AFWERX Specific Topic SBIR/STTR

AFWERX Specific Topic SBIR Release 1

Supports small business technology opportunities through focused Air Force innovation calls.

AFWERX Specific Topic SBIR 26.BZ Release 1 is the first release in Program Year 2026's DoW SBIR Specific Topic cycle, covering pre-identified capability gaps published by both U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force end users. The solicitation pre-released on April 13, 2026, opened May 6, 2026, and closed June 6, 2026. Each topic in the solicitation represents a discrete problem statement defined by a known Air Force or Space Force customer, meaning applicants propose directly to an identified end user's requirement — no separate Customer Memorandum is required for Phase II under the Specific Topic track, unlike the Open Topic program.

Award structure: Phase I delivers technical feasibility over up to 6 months for a maximum of $200,000; Phase II (or Direct-to-Phase II, D2P2) extends research and development over up to 24 months at a maximum of $2,000,000 per award. Eligibility is limited to for-profit U.S. small businesses with 500 or fewer employees in which the Principal Investigator's primary employment (more than 50 percent) is at the small business. Applicants must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) before contract award. All proposals are submitted through the DoW online submission portal (dodsbirsttr.mil).

To win a Specific Topic award, applicants must directly address the technical requirements and capability gap stated in a specific topic number, not propose a general technology. Phase I deliverables include a preliminary and a final technical feasibility report. Strong performers are positioned for Phase II follow-on, and Phase II graduates may later compete for TACFI (up to $2M) or STRATFI (up to $15M) matching investment contracts administered by AFWERX. The solicitation instructions for each individual topic are the authoritative source and may vary in page limits, scoring criteria, and specific technical requirements.