DOW SBIR/STTR PRE-RELEASE ALERT

The Department of War pre-released FY27 SBIR/STTR Release 2 on the DOW SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP), with 88 new topics. Proposals are due January 6, 2027.

During pre-release, you can contact the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) directly on DSIP with technical questions. That channel closes when submissions open on December 2, and it’s the best chance to find out whether your technology fits what the government needs.

Where the Opportunities Are

You don’t need to be a defense contractor to compete. If your technology touches any of the areas below, now is the time to start a conversation.

• AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS, UAS, AND SWARMS
  Drones, swarms, and robots that work in contested, hazardous, and undersea environments with minimal human oversight.

• APPLIED SUPER INTELLIGENCE AND AI-ENABLED DECISION SUPPORT 
  LLMs, neurosymbolic and agentic reasoning, explainable and edge AI, AI/ML verification, and AI for training and maintenance.

• RESILIENT COMMUNICATIONS, RF, SPECTRUM, AND ELECTRONIC WARFARE
  5G and FutureG, software-defined radio and waveforms, multi-user signal separation, filters and antennas, and spectrum operations.

• DIRECTED ENERGY, PHOTONICS, AND EO/IR SENDING
  High-energy and Raman lasers, PCSELs, IR focal-plane arrays, co-packaged optics, and photonic and optical materials.

• HYPERSONICS, MISSILE DEFENSE, AND PROPULSION
  Solid rocket motors, boosters, seekers, sea-based launch, hypersonic observables, small turbines, and detonation combustion.

• ADVANCED MATERIALS AND DOMESTIC SUPPLY CHAIN
  Domestic crystal growth and precursors, additive manufacturing and composites, and expeditionary 3D concrete printing.

• FIELD SUPPLY SUPPORT: WATER, ENERGY, AND POWER
  Portable nitrogen generation, water quality and purification, wave energy, and subsea power.

• xTech

Kinetic Reach and Search 10 competitions.

Not Sure Where to Start?

TALK IT THROUGH WITH KSEF

Bradley Irvin