACS) thrusters while maintaining critical performance metrics when paired with standard oxidizers.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $314k
Description: This open topic seeks to develop and implement advanced analytical techniques for processing and interpreting historical radiation data (space-based and simulated) to improve the accuracy and predictive capabilities of radiation models, particularly concerning sensor performance and spacecraft survivability.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $314k
Description: Develop a reliable, lightweight ignition system for solid propellant propulsion systems that is capable of multiple ignitions.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $250k - $2m
Description: Develop innovative, transition-ready prototype solutions that leverage Department of War inventions made available through the T3CP Patent Holiday Initiative in the areas of Microelectronics, Advanced Materials, Energetics, Munitions, and Critical Minerals and supply-chain-enabling technologies.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $2,000,000+
Description: Develop one or more multicomponent prototypes realizing a commercially viable quantum-sensor-related component in an integrated module.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $2,000,000+
Description: To design, develop, and demonstrate a large étendue, high spectral resolution Asymmetric Spatial Heterodyne (ASH) interferometer optimized for quantum sensing, quantum communication support, and dual-use remote sensing applications.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $2,000,000+
Description: Demonstrate a Photon-Number-Resolution pixel array with high counting rates that remains scalable to megapixel size.
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $2,000,000
Description: The objective of this project is to develop a nanophotonic-enabled spatial light modulator array with modulation a few orders (>10X) faster than the state-of-the-art commercial technologies
Deadline: August 19th
Funding Award Size: $314k
Description: Develop an AI/ML-controlled radar waveform generator that dynamically designs a waveform, including adjustments to frequency, modulation, or code in real time to optimize performance under changing conditions and to evade jamming.
Deadline: August 13th
Funding Award Size: $25m
Description: The U.S. Space Force and AFRL are seeking university-led teams for the Space Strategic Technology Institute (SSTI): Space Cyber-Cognitive Overmatch (SCCO). Learn about funding, eligibility, technical focus areas, deadlines, and application requirements.