U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is issuing its Fiscal Year 2026 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Phase I Solicitation. Proposals are due by July 7, 2026, 3:00 PM ET. The solicitation focuses on innovative R&D in transportation-related topics, including AI, V2X, congestion mitigation, inspection systems, rail safety, and battery technology. Phase I awards may be funded up to $200,000 with a 6-month performance period. Key dates include the solicitation open date (June 3, 2026) and closing date (July 7, 2026). A webinar is scheduled for June 10, 2026. Proposals must be submitted electronically. Eligibility requirements for small businesses apply, including SAM and SBIR company registry. Foreign affiliation disclosures are required. Technical proposals must not exceed 15 pages. Evaluation criteria include technical merit, feasibility, innovation, and commercial potential.
Complete proposal packages must be received no later than Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at 3:00 p. m. ET. Late proposals will not be accepted.
Awardees may invoice for three equal partial payments for Phase I awards. Invoices must be submitted in accordance with the instructions in the award document and in conjunction with, or after the submission of, the reports. Payment will be based on the government's acceptance of the applicable report.
Proposals will be evaluated on a competitive basis, judged on their own merit, and selected based on providing the best value to the government, considering technical and scientific merit, commercial potential, and relevance to U. S. DOT requirements.
Proposals will be initially screened for responsiveness to solicitation requirements. Responsive proposals will be technically evaluated by engineers or scientists. Awardees must have an active SAM registration and SBIR company registry. Specific eligibility requirements for small businesses are detailed in the solicitation.
Submitting plagiarized information and/or false information may result in a proposal being deemed nonresponsive, a recommendation for award being rescinded, termination of an award, and/or referral to suspension and debarment authority.
The U. S. DOT SBIR program will review proposals to assess security risks, including cybersecurity practices, foreign ownership, and affiliations with foreign entities. Awards may not be made if they pose an unacceptable risk to national security.
Phase I awards may be funded up to $200,000.
