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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

U.S. DOT’s Small Business Innovation Research Program FY26 Phase I Solicitation Period is Now Open

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Phase I solicitation period runs from Wednesday, June 3, 2026 through Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. ET.

Register for the Solicitation Webinar

A solicitation webinar will be held on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET for small businesses interested in applying to the U.S. DOT SBIR FY26 solicitation. Register for the webinar by Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. ET.

A recording will be made available after the webinar.

Register for the solicitation webinar on June 10, 2026; links to Zoom registration link.

How to Apply

  1. Review the documentation: Read the FY26 solicitation for information about the FY26 research topics and offer requirements.

  2. Check the FAQs: Review the FY26 pre-solicitation Q&A and SBIR FAQs.

    If you have any administrative questions not listed in the FAQs or questions regarding Appendix C: Contract Pricing Worksheet, please submit questions via email to dotsbir@dot.gov no later than 3:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.

    Please note: Technical questions pertaining to the research topics will not be answered during the solicitation period, as technical questions were only permitted during the pre-solicitation period. View the pre-solicitation Q&A.

  3. Submit an offer: Submit your offer through our secure site.

    Please be aware that the submittal process requires answering several questions; be sure to allow ample time to complete the multi-step submittal process. Offers will not be considered received by the Government until this multi-step process is complete. Offerors are encouraged to submit their offers as early as possible. To prepare for submission, you may view the submission form fields in advance.

Submit an offer through Valid Eval; links to Valid Eval sign-up page.

Offer Requirements

You must submit four separate files for your offer. See the FY26 solicitation notice for the complete requirements.

Timeline

The DOT SBIR Program Office intends to make recommendations for FY26 Phase I awards no later than 90 days after the solicitation closing date.

FY26 Research Topics

See Section 9 of the FY26 solicitation for full research topic descriptions.

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

  • 26-FH1: Edge Artificial Intelligence Vehicle-to-Everything (AI-V2X) Integrated Practical Solutions for Congestion Prevention and Mitigation
  • 26-FH2: Automated Mobile Catch-basin Inspection System

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)

  • 26-FR1: Mobile High-Power Emergency Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) De-energizer System for Rail Vehicle Propulsion

Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

  • 26-FT1: Person-Centered, Carefree, Complete Trip Planning - Powered by AI

Office of the Secretary (OST)

  • 26-OS1: Predictive Safety Analytics for Commercial Transport Modernization
  • 26-OS2: Freight Corridor Predictive Intelligence

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)

  • 26-PH1: Increase End-of-Life Battery Safety and Recovery of Rare Earth Minerals
  • 26-PH2: Thermal Indicator Coatings for Hazardous Materials Packaging Safety
  • 26-PH3: Self-repairing Hazardous Materials Packaging
  • 26-PH4: Improved Response to Lithium-ion Battery Fires