Air Force SBIR Phase I
Funds United States Air Force and Space Force aligned small-business concepts in early defense feasibility work.
Air Force SBIR Phase I is a feasibility-stage competitive award administered by the Department of the Air Force through AFWERX, the Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) technology acceleration arm, and SpaceWERX for space-focused applications. AFWERX serves as the Department of the Air Force's SBIR/STTR program manager and operates under AFRL, which spans nine technology areas and 40 operations …
Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX priorities across air, space, cyber, autonomy, sustainment, materials, and AI. Open Topic SBIR allows companies to pitch their own technology against broader topic frames.
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Guides for this application
All guides →SBIR/STTR Grants for Deeptech Startups
A practical guide to SBIR and STTR grants for deeptech startups, including agency fit, Phase I and II logic, eligibility, budgets, and review criteria.
Where to applyGrants for Robotics Startups: SBIR, Defense, NSF, and Pilot Funding
A practical guide to grants for robotics startups, including SBIR/STTR, NSF, DoD, NASA, field validation, TRL, pilot evidence, budgets, and commercialization strategy.
Start hereTRL Levels Explained for Deeptech Founders
Learn what TRL levels mean, how to estimate technology readiness, and how TRL affects grants, EIC Accelerator, SBIR/STTR, funding stage, and application evidence.
Write proposalHow to Write a Grant Proposal Reviewers Can Score
Learn how to write a grant proposal around reviewer criteria, evidence, work packages, budget logic, and commercialization for deeptech and R&D funding.
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