Navy SBIR/STTR — Seed (ONR-administered)
Supports small-business naval technology projects through multiple annual DoD research milestones.
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) administers Navy participation in the Department of Defense Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, enabling US small businesses to compete for R&D contracts addressing naval science and technology needs across more than 30 defined topic areas. The Navy runs three DoD-wide release cycles per fiscal year, with specific Navy topic numbers, technical requirements, and deadline information published each cycle on defensesbirsttr.mil (the DoD registration and solicitation portal) and navysbir.com. ONR's five research departments — spanning C5ISRT, Ocean Battlespace Sensing, Sea Warfare and Weapons, Warfighter Performance, and Naval Air Warfare and Weapons — contribute topics that reflect current naval technology gaps.
SBIR eligibility is restricted to US-owned and operated small businesses with 500 or fewer employees. STTR awards additionally require a formal partnership with a US research institution such as a university or federally funded research and development center; universities and non-profits are not eligible as prime applicants under SBIR. Standard Phase I awards fund feasibility studies; Phase II awards fund prototype development; Phase III is the commercialization stage and may involve sole-source Navy procurement contracts. Award amounts for each phase are topic-specific and published with each cycle solicitation.
Applicants should monitor defensesbirsttr.mil for cycle opening announcements, register their companies in advance, and review Navy-specific topics on navysbir.com early in each release window. Program officers are listed with each topic number and are available for pre-submission questions. Successfully funded companies gain both R&D capital and a pathway to direct Navy procurement as the technology matures through Phase III.
30+ Navy/Marine Corps science and technology areas. Specific topics published per cycle on defensesbirsttr.mil and navysbir.com.
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