Department of Education Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase IA 2026: Pre-Solicitation
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) anticipate releasing the 2026 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase IA solicitation (#91990026R0003) on or about April 30, 2026. This pre-solicitation seeks proposals from eligible for-profit small businesses and partners for the research, development, and evaluation of novel, commercially viable education technology products.
Scope of Work
The Phase IA program invites proposals for contracts up to $250,000 over a 9-month period to develop and evaluate a prototype of an entirely novel education technology product where limited or no previous development has occurred. The goal is to solicit ground-breaking, high-risk, high-reward approaches to solve pressing problems in education. The primary focus is on:
- PRIORITY AREA IA: Prototypes of Novel Education Technology Products for Use by Learners, Educators or Administrators (or Other School Personnel).
Successful Phase IA awardees will be eligible to apply for a Phase II award of $1,000,000 in 2027 to fully develop, evaluate, and prepare the product for commercialization over two years.
Contract & Timeline
- Opportunity Type: Pre-Solicitation for SBIR Phase IA
- Anticipated Solicitation Release: On or about April 30, 2026
- Anticipated Proposal Submission: Late June 2026 (approximately 60 days after solicitation release)
- Phase IA Award Value: Up to $250,000
- Phase IA Period of Performance: 9 months
- Set-Aside: Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)
- Product Service Code: AF11 - Education, Training, Employment, & Social Svcs R&D Svcs; Education Svcs R&D; Basic Research
Eligibility & Important Notes
This opportunity is open to eligible for-profit small businesses and partners with strong research, development, and evaluation capabilities in education technology.
- Offerors are not permitted to submit the same or similar proposals under the 2026 Phase IA, IB, Direct to Phase II, or Phase II solicitations; duplicate proposals will be rejected.
- Three other 2026 ED/IES SBIR solicitations (Phase IB, Direct to Phase II) will be released concurrently.
- This notice is not a request for proposals at this time. Interested parties should continue to monitor this posting for updates.
- Refer to the ED/IES SBIR FAQ page for assistance:
https://ies.ed.gov/small-business-innovation-research-sbir/edies-sbir-frequently-asked-questions - Primary communication with Department personnel is via email. Contacts: David Yadeta (
david.yadeta@ed.gov), David Geary (david.geary@ed.gov).