Department of Education Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Direct to Phase II 2026: Solicitation

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation (RFP #91990026R0005) from the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) SBIR Program invites eligible small businesses to submit proposals for a "Direct to Phase II" award. The program aims to support the development of commercially viable education technology products by readying existing, evidence-based innovations for large-scale use and planning for their commercialization. Projects funded under this solicitation will receive up to $1,000,000 over two years.

• Focus: Projects must ready existing, evidence-based innovations (originally developed by academic researchers or non-profit organizations) for scaled use in education settings.

• Activities: Proposals must include full-scale development of a new education technology product, pilot research to demonstrate readiness for scale, and preparation for commercialization.

• Evidence Base: A strong evidence base for the existing innovation, supported by rigorous research (e.g., randomized control trials, quasi-experimental studies), is mandatory.

• Technological Development: Projects must involve significant technological development or adaptation to enable scaling.

• Commercialization Plan: A clear plan for commercial distribution and sustainability is required.

• Contract Type: Firm Fixed-Price.

• Period of Performance: Up to two years.

• Total Funding: Up to $1,000,000.

• Proposal Submission Deadline: June 29, 2026, 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).

• Submission Method: Email to David.Yadeta@ed.gov with CC to David.Geary@ed.gov.

• Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated on Significance, Synopsis of Existing Evidence-Based Innovation, Direct to Phase II R&D Plan, Commercialization Plan, and Project Team, Company/Resources, and Budget.

• Key Dates:

  • Questions Deadline: May 21, 2026, 5 p.m. ET.
  • Proposal Submission: June 29, 2026, 2 p.m. ET.
  • Award Notification: On or before September 28, 2026.
  • Anticipated Award Start Date: October 5, 2026.

• Applicant: Must be a U.S. small business.

• Innovation Origin: The evidence-based innovation must have been originally conceptualized and developed by researchers at a university or non-profit education research organization, not by a for-profit small business.

• Team Requirement: At least one of the original researchers must be part of the proposed project team.

• Proposals: Offerors cannot submit the same or similar proposals under the 2026 Phase IA, IB, or Direct to Phase II solicitations.

• A video demonstration (3 minutes or shorter) is required as part of the proposal.

• Proposals must include a letter of agreement from a school or educational setting for participation in pilot research.

• Offerors are encouraged to review the full solicitation for detailed requirements and proposal content guidelines.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation, RFP Number #91990026R0005, from the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) seeks proposals for the "Direct to Phase II" Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The goal is to support small businesses in readying existing, evidence-based innovations for scalable use in education settings and to plan for their commercialization. This "Direct to Phase II" award bypasses the need for a prior Phase I award.

• Projects must focus on readying existing evidence-based innovations (products, programs, practices) for scale. Innovations not based on evidence are ineligible.

• The original innovation must have been conceptualized and developed by an academic researcher at a university or a non-profit education research organization.

• At least one of the original researchers must be part of the proposed project team (employee or consultant).

• The project involves full-scale development of an education technology product, pilot research to demonstrate its promise for scale, and preparation for commercialization.

• The maximum award is $1,000,000 over two years.

• Contract Type: Firm Fixed-Price

• Period of Performance: October 5, 2026, to October 4, 2028 (2 years)

• Estimated Value: $1,000,000 total

• Proposal Submission Deadline: June 29, 2026, 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET).

• Proposals must be submitted electronically as a single PDF or Word document.

• Questions Deadline: May 21, 2026.

• Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated based on Significance, Synopsis of Existing Evidence-Based Innovation, Direct to Phase II R&D Objectives and Work Plan, Commercialization Plan, and Project Team/Company/Resources/Budget.

• Offerors must be domestic for-profit small businesses.

• Specific eligibility requirements related to ownership, control, employee numbers, and prior SBIR awards apply.

• Projects developed by small businesses that were originally conceptualized and developed by the small business itself are not eligible for this "Direct to Phase II" competition.

• Offerors are not permitted to submit the same or similar proposals under the 2026 Phase IA, IB, or Direct to Phase II solicitations; such submissions will be rejected.

• Offerors may submit multiple proposals if they have different foci.

• A video demonstration (max 3 minutes) is required as part of the proposal.

• A letter of agreement for school participation is required.

• Up to five letters of support for commercialization pathways may be included.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This is a pre-solicitation notice for the 2026 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Direct to Phase II program from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The program aims to fund eligible for-profit businesses and partners for the research, development, and evaluation of new, commercially viable education technology products. This solicitation specifically targets existing evidence-based innovations that are ready for R&D and evaluation to prepare them for scaled use and commercialization.

• Proposals must focus on advancing innovations that are already evidence-based.

• The original innovation must have been created by researchers at universities or non-profit education research organizations.

• Projects originating from small businesses are not eligible for this Direct to Phase II program.

• At least one member of the research team that originally created the innovation must be part of the project team in the SBIR proposal.

• Projects are awarded without a prior Phase I award.

• The program seeks to develop new education technology products to ready existing evidence-based innovations for use at scale in education settings and to plan for commercialization.

• Awards are anticipated to be $1,000,000 over 2 years.

• The solicitation is anticipated to be released on or about April 30, 2026.

• The proposal submission deadline is expected in late June 2026, approximately 60 days after release.

• Offerors cannot submit the same or similar proposals under the 2026 Phase IA, IB, Direct to Phase II, or Phase II solicitations; duplicates will be rejected.

• Eligible entities are for-profit businesses and partners with strong R&D and evaluation capabilities in education technology.

• Small business firms are encouraged to participate.

• This notice is not a request for proposals; interested parties should monitor for updates.

• Related solicitations for Phase IA (#91990026R0003), Phase IB (#91990026R0004), and Phase II (#91990026R0006) will be released concurrently.

• A FAQ page is available at: https://ies.ed.gov/small-business-innovation-research-sbir/edies-sbir-frequently-asked-questions