SBIR/STTR Proposal Submission Caps (FY2027)
Starting fiscal year 2027, every SBIR agency must cap the number of Phase I and Phase II proposals a single firm may submit per year. Track the published caps below and plan your submissions before you commit.
FY2027 cap registry
Published caps and pending placeholders for agencies that have not yet set a limit (statutory publication deadline July 3, 2026).
| Agency | Basis | Cap | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFWERX/DAF | per topic | 1 | published | 1 proposal per topic starting FY2027. source |
| NIH | per fiscal year | 9 | published | 9 proposals per fiscal year (NOT-OD-26-073). source |
| DOE | per fiscal year | — | pending | cap not yet published; statutory deadline July 3, 2026. source |
| DoD (components beyond AFWERX) | per fiscal year | — | pending | cap not yet published; statutory deadline July 3, 2026. source |
| NASA | per fiscal year | — | pending | cap not yet published; statutory deadline July 3, 2026. source |
| NSF | per fiscal year | — | pending | cap not yet published; statutory deadline July 3, 2026. source |
What are the SBIR/STTR proposal submission caps?
Under the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act (S.3971, Pub. L. 119-83), signed April 13, 2026., starting fiscal year 2027 every SBIR agency must set a per-firm limit on the number of Phase I and Phase II proposals a single small business may submit in one fiscal year. Each agency chooses the basis for its cap — per fiscal year, per solicitation, or per topic — and the cap must be set equally for all small business concerns.
When do the caps take effect?
The caps apply starting fiscal year 2027, which begins October 1, 2026. Each agency must publish its cap not later than 90 days before the start of FY2027 — a statutory deadline of July 3, 2026. Until an agency publishes, its cap is shown as pending in the registry above.
What caps are published so far?
AFWERX / Department of the Air Force has published a limit of 1 proposal per topic starting FY2027. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has published a limit of 9 proposals per fiscal year (NOT-OD-26-073). NSF, DOE, NASA, and DoD components beyond AFWERX have not yet published caps.
Can an agency waive a cap?
Waivers are narrow. They are granted topic-by-topic, only where a topic is time-sensitive or urgent to the agency mission, and are capped at no more than 5% of an agency's topics per fiscal year. Each waiver requires written justification to the SBA Administrator plus the relevant Undersecretary, carries a 15-day approval window, and the authority is non-delegable.
Frequently asked questions
What are the new SBIR/STTR proposal submission caps?
Starting in fiscal year 2027, the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act (S.3971, Pub. L. 119-83, signed April 13, 2026) requires every SBIR agency to set a per-firm limit on the number of Phase I and Phase II proposals a single small business may submit in one fiscal year. Each agency chooses a per-fiscal-year, per-solicitation, or per-topic basis, and the cap must be set equally for all small business concerns. This is informational, not legal advice.
When do the proposal caps take effect and when must agencies publish them?
The caps apply starting fiscal year 2027, which begins October 1, 2026. Each agency must publish its cap not later than 90 days before the start of FY2027 — a statutory deadline of July 3, 2026. Until an agency publishes its cap, its cap value is unknown and shown as pending in our registry.
What caps have agencies published so far?
AFWERX / Department of the Air Force has published a limit of 1 proposal per topic starting FY2027. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has published a limit of 9 proposals per fiscal year (NOT-OD-26-073). NSF, DOE, NASA, and DoD components beyond AFWERX have not yet published caps; watch this page and set a Pro alert to be notified when they do.
Can an agency waive the submission cap?
Yes, but only narrowly. Waivers are granted topic-by-topic, only where a topic is time-sensitive or urgent to the agency mission, and are capped at no more than 5% of the topics an agency offers per fiscal year. Each waiver requires written justification to the SBA Administrator plus the relevant Undersecretary, carries a 15-day approval window, and the authority is non-delegable.
How does the Proposal Submission Cap Planner help?
The planner lets you budget your planned Phase I / Phase II submissions against the published cap for each agency, flags any agency or topic where you would exceed the cap, and priority-ranks your target topics by match score so you know which proposals to keep and which to defer. Confirm each cap against the agency solicitation before you submit.
Is this legal advice?
No. The information on this page is provided for general educational purposes and is not legal advice. SBA and agency policy directives may refine or add detail to the statutory requirements. Confirm the current rules with the solicitation, the SBA, and your own counsel before submitting proposals.
Related tools
Plan your portfolio with the budget planner, check the Strategic Breakthrough Award, run the free SBIR Readiness Scorecard, or read the 2026 reauthorization guide.