DHS — Department of Homeland Security

Supports homeland security innovation through small-business innovation competitions, Silicon Valley accelerator routes, and mission-focused transition awards.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is the Cabinet agency for domestic security, border protection, immigration enforcement, disaster response, and cybersecurity. Its grant and innovation work is spread across several components, but the startup-facing routes in this record sit mainly in the Science and Technology Directorate, with FEMA and CISA serving state and local government through separate preparedness and cybersecurity grants.

Within S&T, the main routes are SBIR, the Silicon Valley Innovation Program, and the Long Range Broad Agency Announcement. SBIR began in 2004 and uses annual solicitations tied to mission needs across borders and maritime security, chemical and biological defense, cyber, explosives, and first responder capability. SVIP uses Other Transaction Authority and can provide up to $200,000 per phase, with a total that can reach $2 million over roughly 24 months. The portal noted no open solicitations as of May 2026, so applicants track the cycle closely.

DHS works best for small businesses that can map a very specific technology to a homeland security gap and move quickly through a tightly defined solicitation cycle. Phase I awards are often decided within about 90 days, and the program mix favors teams comfortable with federal evaluation, operational pilots, and rapid transition into a customer mission.