The SBIR/STTR (Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer) program funds small businesses to conduct research for the Air Force that might also have a commercial application.
The Department of the Air Force has removed its submitted topics from the 25.2/B OSD SBIR/STTR solicitation while they undergo internal review to ensure alignment with program goals and priorities. https://t.co/xAW5MwoPdp
— AFWERX (@AFWERX) April 14, 2025
About a week ago, AFWERX had said it was seeking technical solutions in the areas of sensors, directed energy, materials and manufacturing and more.
Those topics have been withdrawn.
The move took some by surprise.
“Hello AFWERX! Is there any public information about (new?) program goals and priorities?” Ulrich Lang, chief executive of San Diego cybersecurity firm Object Security, wrote on LinkedIn.
It’s unclear how long the review may take. A spokesman for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base said Wednesday the plan is to reissue research topics across the next several monthly releases from the secretary of defense’s office, but there are no firm dates.
The Air Force “has removed its submitted topics from the 25.2/B OSD SBIR/STTR solicitation to allow for an internal review aimed at further strengthening alignment with program goals and priorities,” said AFRL spokesman Matthew Clouse. “The team is actively reviewing and updating the topics in preparation for potential resubmission in a future release.”
He added: “AFWERX values industry’s continued interest in partnering through the SBIR/STTR program and encourages stakeholders to visit afwerx.com for the latest updates."
Under new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon has identified new areas of emphasis such as securing the nation’s Southwest border, nuclear modernization, the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft, homeland missile defense and more.
Companies that conduct research for the Air Force on anything from material coatings to cutting-edge research on any other “specific topic” are interested in the research topics AFWERX lays out.
Some of the topics are unique to Air Force needs while others might be ripe for commercialization.
AFWERX has typically been “awesome” at laying out topics for research, said James Mainord, chief operating officer of Parcell, which has offices in the Dayton area.
“It’s definitely something we’re watching” he said.
Jeff Graley, co-founder and president of Dayton defense contractor Mile Two, said this is something companies like his care about very much.
“The SBIR program, I think, is very valuable to get started and get ideas out into the world,” Graley said.
One characteristic of small contractors is adaptability and the ability to pivot in some way, he added.
“There’s some normalcy to that,” he said.
AFWERX said in 2024 that it employed some 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at five hubs, executing an annual $1.4 billion budget.
About the Author
