NASA SBIR/STTR Phase III

NASA SBIR/STTR Phase III — Sole-Source

Offers direct follow-on commercialization agreements for United States space firms after successful early-space awards.

NASA SBIR/STTR Phase III is the commercialization phase of NASA's small business innovation programs, enabling further development of technologies resulting from Phase I or Phase II contracts for transition into NASA programs, other government agencies, or the private sector. Phase III contracts are awarded as sole-source procurements without competitive solicitation, funded from NASA mission program budgets rather than the SBIR/STTR program appropriation. There is no statutory dollar cap on Phase III awards — contract size is determined solely by the procurement need identified by the awarding NASA center.

Only firms that hold a prior NASA SBIR or STTR Phase I or Phase II award are eligible for Phase III. The authority is continuous and can be exercised at any point after a successful Phase I or Phase II — there is no deadline, no cycle, and no announcement to respond to. NASA center program managers and contracting officers initiate Phase III agreements based on mission needs; companies seeking Phase III contracts should engage directly with NASA center points of contact and consult the Phase III Customer Guide, most recently updated February 26, 2024. A company does not need to have completed Phase II to receive a Phase III award — Phase I completion alone can qualify.

Phase III contracts are also available to entities other than the original awardee — NASA may award Phase III work to a firm that has licensed SBIR/STTR-funded technology, even if that firm never held a direct Phase I or Phase II. The primary winning strategy for Phase III is proactive relationship-building with NASA center technology managers who have a procurement need matching the awardee's technology, combined with clear demonstration that the technology has advanced from its Phase II state and is ready for mission integration or commercial deployment.