How to Find SBIR and STTR Opportunities in 2026 (Without Living on SBIR.gov)
A practical capture workflow: DSIP monthly drops, AFWERX open topics, award incumbents, and bid/no-bid using public data.
Google still sends “how to find SBIR opportunities” to SBIR.gov — the official record, and a slow capture tool. Here is the 2026 workflow we recommend for defense small businesses.
1. Track the DSIP monthly drop, not a yearly calendar
AFWERX, SpaceWERX, and other DoD components release open topics on a recurring DSIP cadence. Pre-release is when you can talk to the TPOC. Once the topic opens, that window usually closes. Watch open topics and the deadline calendar daily instead of refreshing SBIR.gov.
2. Search awards the way a competitor would
Before you write Phase I, search who already won the topic family. SBIR award search and topic incumbents use the same public USASpending/SBIR.gov data, ranked so a firm name query does not return a random abstract mention.
3. Ask a grounded question, not a chatbot
AI Search answers from live award and topic records (one free guest query; Free accounts get 5/month). Ask “Has [firm] won any SBIRs?” or paste a topic code. It will not invent CAGE/UEI numbers.
4. Score fit before you write
Paste a capability statement on Match for your free top 3 best-fit topics — no login — or run the free readiness scorecard if you are still deciding whether SBIR is even the right path. Pro unlocks the full ranked list, watch-outs, and Go/No-Go.
5. Bid/no-bid with conversion, not hope
Phase II is where money lands. Read Phase I→II conversion by agency and skip topic families that never convert.
Frequently asked questions
Where are official SBIR/STTR topics posted?
DoD topics post on the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP). Civilian agencies post on SBIR.gov and Grants.gov. SBIR Signal aggregates open and pre-release topics daily so you do not have to poll every portal.
What is the fastest way to find open SBIR topics?
Filter SBIR Signal Opportunities by agency (AFWERX, Navy, Army, DARPA) and status open/pre-release, or ask AI Search for 'open SBIR topics in [your tech]'. Then check incumbents for that topic code.
How do I research who won a topic last time?
Use the Topic Incumbents tool with the topic code. You will see prior winners, phases, and dollars — the same work GovCon teams do manually on SBIR.gov award search.
Research your competition with real award data
SBIR Signal tracks SBIR/STTR awards with daily updates from USASpending.gov. Run a free capability match →