IMPORTANT UPDATE: Effective 1 October 2025, SBIR/STTR program authorization has expired. New activity is paused; ongoing awards remain valid. Awardees are encouraged to contact their TPOCs and contracting officers with questions regarding active awards.
The exact guidance changes slightly with each solicitation, although the general answer is, yes. Pay attention to the limitations of the solicitation you are applying to. In most recent solicitations, the verbiage allows DoW Joint organizations to be the end-user or customer, as long as the Customer Memorandum clearly articulates how the Joint end-user/customer represents a validated DAF need. It also allows commitments from U.S. non-DAF customers or end-users on a case-by-case basis, as long as there is at least one DAF/Joint end-user or customer. In all cases, the primary Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) must come from the DAF (civilian or military).