Innovation Funding Database
Robotics & Autonomous Systems 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: 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: 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: $500k - $5m
Description: Explore the ACC/A2 & Air Force Intelligence Community CSO (FA7037-26-S-C001). Monitor for AI, cyber, JADC2, and data innovation funding opportunities.
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: June 29th
Funding Award Size: $250k - $1m
Description: ED/IES SBIR Phase IA, Phase IB, and Direct to Phase II. Learn funding amounts, eligibility, and which track is right for your edtech startup. Deadlines June 29, 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 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: April 3rd
Funding Award Size: $500k -$2m
Description: Apply to the REEF CSO for funding to develop underwater detection, tracking, and defense systems for U.S. and UK applications. Deadline: 2026-04-03
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: TBD
Funding Award Size: $500k - $2m
Description: Apply to the Army Applications Lab DevX Autonomy Open Call for innovative autonomous and unmanned system solutions. Rolling submissions through 31 August 2026 with monthly deadlines.
Deadline: December 31st, 2026
Funding Award Size: $500k - $5m
Description: The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is seeking innovative technologies for infrastructure, water modeling, AI, robotics, and ecosystem management.
Deadline: March 22nd
Funding Award Size: $200 - $2m
Description: COMSUBFOR seeks emerging technologies for Offensive Subsea and Seabed Warfare (SSW), including autonomous and remotely operated seabed attack systems. Deadline: March 22nd.
Deadline: Within 45 calendar days of a qualifying weather event or disaster
Funding Award Size: Up to $300,000 (12-month project period)
Description: Rolling USDA funding for rapid extension and applied research projects that mitigate agricultural production, supply chain, and community impacts from recent weather-related disasters, including droughts, floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and extreme temperature events.
Deadline: February 17, 2026 at 23:59:59 US/Eastern Time
Funding Award Size: $300K to $5M+
Description: Apply for DIU funding for containerized autonomous drone delivery systems. OT prototype contracts with DoD. Deadline Feb 17, 2026.
Deadline: Submit ASAP while funds are available. Closes 1/1/27
Funding Award Size: Est. $500K to $5 million
Description: Funding and collaboration to research, integrate, and demonstrate novel technologies on a high-mobility specialist vehicle platform to inform future UK land manoeuvre capabilities.
Deadline: Submit ASAP while funds are available. Closes 5/31/29
Funding Award Size: Est. $500K to $5 million
Description: Funding for scientific and technical research that enhances homeland security capabilities across DHS operational environments and mission areas.
Deadline: White Papers Due June, 22nd
Funding Award Size: Est. $500K to $5M
Description: This BAA solicits innovative basic research, applied research, advanced technology development, and prototype efforts that advance naval aviation capabilities and directly support Department of the Navy mission needs.
Deadline: White Papers Due May, 20th
Funding Award Size: Est. $100K to $10M
Description: The Air Force Research Laboratory is seeking innovative research and development in advanced radio frequency (RF) and electro-optical / infrared (EO/IR) sensing technologies to support future air, space, and command-and-control sensor systems.
Deadline: Executive Summary Due April 17, 2026
Funding Award Size: Est. $500K to $5 million
Description: DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office seeks revolutionary defense technologies and systems that enable rapid design, manufacturing, sustainment, and disruptive battlefield capability across multiple focus areas.
Deadline: Submit white papers ASAP before funds are allocated.
Funding Award Size: $100K to $10 Million+
Description: Funding for research and development of spacecraft propulsion technologies to improve resiliency and counter satellite threats, including chemical, electric, and multi-mode propulsion systems.
Deadline: March 31, 2026
Funding Award Size: $1M (Track A) to $3M (Track B)
Description: Funding for U.S. companies to develop and demonstrate robotic surface and aerial mobility systems capable of transporting and deploying science payloads in Martian environments.
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 20, 2026
Funding Award Size: Est. $500K to $5M
Description: Funding for development of small, low-cost unmanned aircraft systems capable of autonomous, high-speed, long-range operations in contested environments for asymmetric warfare missions.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop robust autopilot flight control for heterogeneous manned/unmanned formation “wake surfing,” enabling precise station-keeping in vortex upwash for 10–20% fuel savings with minimal added hardware and low/zero datalink dependency.
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 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: $250,000 (Estimated)
Description: Develop modular payload technologies for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) compatible with the Picatinny Common Lethality Interface Kit (CLIK) standard. Solutions may include EO/IR sensing, communications relay, electronic warfare, signals intelligence, or cargo delivery payloads integrated across multiple UAS platforms.
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 robotic systems to automate or assist the assembly of Expeditionary Airfield matting in austere environments, enabling autonomous navigation, heavy mat handling, and precise alignment to improve deployment speed, reduce manual labor, and enhance operational safety.
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: 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: Funding to build a prototype GIS-based Arctic navigation planning tool that fuses onboard, airborne, satellite, and model data to forecast sea ice (12–96 hrs) and recommend optimized, vessel-aware routes through ice-infested waters.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop a lightweight passive spectral imager + dual-wavelength topo-bathy LiDAR payload for Group 2 UAVs, enabling real-time littoral mapping, bathymetry to ~20m, and underwater target/terrain characterization with onboard processing and downlink.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop machine learning–based automation that improves detection, tracking, classification, and localization of underwater contacts using passive sonar data across multiple sensors and display systems for anti-submarine warfare operations.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop regenerative AI agents that fuse multimodal intelligence and sensor data to deliver real-time cross-domain situational awareness, risk assessment, and AI-assisted tactical decision support for naval operations.
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 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 a low-SWaP, covert, non-RF maritime transceiver (e.g., acoustic/IR/UV) enabling secure, interference-resistant communications over 5+ km with LPI/LPD and flexible data rates up to 10MB/s for contested environments.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop a compact, battery-powered 3–5 µm MWIR hyperspectral video camera using photonic crystal/on-chip spectral multiplexing to capture high-definition, real-time (up to 125 Hz) hyperspectral video for mobile defense sensing platforms.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop a compact, battery-powered 3–5 µm MWIR hyperspectral video camera using photonic crystal/on-chip spectral multiplexing to capture high-definition, real-time (up to 125 Hz) hyperspectral video for mobile defense sensing platforms.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop an ultra-low SWaP RF sensing compute engine that can continuously ingest and process ≥2 GHz instantaneous-bandwidth IF data on <5 lb platforms (engine <1.5 lb, <150W), enabling onboard detection and RF data product formation for edge classification/localization with zeroization and encryption.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop a low-cost, portable, universal automatic cable tester that verifies continuity, resistance, isolation (copper/RF), and fiber impedance via OTDR, and quickly generates simple QA reports for ship modernization.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to design and demonstrate a field-portable mass spectrometer with a rugged, flexible inlet mounted to a land robot arm for non-proximate, real-time chemical detection and remote red/green operator results.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $240,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to improve Amphibious Combat Vehicle water-to-land transition and surf-zone maneuvering by redesigning operator controls (HMI) and water propulsion hardware to reduce workload, increase responsiveness, and maintain or improve speed, bollard pull, fuel economy, and corrosion/maintenance performance.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $140,000 (Estimated)
Description: Develop AI-enabled mission debriefing tools that fuse decision-making from human pilots and autonomous aircraft. The system logs, analyzes, and visualizes autonomy decision chains using advanced analytics and human-machine interfaces to improve transparency, trust, and operational learning in human-autonomy teaming.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $140,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop autonomous leader-follower drone formations enabling a single pilot to control multiple UAS. Projects focus on AI flight control, resilient communications, formation management, target designation, and coordinated operations in contested or GPS-denied environments.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $140,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop AI-driven autonomy that enables aircraft to model threat zones, avoid adversarial weapon engagement areas, optimize weapon usage, and coordinate with other platforms to complete missions in contested environments.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $140,000 (Estimated)
Description: Develop runtime monitoring systems that detect and mitigate errors in AI-driven autonomy for unmanned platforms. Solutions ensure safe flight and mission execution by identifying faulty autonomous decisions and triggering corrective or fallback control actions in real time.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $140,000 (Estimated)
Description: Develop an AI framework that generates geo-specific multimodal scenes (RF and EO/IR) using geospatial, environmental, and sensor data to produce high-fidelity synthetic datasets for training autonomous systems and AI/ML models in realistic operational environments.
Deadline: April 29, 2026 (Estimated)
Funding Award Size: $140,000 (Estimated)
Description: Funding to develop a low-cost, ground-launched small UAS with standardized modular payload interfaces for rapid electronic-warfare reconfiguration and swarm (3–10) operations, carrying 5+ lb for 45+ minutes over 100+ km.
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.