Find your best-fit SBIR/STTR/WERX topics
Paste a capability statement and get a ranked list of the open topics that fit best — with match scores and a one-line why-it-fits. No login required.
Sign up to see all your matches
Free shows your top 3 fits. Pro unlocks the full ranked list, all match scores, why-it-fits / why-not rationale, deadlines, and saved client profiles.
Go / No-Go scorecard
How the SBIR/STTR capability matcher works
The capability matcher is built to help you find SBIR topics to bid on without reading hundreds of solicitations by hand. Instead of guessing keywords, you describe what your company actually does and let the tool match your capability statement to SBIR topics across every open program. It works in three steps:
- Paste or upload your capability statement. Drop in a few sentences about your core technologies and past performance, or upload a PDF or Word capability statement if you are signed in.
- The engine scores every open topic. AI compares your competencies to each open SBIR, STTR, and WERX topic and ranks them by fit.
- You get ranked matches with rationale. Each result shows a match score, a plain-English why-it-fits explanation, and — on Pro — a Go/No-Go scorecard to pressure-test the bid decision.
Why finding the right SBIR topic is a matching problem
Agencies describe topic selection the same way: finding the right SBIR topic is a matching task between your company's core competencies and the agency's stated needs. The hard part is not finding a topic — there are thousands — it is figuring out which SBIR topics fit my company well enough to win. A weak fit wastes weeks of proposal effort; a strong fit is where small firms actually win awards.
That is why this is an SBIR topic finder built around fit rather than keyword search. It reads your capabilities the way an evaluator would and surfaces the open topics where your strengths line up with what the agency is asking for, including as an AFWERX / WERX topic finder for Air Force and Space Force solicitations. To go deeper on the technology areas you compete in, browse recent awards in AI & machine learning, autonomy & robotics, and cybersecurity, or scan every open solicitation in the upcoming opportunities feed.
Most teams discover the right topic by accident — a colleague forwards a solicitation, or they stumble on one while searching SBIR.gov the week before it closes. A matching approach flips that around: you start from your strengths and the tool tells you where they are in demand right now, so your business-development time goes toward topics you can credibly win rather than ones you merely qualify for.
What you get
Every match is built to answer one question — should we bid? — so the output is decision-ready, not just a list of links:
- Match scores for open topics only across DoD, AFWERX, SpaceWERX, SOFWERX, Navy, and civilian agencies — never expired solicitations.
- Why-it-fits rationale on every match, plus why-it-might-not so you can sanity-check a bid before you commit.
- Go/No-Go scorecard (Pro) to structure the bid decision against consistent criteria.
- Saved client profiles so consultants can re-run matches for each company as new topics open.
- Weekly match report email that flags newly opened topics that fit your saved profiles.
New to the 2026 program changes? Read the SBIR/STTR reauthorization guide before you build your bid pipeline.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find SBIR topics that match my company?
Paste or upload your capability statement and the matcher scores every open SBIR, STTR, and WERX topic against your core competencies. You get a ranked list of best-fit topics with a match score and a plain-English why-it-fits rationale, so you can decide which SBIR topics to bid on in minutes instead of reading hundreds of solicitations by hand.
Do I need a formatted capability statement?
No. A few sentences describing what your company builds and the problems you solve is enough to get useful matches. A fuller capability statement — your core technologies, past performance, and differentiators — produces sharper scores, but you can start with a rough paste and refine it.
Can I upload a PDF or Word capability statement?
Yes. Signed-in users can upload a capability statement as a PDF or Word (.docx) file instead of pasting text. We extract the text server-side and run it through the same matching pipeline, so an uploaded file and pasted text produce the same ranked SBIR topic matches.
Does it cover AFWERX and WERX topics?
Yes. The matcher ranks open topics across DoD components, AFWERX, SpaceWERX, SOFWERX, and civilian agencies. If you are using it as an AFWERX or WERX topic finder, the same capability statement surfaces the open WERX solicitations that fit your technology.
How is this different from searching SBIR.gov?
SBIR.gov is a keyword search over a huge list of solicitations. This tool treats topic selection as a matching problem: it compares your capabilities to each open topic and ranks them by fit, so instead of guessing keywords you see which SBIR topics fit your company and why.
Is the SBIR topic finder free?
Yes. Matching is free with no login — anonymous visitors see their top 3 best-fit topics with full scores and rationale. A free account and Pro plan unlock the full ranked list, Go/No-Go scorecards, saved client profiles, and a weekly match report email.
Only open topics, or closed ones too?
The matcher ranks open and upcoming topics you can actually bid on, not expired solicitations. Results link straight into the opportunities feed so you can check the close date before you commit time to a proposal.
Ready to find the SBIR topics that fit your company?
Paste or upload your capability statement above to get your top matches free — no login required. Upgrade to Pro for the full ranked list, Go/No-Go scorecards, and weekly match reports.