SBIR Signal

Department of Education Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Direct to Phase II 2026: Solicitation

SBIR topic from EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF.EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF.CONTRACTS AND ACQUISTIONS MANAGEMEN, solicitation 91990026R0005. Closes 2026-06-29.

Component (WERX)
—
Agency
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF.EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF.CONTRACTS AND ACQUISTIONS MANAGEMEN
Program / Phase
SBIR
Solicitation #
91990026R0005
Topic #
—
Status
Closed
Pre-release date
—
Open date
2026-06-03
Close date
2026-06-29 · Add to calendar · See all deadlines
Set-aside
SBA
NAICS
541720
Direct-to-Phase II brief

Topic brief

This looks like a Direct-to-Phase II (or Phase II-heavy) opportunity. Agencies expect a mature prototype path and evidence you can execute without a classic Phase I on this topic.

Direct-to-Phase II focus: Treat maturity and transition evidence as gate criteria. Phase II-scale budget and schedule realism matter more than exploratory R&D framing.

Who this is for

  • Firms with a working prototype or strong TRL evidence already
  • Teams that can fund or evidence prior R&D equivalent to Phase I
  • Companies ready for a larger budget and tighter delivery schedule

Capture playbook

  1. Inventory prior art, demos, and test data that substitute for Phase I
  2. Budget and schedule like a Phase II from day one
  3. Identify transition customer and path before writing the abstract
  4. Study median Phase II award sizes in this agency (competitive intel)
  5. Only bid if you can show execution risk is controlled

pWin cues

  • Demonstrated system or subsystem, not a paper concept
  • Credible Phase II cost realism and staffing
  • Named transition stakeholder or follow-on vehicle

Watch-outs

  • D2P2 is not a shortcut for early-TRL ideas
  • Incumbents with prior Phase I on related topics may dominate
  • Underestimating Phase II documentation load sinks first-time bidders

Topic brief FAQ

What is Direct-to-Phase II?

A path that allows firms meeting eligibility and maturity criteria to propose Phase II without a new Phase I award on that topic.

Do I still need a Phase I somewhere?

Rules vary by agency; many D2P2 paths require equivalent prior work. Read the solicitation carefully.

How do I compare award sizes?

Use competitive intel and related awards on this page for Phase II dollar context in the same agency/domain.

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Go / No-Go decision pack

One-click pack: competitive field, conversion signal, related awards, and (Pro) a full GO / MAYBE / NO-GO verdict against your capability.

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Incumbent detector

No adjacent award history found for this topic yet. Use the decision pack and scorecard to build your own go/no-go case, and re-check after the next data refresh.

Description

https://api.sam.gov/prod/opportunities/v1/noticedesc?noticeid=78678e736bde473ea7d9c4298272ed68

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