EconDefense
ACQ-16 / Research, innovation and experimentation

Fund small-business research and commercialization through SBIR

Set aside qualifying extramural R&D funding for phased competitive small-business innovation awards, including permitted direct-to-Phase II routes.

Action briefPDF dossier · original 168Download record
Authority / instrument · ACQ-16

Small-business innovation

Research, innovation and experimentation

Statute & instrument
Authority holder

Participating federal agency; DoD and component SBIR program/award officials

What this does not authorize / hard limit

Direct-to-Phase II requires qualifying feasibility showing and agency implementation; do not confuse stale 2025 expiry with current extension.

Recorded executor

Service or Defense Agency SBIR-STTR office and award officer

Continue to actor →

Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.

Legal basisSources linkedLegal sources and instrument limits are recorded.
RequirementsGates recordedRead the requirements for this instrument; applicability depends on the proposed action.
Public fundingRules recordedRequired SBIR share generally at least 3.2% of eligible extramural R&D; actual appropriation, exclusions and balances still require validation. Office budget figures are separate institutional context, not an allocation to this instrument.
Assigned rolesRoles recordedPublic sources describe institutional authority. The instrument identifies approval and execution roles; a specific signature remains transaction-dependent.
EngagementProcess sourcedDARPA supplies a currently dated, topic-specific SBIR route rather than a generic instruction to contact an agency. Program check: 2026-10-04; see each route for intake status.

Public evidence describes the institution and instrument; it is not approval of an individual transaction.

At a glance

Possible toolACQ-16 · Other statutory tools

Authority holder: Participating federal agency; DoD and component SBIR program/award officials

Other statutory tools

Mechanism tags describe the source text; they do not expand the authority.

Availability and verification

Express statutory pathway; award-specific appropriations, available balances, delegations, implementation and approvals not independently verified.

Program process and intake

Checked 2026-10-04 · program documented. Program evidence is separate from legal authority, available funds and transaction approval.

DARPA supplies a currently dated, topic-specific SBIR route rather than a generic instruction to contact an agency.

DARPA SBIR — DoD/DoW 2026 BAA topics

Who this route serves
Eligible US small-business research performers
Administering office / routing lead
DARPA Small Business Programs Office and the named technical office; submissions through DSIP
Direct implementation

DARPA identifies these as SBIR competitions under its small-business program; SBA supplies the cross-agency eligibility framework under 15 USC 638.

What this evidence label means
Named topic shown accepting submissions

DARPA lists DPA26BZ06-DV023 (Tactical Technology Office) opening 23 September and closing 21 October 2026. Recheck the topic before acting.

Status reference date: 2026-10-04 · research checked 2026-10-04

DARPA SBIR/STTR topics — 2026 BAAs · Active SBIR DPA26BZ06-DV023 and STTR DPA26TZ06-DV004; open 23 September, close 21 October 2026solicitation or program notice · Evidence record

Program eligibility

  • The applicant must satisfy SBA small-business ownership/control and US-place-of-business rules; registrations are required before award.

    SBA SBIR/STTR — How to Apply · Eligibility, registrations and three program phasesofficial program guidance · Evidence record

  • The SBIR performer normally conducts at least two-thirds of Phase I and one-half of Phase II research, subject to the applicable policy exceptions.

    SBA SBIR/STTR Policy Directive, May 2023 file · Sections 4(c) and 6(a); PDF pp. 27–35; later statutory amendments must also be appliedofficial program guidance · Evidence record

Steps and preparation

  • Select the topic and component instructions; register in DSIP using Login.gov, complete proposal volumes and coversheet, then explicitly submit rather than merely save the proposal.

    DARPA — How to Participate in SBIR and STTR · Eligibility, pre-release/open-period communications, DSIP registration and proposal submissionofficial program guidance · Evidence record
Funding, limits and authority relationship

Funding and financial terms

  • SBIR R&D contract · FY 2026 BAA example

    This is competitive research funding through DARPA’s SBIR contracting process; the topic-specific ceiling and period must come from the component instructions.

    DARPA — How to Participate in SBIR and STTR · Eligibility, pre-release/open-period communications, DSIP registration and proposal submissionofficial program guidance · Evidence record
  • Statutory program extension · Enacted 13 April 2026

    P.L.119-83 extends program authority through 30 September 2031; an extension is not an award or available-balance statement.

    Public Law 119-83, approved 13 April 2026 · Section 9: extension through 30 September 2031 and carry-over funds; section 10 related extensionsstatute · Evidence record

Exclusions and limits

  • During the open period, follow written-question instructions rather than contacting topic authors directly; topic selection does not assure award.

    DARPA — How to Participate in SBIR and STTR · Eligibility, pre-release/open-period communications, DSIP registration and proposal submissionofficial program guidance · Evidence record

Authority relationship source

SBA SBIR/STTR — How to Apply · Eligibility, registrations and three program phasesofficial program guidance · Evidence record

DARPA current SBIR/STTR topics →

topic index and submission routing: Choose a matching SBIR topic; use its linked DSIP instructions and deadline.

Research scope and sources checked

The first program-depth pass checked the cited program pages, notices and legal framework. Evidence is limited to the named routes and source-access notes; it does not establish every implementation of the statute.

What remains unverified

  • Linked FY 2026 component-instruction download returned HTTP 403. Exact topic budget, duration, proposal-volume limits and any 2026 security/transition requirements were not inferred from generic funding ranges.

A dated source check is not continuing monitoring. Recheck the linked official notice before preparing a submission. Browse program research →

Requirements and limits

Eligibility & prerequisites

  • Eligible small business; competitive scientific/technical and commercialization evaluation.
  • Research-security diligence and disclosure checks; beginning FY2027, the nondelegable agency program director must set a proposal cap, with the statutory topic-waiver process.

Limits & exclusions

  • Neither a general small-business loan nor automatic entitlement to an award.
  • Direct-to-Phase II requires qualifying feasibility showing and agency implementation; do not confuse stale 2025 expiry with current extension.

Funding conditions

  • Required SBIR share generally at least 3.2% of eligible extramural R&D; actual appropriation, exclusions and balances still require validation.
  • P.L. 119-83 allows remaining FY2026 required-expenditure funds to be used in FY2027.

Read the funding and execution guide

Who contributes what

Need & planning

  • DoD/component SBIR-STTR program office and technical topic owner

Resources

  • Component extramural R&D budget owner

Approval

  • Authorized component grants/contracting official; required research-security reviewers

Execution

  • Service or Defense Agency SBIR-STTR office and award officer
    Office profile

Partners & review

  • SBA program-wide policy
  • Eligible small business; acquisition customer; research-security and counterintelligence partners

Office links are editorial matches to the original role text, not verified delegations. Composite labels and unmatched actors are preserved.

Coordination pathway

Component requirement/topic owner → SBIR office → competitive/security evaluation → contracting/grants officer → acquisition transition sponsor.

Actor and execution-role sources

Legal basis

What this research establishes

Legal basisSources linkedLegal sources and instrument limits are recorded.
RequirementsGates recordedRead the requirements for this instrument; applicability depends on the proposed action.
Public fundingRules recordedRequired SBIR share generally at least 3.2% of eligible extramural R&D; actual appropriation, exclusions and balances still require validation. Office budget figures are separate institutional context, not an allocation to this instrument.
Assigned rolesRoles recordedPublic sources describe institutional authority. The instrument identifies approval and execution roles; a specific signature remains transaction-dependent.
EngagementProcess sourcedDARPA supplies a currently dated, topic-specific SBIR route rather than a generic instruction to contact an agency. Program check: 2026-10-04; see each route for intake status.

Confidence: High on express authority and cited conditions; execution assignment is illustrative unless statute expressly names it.

Currentness: GovInfo 2024 Code (includes FY2025 NDAA, P.L. 118-159) read in full for cited provision; targeted FY2026 NDAA P.L. 119-60 amendment/repeal sweep. No claim of complete legislative currency through 2026-10-02; remaining 2026 delta needs counsel validation. P.L. 119-83 enacted 2026-04-13 § §9–10 extends SBIR to 2031-09-30; OLRC indexed 15 U.S.C. §638 currency 2026-09-29.

Review scope: Original research target October 2, 2026; no record-specific last-review date supplied. Publication is not legal-currentness certification.

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