SBIR and STTR topics, matched to what you build.
samsearch is an AI search layer over SBIR and STTR. It indexes open and forecast topics across every participating agency. It matches them against your technology in plain English rather than by keyword, and it tracks the deadlines, which in this programme are short, fixed and the most common reason a good idea never gets submitted.
Find the topics whose language you would never have guessed. Read the whole topic in a paragraph. Draft against the agency's own instructions.
Book a DemoThe reason to chase a topic is where the ladder ends
Phase I is small money. Phase III is a sole-source-eligible contract with no SBIR ceiling on it.
It is a route, not a grant
SBIR is often described as research funding, which undersells it. It is a structured path from a feasibility study to a production contract.
Phase III changes the maths
Work deriving from a completed Phase I or II can be awarded sole-source, with no further competition and no SBIR dollar ceiling. Agencies do award Phase III contracts of substantial size.
So pick topics by where they lead
The question is not whether you can win $300,000 of feasibility work. It is whether the topic sits on a path to a programme that will eventually buy the thing at scale.
The wording tells you which
Topics are written by programme offices with a real requirement behind them. How a topic is phrased says a great deal about how serious that requirement is.
Finding topics you would not have searched for
Topic authors write in the language of their programme office. That is rarely the language a company uses for its own product.
Search by capability, not keyword
Describe what your technology does. Semantic search returns topics whose requirement matches it, including ones that share no vocabulary with your description.
Matched to your profile continuously
Your capabilities are matched against every new cycle as it opens, so topics come to you rather than requiring eleven agency portals to be checked.
Across every participating agency
DoD and its components, NIH and HHS, NSF, NASA, Energy, DHS, DOT, USDA, EPA and the rest. Each runs its own cycle and format, which is the practical difficulty.
Forecast and pre-release included
Topics are indexed before the window opens, which is when you can still contact the topic author with questions.
STTR partner requirements flagged
STTR requires a research institution partner and a minimum work split. Which topics are STTR is shown before you build a team on the wrong assumption.
Prior awards in the topic area
Who has won under this topic area before, and how often. That tells you whether a programme office is cultivating a field or has already settled on somebody.
The topic and its instructions, read for you
A topic is short. The agency instructions attached to it are not, and they are where submissions fail.
Read on arrival
- The topic objective and description
- Phase expectations and deliverables
- Agency-specific submission instructions
- Page and format limits
- Referenced prior work
- Amendments to the solicitation
Pulled out as fields
- Topic number and title
- Open, close and pre-release dates
- Phase, ceiling and period of performance
- SBIR, STTR or both
- Technology areas
- Technology readiness level expected
Asked and answered
- Does our TRL match what they want
- Is a partner required, and what split
- What must the Phase I deliverable be
- Are there security or citizenship rules
Graded against your technology
A topic that looks close and is not costs you the whole cycle. Grading is against capability, not vocabulary.
Scored with its reasoning
Each match carries a fit score and a plain-English reason citing the passage it came from, so you can judge whether the match is real.
Against your actual capability
Your technology areas, prior awards, publications and the work you say you want more of. Not the keywords in your company description.
Eligibility checked first
Ownership rules, size limits and the STTR partner requirement are applied before scoring, so ineligible topics never reach the feed.
Alerts on your technology areas
Save a capability description and be told when a new cycle opens with matching topics, including during pre-release. Windows are short enough that this is most of the value.
Draft against the agency's own instructions
Every agency formats differently, and a proposal that ignores the format is rejected before it is read.
Structured to the topic
The draft follows the agency's required structure and addresses the topic objective point by point, so reviewers find what they expect where they expect it.
Grounded in your own work
Written from your prior awards, technical material and past performance. Nothing invented from a model's general knowledge of the field.
Requirements tracked
Page limits, required sections, commercialisation plan and any agency-specific attachment, tracked against the draft rather than checked at the end.
The science is still yours
It gets you to a compliant first draft. The technical approach and the reason your method works are things only you can supply.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SBIR?
What is the difference between SBIR and STTR?
How much money is available at each phase?
What is Phase III, and why does it matter?
Which agencies run SBIR programmes?
How do I find SBIR topics that match my technology?
Does samsearch summarise SBIR topics and instructions?
When are SBIR solicitations open?
Who is eligible to apply for SBIR?
Do I need a research partner for SBIR?
Can I be alerted when new topics are released?
Can samsearch help write an SBIR proposal?
How is SBIR different from a federal grant?
Can I track SBIR alongside contracts and grants?
See which open topics match your technology.
A demo searches live SBIR and STTR topics against what your company actually builds.