NIDILRR — National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research

NIDILRR SBIR Phase II

Supports disability-focused technology commercialization in small United States firms from earlier research.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) Small Business Innovation Research Phase II programme funds small businesses to advance and commercialise disability-related technology developed in a prior NIDILRR Phase I award. NIDILRR is the federal government's primary disability research organisation, operating under the Administration for Community Living (ACL) within the Department of Health and Human Services under statutory authority from Title II of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 USC §§ 762–764), administered via CFDA Assistance Listing 93.433. The FY2026 Phase II cycle made available $1,150,000 across an estimated four awards, with individual awards ranging from $280,000 to $287,500, structured across two 12-month budget periods for a total project duration of 24 months. The application deadline was 9 March 2026 (now closed), with an estimated award date of 1 June 2026.

Eligibility is restricted to small business concerns, as defined by the Small Business Administration, that successfully completed an ACL/NIDILRR Phase I SBIR award with a period of performance between 1 October 2023 and 31 December 2025. Foreign entities are categorically ineligible. Projects must demonstrate a clear pathway to improved outcomes for people with disabilities, consistent with NIDILRR's 2024–2028 Long-Range Plan, which governs all NIDILRR grant-making during this period. Budget planning must fit within the narrow $280,000–$287,500 award band, with a clean handoff between Year 1 and Year 2 deliverables.

Applications are submitted through grants.gov, the standard federal grants submission portal. The programme contact is Brian Bard at brian.bard@acl.hhs.gov, (202) 795-7298. NIDILRR operates eight other grant programme lines under CFDA 93.433 — including the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center, the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Program, and Field-Initiated Projects — that may be relevant for organisations targeting disability research funding in future cycles.