Department of War SBIR/STTR FY26 Release 5 Topics
Quick Answer
Department of War SBIR/STTR FY26 Release 5 pre-released on August 5, 2026, opened for submissions on August 26, and includes 51 SBIR and STTR topics across the Air Force, Navy, DARPA, DTRA, and DMEA. All Release 5 topics close on September 23, 2026 at 12:00pm ET. This is the fifth of six scheduled 2026 releases under the DoW's Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO), part of the broader SBIR/STTR reauthorization signed into law in April 2026. Topics span infrared sensing and imaging, radar and electronic warfare, autonomous underwater and aerial systems, quantum telemetry, directed energy, and radiation-hardened power electronics, reflecting the Department's continued focus on distributed, autonomous, and resilient defense capabilities. Below, BW&CO breaks down every Release 5 topic with technical objectives, eligibility requirements, and funding amounts to help you determine fit before the deadline.
Details
The Department of War (DoW) SBIR/STTR FY26 Release 5 solicitation is now open, providing U.S. small businesses with new opportunities to develop innovative technologies that address critical national security priorities.
Budgets across each topic vary, but the deadline for all topics in this release is September 23rd, 2026.
This page serves as BW&CO's central resource for the latest DoW SBIR and STTR Release 5 topics, with direct links to detailed summaries of each solicitation, eligibility information, and funding opportunities.
FY 26 Release 4 Topics
DAF SBIR Direct-to-Phase-II Topic DAF26BX05- DV509: High-Voltage Radiation Hardened Power Switches for Space Power and Propulsion
DAF26BZ05-DV030: High Temp Semiconductor Transistors for Hot DoW Environments and Electronic Warfare
DAF26BZ05-DV031: F-16 Agnostic Rapid Weapons Integration
DAF26BZ05-DV032: F-35 Agnostic Rapid Weapons Integration
DAF26BZ05-DV033: Dynamic Open Systems Enclave
DAF26BZ05-NV026: Automated Lethality
DAF26BZ05-NV027: Integrating Neural Architectures for Brain-Inspired AI with Low SWAP
DAF26BZ05-NV028: Ultra-Sensitive Quantum Telemetry Receiver
DAF26BZ05-NV029: Cost-Effective Composite Joints with Tailorable Performance and Geometry
DAF26TZ05-NV005: Real Time Enhanced Fine Tracking in Directed Energy Applications
DME26BZ05-NV001: Additive Manufacturing for Flexible Electronics
DME26TZ05-NP001: Cable Connector Enhancement
DON26BX05-NP003 — NAVSEA MBSE Acceleration via AI/ML
DON26BX05-NP004 — NAVWAR Unified APNT Operational Awareness and Decision Support
DON26BZ05-DV081 — Intelligent Data Analysis of Post-Mission Reporting Artifacts & Data
DON26BZ05-DV082 — Cross-domain Interface for Trusted Access & Data Exchange Logic (CITADEL)
DON26BZ05-DV083 — Solution to Reduce Towing Based Mishaps During Flightline Operations
DON26BZ05-DV084 — Innovative Flexible Fuel Cell Design
DON26BZ05-DV085 — Persistent Non-Destructive Inspection System for Airfield Readiness and FOD Mitigation
DON26BZ05-DV086 — Customized Aerospace Lightweight, High Power, High Frequency Bandwidth, Nanocrystalline EMI Filters
DON26BZ05-DV087 — Edge-Deployed Explainable Digital-Twin CBM+ Platforms for Carrier-Based Systems
DON26BZ05-NV068 — Intelligent Tools for Naval Aircrew Performance and Readiness
DON26BZ05-NV069 — Wearable Real-Time Command-and-Control Interface for Enhanced Naval Situational Awareness
DON26BZ05-NV070 — Multi-Frequency Coverage Unit with Broad Band Interference and Designed Canceller
DON26BZ05-NV071 — Dynamically Generated, Articulated 3-Dimensional Training Content
DON26BZ05-NV072 — Digitally Enhanced Weapon System Technical Data
DON26BZ05-NV073 — Portable Digital Metrology System for Measurement of Defects on Optically Transparent Canopies and Windscreens
DON26BZ05-NV074 — Automated Post-Mission De-Brief and Re-Planning for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Missions
DON26BZ05-NV075 — High Performance Electrolytic Coating Touch-Up Repairs for Aluminum
DON26BZ05-NV076 — Open, Layered, Yielding Modular Platform for Unified Systems (OLYMPUS)
DON26BZ05-NV077 — Multi-Core Parallel Processing for Sensor Fusion Architecture
DON26BZ05-NV078 — Tech Data Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals Convertor
DON26BZ05-NV080 — Submarine Cabinet Sound Dampening Alternative
Navy STTR DON26TZ05-NV022: Compact Efficient High Energy Pulsed Laser
Navy STTR DON26TZ05-NV023: Detection and Classification of Low Probability of Intercept Radar Waveforms Using FPGA with Cognitive Techniques
Navy STTR DON26TZ05-NV024: Lightweight, Modular Fuel Cell Systems for Unmanned Aircraft Systems
DARPA SBIR DPA26BZ05-DV018: Hoboken - SBIR XL
DARPA SBIR DPA26BZ05-DV019: Semantically-Aware ISR
DARPA SBIR DPA26BZ05-DV020: Universal Cell Culture Platform for Rapid Establishment of Species-Agnostic Cell Lines and Autonomous Culture Operations
DARPA SBIR DPA26BZ05-DV021: Open Architecture Platform for Underwater Vehicles for Rapid Adaptation, Collaborative Sensing, Navigation, and Autonomy
DARPA SBIR DPA26BZ05-DV022: Commercialization of Ultra-High Payload-to-Weight UAS Subsystems
DARPA STTR DPA26TZ05-DV003: SPEED DIAL (Scalable Platform for Enterprise Engineering and Deployment towards Mathematics for the Discovery of Algorithms and Architectures)
DTRA SBIR DTR26BZ05-NP001: Novel Technologies for CWMD and Related Threats
OSW26BZ05-NV021: Co-packaging Digital Readout Integrated Circuits and Photonics for Advanced Infrared Imaging
OSW26BZ05-DV020: Joint Radar & Communication Waveforms
OSW26BZ05-DV019: Collaborative Distributed Swarm Radar
OSW26BZ05-DV018: Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (AI/ML)-Based Radar Data Compression
OSW26BZ05-NP017: Sensing Algorithms for Bandwidth Efficient Edge Radars (SABER)
OSW26BZ05-NP016: Desktop Instrument for Measuring Boresight Error as a Function of Incident Angle
OSW26BZ05-DV014: In-Situ Metrology for Mesa-Wall Integrity in Large Format Small-Pixel Infrared Detector Array Fabrication
OSW26TZ05-NV003: High Throughput Wafer Scale Manufacturing of Custom Achromatic Infrared Meta Optics
Free Project Assessment
Whether your technology is focused on artificial intelligence, autonomy, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, cybersecurity, biotechnology, energy, quantum technologies, robotics, or other emerging capabilities, you can quickly explore the topics most relevant to your organization.
Each topic listed below links to an individual page that explains the technical objectives, potential applicants, key requirements, and funding details to help you determine whether the opportunity aligns with your technology roadmap.
BW&CO continuously reviews new federal funding opportunities and provides guidance to companies pursuing competitive SBIR and STTR awards.
Browse the FY26 Release 5 topics below, identify the solicitations that best fit your innovation, and schedule a consultation with our team if you would like assistance evaluating your fit or preparing a competitive proposal before the submission deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is DoW SBIR/STTR FY26 Release 5? DoW SBIR/STTR FY26 Release 5 is the fifth of six 2026 Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) releases from the Department of War. It includes 51 SBIR and STTR topics from the Air Force, Navy, DARPA, DTRA, and DMEA, all closing September 23, 2026.
When does DoW Release 5 open and close? Release 5 pre-released on August 5, 2026, opened for proposal submissions on August 26, 2026, and closes on September 23, 2026 at 12:00pm ET.
How many topics are in Release 5? Release 5 includes 51 topics total: 44 SBIR topics and 7 STTR topics, spanning the Air Force, Navy, DARPA, DTRA, and DMEA.
What is the difference between an SBIR and an STTR topic? SBIR topics allow a small business to perform the research independently, while STTR topics require a formal partnership with a university or nonprofit research institution. Release 5 includes both topic types across every participating component.
What technology areas does Release 5 cover? Release 5 topics cover infrared sensing and detector fabrication, radar and electronic warfare, autonomous underwater and aerial systems, quantum telemetry, directed energy, radiation-hardened power electronics, and naval sustainment and readiness technologies.
How much funding is available in Release 5? Award sizes vary by topic and component. Standard Phase I SBIR and STTR topics generally range from $100k to $315k, while several Direct to Phase II topics from the Navy, Air Force, and DARPA offer awards up to $2m or $3m.
How many DoW SBIR/STTR releases are left in FY26? Release 5 is the fifth of six scheduled releases for FY26. Release 6 pre-releases September 2, 2026, opens September 23, and closes October 21, 2026.
Whether your technology is focused on artificial intelligence, autonomy, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, cybersecurity, biotechnology, energy, quantum technologies, robotics, or other emerging capabilities, you can quickly explore the topics most relevant to your organization.
Each topic listed below links to an individual page that explains the technical objectives, potential applicants, key requirements, and funding details to help you determine whether the opportunity aligns with your technology roadmap.
BW&CO continuously reviews new federal funding opportunities and provides guidance to companies pursuing competitive SBIR and STTR awards.
Browse the FY26 Release 4 topics below, identify the solicitations that best fit your innovation, and schedule a consultation with our team if you would like assistance evaluating your fit or preparing a competitive proposal before the submission deadline.
