NOAA Technology Partnerships Office

Supports NOAA Technology Partnerships Office, translating National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration science into useful public and private solutions.

The NOAA Technology Partnerships Office (TPO) is NOAA’s dedicated innovation interface inside the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Its mandate is to move NOAA science toward commercialization and to support private-sector innovation activity aligned to NOAA mission needs.

TPO runs NOAA’s SBIR funding path for U.S. small businesses, using merit-reviewed grant funding. Current known amounts are up to $190,000 in Phase I and up to $690,000 in Phase II, with Phase II available only after successful Phase I progress. The office emphasizes mission-related development areas including citizen science, data platforms, cloud computing, uncrewed systems, artificial intelligence, and omics research applications.

The TPO also supports commercialization workflows through CRADAs and technology-transfer style public-private agreements. Its competitive grants are focused in the SBIR lane, while broader NOAA grant portfolios, such as Sea Grant and Climate Program Office funding, are managed by separate NOAA entities.