U.S. DOT SBIR Phase I
Funds U.S. small businesses testing the feasibility of transportation R&D innovations for DOT mission needs.
The U.S. Department of Transportation administers SBIR Phase I as the feasibility stage of its Small Business Innovation Research program, a federal non-dilutive R&D contract mechanism for small businesses. The FY26 Phase I solicitation is open from June 3, 2026 through July 7, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Phase I supports feasibility-related experimental, theoretical, or R&D work on specified DOT research topics. DOT states that selected Phase I offers will not exceed USD 200,000, with the exact amount based on the topic funding level in the solicitation. The period of performance may be up to six months.
Eligible applicants are small businesses submitting innovative research proposals that address high-priority DOT requirements and have commercialization potential. The source does not provide the full SBA ownership/size rule text on this page, so companies should confirm detailed eligibility in the active FY26 solicitation document before submitting.
Applications use DOT's SBIR proposal process through the Volpe SBIR pages. Applicants should review the full FY26 solicitation document for topic descriptions, administrative requirements, submission rules, and evaluation criteria.
Transportation research and development topics published in the U.S. DOT FY26 SBIR Phase I solicitation, including technologies relevant to DOT operating administrations and commercialization of transportation innovations.
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