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The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are U.S. federal initiatives that fund small businesses to engage in research and development. The Department of the Air Force, through AFWERX, participates in this program to accelerate the transition of technology for military use by the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. Learn More about the program’s purpose and requirements.

The STTR program is similar to the SBIR program; however, the STTR program requires one qualifying research partner (e.g. university, non-profit, or Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC)) to perform 30 – 60% of the award work.

The DAF allocates a significant portion of its research and development budget, approximately 3.2%, to the SBIR/STTR program annually. AFWERX manages this program through Open Topic, Specific Topic, and STRATFI/TACFI to develop and transition innovative technologies. This approach directly supports the warfighter, creating a more lethal and ready force to deter conflict, while also strengthening the U.S. economy and industrial base.

The DAF SBIR/STTR program offers contracts, not grants. A contract is a legal agreement where the government is procuring a good or service to meet a specific need. This differs from a grant, which provides financial assistance for a project of public interest with less direct government involvement.

The DAF SBIR/STTR program is designed to deliver innovative technology to Airmen and Guardians more quickly. It does this by directly connecting small businesses with DAF customers to find and mature solutions to specific needs. This process creates a streamlined path for commercial innovation to enter the DAF, helping to overcome traditional acquisition barriers.

• Fostering unconstrained innovation through less prescriptive topics that encourage a wide range of solutions.
• Accelerating the acquisition process to rapidly transition promising commercial technologies into the DAF.
• Providing a clear pathway for small businesses, making the DAF a more agile and dependable partner.

AFWERX streamlines the acquisition process to get innovative technology to Airmen and Guardians more quickly. It accomplishes this through:

• A recurring solicitation cycle for Open and Specific topics, which creates a consistent pathway for companies to engage.
• An accelerated 90-day timeline between a solicitation’s closing and contract award.
• Reduced proposal requirements that save time for both companies and government evaluators.
• The implementation of programs like STRATFI/TACFI, which help promising technologies transition from a research phase to a larger acquisition program.

Recordings of Previous Webinars are available for viewing, including those for Open Topic, Specific Topic, and STRATFI/TACFI.

Eligibility for SBIR/STTR funding has specific requirements for small businesses and research institutions. For full details, including criteria and registration information, please refer to our Eligibility Requirements.