Our Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are competitive contracts managed by our Small Business Programs Office.
Step 1 – Determine eligibility
Review eligibility requirements – See section 6 of the SBIR/STTR Policy Directive or review the Guide to SBIR and STTR Program Eligibility.
Step 2 – Find a topic and review instructions
Review open SBIR/STTR topics. Each topic announcement includes instructions for proposers.
Step 3 – Ask questions and monitor published Q&As
Contact information is provided within each topic announcement. We strongly encourage direct communication during the pre-release period, including technical questions.
Once the open period begins (i.e., when proposals can be submitted), direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed. However, proposers may submit written questions via the email address listed in the topic instructions.
We publish all questions and answers received during the open period on the topic announcement page. We recommend monitoring these pages during the open announcement period updates about topics of interest.
Step 4 – Prepare your proposal
All proposals are initially screened to determine responsiveness with submission requirements as defined in the announcement, including DARPA-specific instructions. Proposals that do not comply with the requirements are considered non-responsive and are not evaluated. Proposals that do comply with the requirements are evaluated by engineers and/or scientists to determine the most promising technical and scientific approaches.
Step 5 – Submit your proposal
All SBIR/STTR proposals must be prepared and submitted electronically through the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP) and in accordance with the program announcement. Proposers can edit the cover sheet and proposal volumes at any time until the announcement closes (or due date for the Phase II proposal).
Note: To submit, you must click "Submit Proposal." Otherwise, the status will remain “In Progress” and it is not considered submitted.
How to register for DSIP
- Go to the DSIP website
- In the upper right corner, click “Login/Register”
- Follow the instructions and prompts to create a login.gov account. You will be redirected to DSIP to verify your DSIP account or to register as a new DSIP user.
For more information, see the DSIP training materials and FAQs.