NASA SBIR Funding Deadlines: Prepare for SBIR Ignite and STTR Phase II

NASA’s 2026 schedule lists October 15, 2026, as the closing date for the 2025 SBIR Ignite Phase II solicitation.
The 2025 NASA STTR Phase II solicitation is scheduled to close on October 28, 2026.
Applicants should review the full solicitation, prepare technical and commercialization materials, and submit through the correct NASA platform before the deadline.

NASA SBIR and STTR deadlines at a glance

NASA has two important Phase II deadlines on its current 2026 program schedule. The 2025 NASA SBIR Ignite Phase II solicitation is scheduled to close on October 15, 2026. The 2025 NASA STTR Phase II solicitation is scheduled to close on October 28, 2026.

These are separate opportunities, not two names for the same application. SBIR Ignite is aimed at small businesses developing commercially focused technologies. STTR Phase II is built around a small business working with a research institution. The solicitation for your specific opportunity controls the detailed eligibility rules, forms, page limits, and submission instructions.

View the official NASA SBIR/STTR program schedule

Opportunity	Close date	Primary fit	Submission route
2025 NASA SBIR Ignite Phase II	October 15, 2026	Small businesses with a strong commercialization focus	Valid Eval
2025 NASA STTR Phase II	October 28, 2026	Small businesses working with a research institution	NASA ProSAMS

NASA’s schedule identifies November 2026 as the expected selection-announcement month for SBIR Ignite and December 2026 for STTR Phase II. Those announcement windows are not award guarantees, and NASA may update program information, so applicants should rely on the live solicitation rather than an old calendar or saved copy.

What SBIR Ignite is designed to support

NASA describes SBIR Ignite as a commercialization-focused initiative for U.S. small businesses, including startups and companies that may not have worked with NASA before. The program is intended to help mature high-risk technology while making the business more attractive to private investors, customers, and commercial partners.

NASA’s current SBIR Ignite page lists a Phase I investment of up to $225,000 and a Phase II investment of up to $1,275,000. The amount available to a particular applicant depends on the applicable solicitation, award terms, budget, and NASA’s selection and negotiation process. Applicants shouldn’t treat the published maximum as an automatic award amount.

For the October 15 deadline, the relevant opportunity is the 2025 NASA SBIR Ignite Phase II Solicitation. A company should confirm that it is applying under the correct solicitation and that its Phase I status, technology topic, and required commercial materials match the Phase II instructions.

Who may fit the STTR Phase II opportunity

STTR stands for Small Business Technology Transfer. Unlike a standard small-business-only application, STTR is structured around cooperation between an eligible small business and a qualifying research institution. That relationship affects the proposal, research agreement, work plan, budget, and required signatures.

The NASA SBIR/STTR program generally serves U.S. small businesses with fewer than 500 employees, but the exact Phase II requirements are solicitation-specific. A prospective applicant should verify the business’s size, ownership, registration, prior Phase I award, research-institution relationship, and technical topic before spending time on the full proposal.

STTR Phase II is not simply a second chance to submit a Phase I concept. NASA will expect a credible plan to continue the technology’s development, demonstrate meaningful technical progress, explain the roles of the small business and research institution, and show how the proposed work advances the applicable NASA objective.

What to prepare before the October deadlines

1. Confirm the correct solicitation and topic

Start with the solicitation number, opportunity name, topic or subtopic, close date, and submission system. Make sure the project is eligible for Phase II rather than Phase I, and check whether NASA has issued amendments, updated questions and answers, or revised forms.

2. Build the technical proposal around measurable progress

Your technical section should connect the proposed work to the prior Phase I results and explain what Phase II will accomplish. Include practical milestones, a development schedule, technical risks, testing or validation methods, and measurable performance targets required by the solicitation.

A strong proposal should make it easy for a reviewer to see the starting point, the remaining technical gap, the work that will close that gap, and the evidence that will show whether the effort succeeded.

3. Prepare the commercialization case

SBIR Ignite places particular emphasis on commercial potential. Organize evidence about the target market, customer problem, competing approaches, pricing or revenue logic where appropriate, regulatory or adoption barriers, and the path from prototype to paying customer.

NASA’s Firms Library includes an Ignite commercial pro forma template and other proposal forms. Use the current templates rather than copying a file from a previous funding cycle. If the solicitation requires follow-on funding evidence, customer information, investor material, or a commercialization metrics report, prepare those items early.

4. Coordinate STTR research-institution documents

STTR applicants should leave extra time for the research institution. Confirm the research agreement, statement of work, budget responsibilities, principal investigator information, institutional approvals, and any required commitment or endorsement documents. A technically strong proposal can still become incomplete if the partnership paperwork is missing or inconsistent.

5. Check registrations and account access

Do not wait until deadline week to discover that a user account, business registration, identity verification step, or proposal team invitation is incomplete. Confirm that the business official and principal investigator can access the relevant system and that uploaded files open correctly.

How to submit a NASA SBIR Ignite Phase II proposal

NASA’s 2025 SBIR Ignite solicitation directs applicants to use Valid Eval for electronic submission. The solicitation identifies the NASA Ignite Valid Eval registration and proposal workspace as the starting point. Paper submissions are not accepted.

NASA SBIR Ignite Valid Eval Submission Portal

Open the NASA Ignite Valid Eval registration or login page.
Create or access the company profile and add the proposal team members who need to contribute.
Select the applicable SBIR Ignite Phase II opportunity and complete the required forms.
Upload the technical proposal, budget materials, commercialization documents, endorsements, and any other required attachments.
Review every required field and attachment, then submit the complete package before the deadline shown in the solicitation.
Save the confirmation message and keep a complete copy of the submitted materials for your records.

The solicitation warns that a draft proposal is not evaluated. Uploading files is not the same as completing submission, so confirm that the system shows a successful submission before the close time.

How to submit a NASA STTR Phase II proposal

NASA identifies ProSAMS as the submission system for open SBIR and STTR solicitations. Use the applicant submission portal rather than an awardee contract-administration account. The available forms and instructions should be checked against the current STTR Phase II solicitation.

Open the NASA SBIR/STTR ProSAMS submission portal

Register or sign in to NASA’s ProSAMS submission system.
Choose the open 2025 NASA STTR Phase II solicitation.
Complete the proposal forms and enter the small-business and research-institution information requested by NASA.
Upload the technical proposal, research agreement, budget, certifications, endorsements, and other required documents.
Review the package for consistency between the technical plan, budget, work share, schedule, and institutional roles.
Submit the complete proposal before October 28, 2026, and retain the electronic confirmation.

If ProSAMS displays a technical problem or a required field is unclear, contact the NASA SBIR/STTR Help Desk through the official program resources before the deadline. Keep screenshots or other records of significant submission issues, but do not assume a technical problem automatically extends the deadline.

Common mistakes that can put an application at risk

Using the wrong program: SBIR Ignite and STTR have different structures and submission routes.
Relying on a summary page alone: The solicitation and any amendments control over a general schedule.
Leaving forms until the final day: Endorsements, uploads, account access, and file checks can take longer than expected.
Confusing a saved draft with a submitted proposal: Confirm the final submission status and save the confirmation.
Overlooking commercialization requirements: A technical idea needs a credible customer, market, or adoption pathway, especially under SBIR Ignite.
Submitting sensitive technical information through the wrong channel: Follow the solicitation’s instructions for ITAR, EAR, proprietary, or otherwise restricted material.

The safest next step is to open the current NASA solicitation for the opportunity that fits your company, compare its requirements with your proposal checklist, and work backward from the applicable October 15 or October 28 deadline.

Helpful Links

NASA SBIR/STTR Program Schedule – Verify the current opportunity names, opening dates, closing dates, and expected selection-announcement windows.
NASA SBIR Ignite – Review the purpose of SBIR Ignite, funding information, commercialization focus, and the current solicitation reference.
NASA 2025 SBIR Ignite Phase II Solicitation – Read the official Ignite Phase II proposal, eligibility, submission, evaluation, and deadline requirements.
NASA SBIR/STTR Firms Library – Download current Ignite and STTR Phase II templates, budget forms, guides, and supporting documents.
NASA SBIR/STTR ProSAMS Submission Portal – Register, sign in, and submit an open NASA SBIR or STTR proposal through ProSAMS.
NASA SBIR/STTR 2026 Information Hub – Follow NASA’s 2026 program-year updates, Broad Agency Announcement information, resources, and future announcements.
SBIR.gov Company Registry FAQ – Official page referenced in the article.
System for Award Management – Official page referenced in the article.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Are the October 15 and October 28 deadlines for the same NASA application?

A. No. October 15, 2026, is the scheduled close date for the 2025 NASA SBIR Ignite Phase II solicitation. October 28, 2026, is the scheduled close date for the 2025 NASA STTR Phase II solicitation. They have different program structures and submission systems.

Q. Can a Canadian company apply directly for these NASA opportunities?

A. These NASA SBIR/STTR opportunities are designed for eligible U.S. small businesses. A Canadian company should not assume that a Canadian entity can apply directly. Review the applicable solicitation’s ownership, location, registration, and subcontracting rules before pursuing the opportunity.

Q. Does NASA guarantee the maximum published Phase II funding amount?

A. No. Published amounts are maximum or program-level figures, not guaranteed awards. Final funding depends on the solicitation, proposal, budget, evaluation, selection, and contract negotiation.

Q. What should applicants do if the deadline changes?

A. Use the current NASA schedule, solicitation, amendments, and official program updates as the source of truth. If a page, saved PDF, or calendar entry conflicts with a later official update, follow the latest applicable NASA notice.