Innovation Funding Database


Quantum & Photonics Funding

We hear regularly from founders and companies that just missed the perfect multi-million dollar opportunity for them.

Don’t be one of them.

Our experts are ready to offer a complimentary assessment to see which opportunity is the best fit for your company.

Complimentary Assessment

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.

Explore Broad Topic Funding

Specific Topics

Specific topics describe clearly defined needs with exact technical goals or outcomes. They’re focused requests for solutions that meet specific requirements.

Explore Specific Topic Funding

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)

Complimentary Assessment
Featured
Defense Sciences Office (DSO) Office-wide BAA – DARPA

Deadline: June 2, 2026

Funding Award Size: Est. $2 million

Description: Funding for revolutionary basic or applied research that advances science, devices, or systems for national security applications.

Read More →
DARPA Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) Office-Wide BAA

Deadline: January 15, 2026

Funding Award Size: Est. $2 million

Description: DARPA’s Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) is seeking high-risk, high-reward research ideas that revolutionize microelectronics, integrated circuits, photonics, quantum systems, biological circuits, and manufacturing ecosystems. This office-wide BAA targets breakthrough microsystems that create or prevent strategic surprise for national security.

Read More →
DARPA Strategic Technology Office-Wide Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)

Deadline: December 19, 2025

Funding Award Size: Est. $2 million

Description: DARPA’s Strategic Technology Office (STO) is seeking revolutionary, high-risk research ideas that can create new mission-level capabilities across air, space, sea, land, and the electromagnetic spectrum. This BAA supports disruptive systems, devices, or architectures that go beyond incremental improvements and are not already covered under existing STO programs.

Read More →
The AFWERX & SpaceWERX Open Topic Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program

Deadline: Estimated: Q4 2025, Q1 2026

Funding Award Size: $75K to $1.8 million

Description: A flexible SBIR/STTR vehicle for technologies with commercial value that could provide similar value to the Space Force or Air Force.

Read More →
CHIPS Research & Development Office (CRDO) Broad Agency Announcement

Deadline: Rolling Basis - Apply ASAP before funds are gone.

Funding Award Size: $10 Million or more.

Description: Funding for research, prototyping, and commercialization projects that advance U.S. microelectronics, including work tied to AI, quantum, biotechnology/biomanufacturing, commercialization of innovation, and standards.

Read More →

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)

Complimentary Assessment
Featured
Generative Optogenetics - DARPA BTO

Deadline: Abstracts Due January 16, 2026 (5:00 PM ET)

Funding Award Size: $1.7M to $1.99M.

Description: DARPA’s Generative Optogenetics (GO) program funds the development of a protein complex that can be expressed in living cells and use optical signals (light) to synthesize DNA or RNA without a template. The program aims to enable massless transfer of genetic information into cells and focuses on de novo nucleic acid synthesis and optional high-fidelity error mitigation mechanisms.

Read More →
Adaptive Manufacturing and Integration at Scale (10^n)

Deadline: November 21, 2025

Funding Award Size: $20 Million+

Description: Seeks commercial solutions to prototype and demonstrate responsive, adaptive, and scalable production methods—including digital design, AI-enabled software, 3D printing, CNC, automated molding, and software-defined manufacturing—to strengthen and expand the U.S. domestic space supply chain. The goal is to achieve on-demand production of space systems and components at scale (hundreds per month, thousands per year), enabling a resilient, agile, and commercially viable industrial base capable of supporting defense and dual-use space missions.

Read More →