Signed Into Law: April 13, 2026
When we last updated this article in February, the Ernst-Markey compromise had just been announced and the bill had not yet had a vote. It moved fast from there. The Senate passed the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act (S.3971) by unanimous consent on March 3, 2026. The House passed it 345-41 on March 17. The President signed it on April 13, and the SBIR and STTR programs are now authorized through September 30, 2031. That closed out a lapse that ran five and a half months, from October 1, 2025 to mid-April 2026, the longest shutdown in the programs' four-decade history. The question this article answered in February was when the programs would come back. The question now is what you can apply for, and the answer is below. Search open SBIR opportunities
What the Law Changed
The final law kept the structure of the February compromise. The $75 million lifetime cap is gone. Senator Ernst's original INNOVATE Act proposed capping total Phase I and Phase II funding per company at $75 million over its lifetime. The signed law dropped the lifetime cap entirely. Annual proposal caps arrive in fiscal year 2027. Instead of limiting how much a company can win, the law limits how many proposals a company may submit per fiscal year in response to Phase I and Phase II solicitations, with limits set by each agency and a waiver process for urgent needs. Companies that submit high volumes across many topics will need a selection strategy for FY2027. Foreign-risk screening expanded. Agencies must evaluate applicant security risks, including foreign ownership ties, cybersecurity, and personnel, and must tell a small business the basis for a security-based denial. Strategic Breakthrough Awards were created: post-Phase II awards up to $30 million over up to 48 months, requiring at least one prior Phase II award and substantial matching funds from non-SBIR sources. HHS has already begun implementing these provisions. NIH published policy notices covering the new HHS annual application limit (NOT-OD-26-073), foreign disclosure and risk management changes (NOT-OD-26-074), and revised Technical and Business Assistance policy (NOT-OD-26-075).
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Find a Funding Window
Our SBIR/STTR deadline guide separates selected open and upcoming windows and links to the issuing agency for each. It was last refreshed against a September 13, 2026 snapshot. Use it to start a shortlist, then confirm each topic on its official page. For opportunities beyond those examples, try SBIR search or STTR search. Check the phase, applicant requirements, amendments, required registrations, exact deadline and official application path for each result you consider.
Authorization and Agency Funding Windows
The SBA announcement of April 13, 2026 confirms the signing of S.3971 and authorization through September 30, 2031. That gives the programs an authorization period; individual agencies still publish their own topics and submission windows. Plan around the specific agency notice that fits your work. An agency may have both open and upcoming topics, and a prior deadline in an archived notice does not tell you when its next round will open.
How the Lapse Happened and Ended
The short version, for anyone who joined late. September 30, 2025: Senator Ernst blocked the House's clean one-year extension (H.R. 5100) on the Senate floor, demanding structural reforms aimed at high-volume awardees and foreign-influence risk. The programs lapsed at midnight, freezing new solicitations across the participating agencies. October 2025 through January 2026: agencies scrambled. NIH terminated its open SBIR/STTR funding opportunities. NSF paused America's Seed Fund pitches. Space Force officials publicly warned about stalled small-business contracts. February 25, 2026: Ernst and Markey announced the compromise. The lifetime cap dropped in favor of annual proposal limits, plus expanded security screening and the new Strategic Breakthrough Awards. March 3 and March 17, 2026: Senate passage by unanimous consent, then House passage 345-41. April 13, 2026: signed into law. Authorization runs through September 30, 2031, the longest runway the programs have had since 2022 and one that takes reauthorization risk off the table for five fiscal years.
What to Do Now
Choose a topic that matches your technology and stage of work. Open its official notice and work backward from the submission deadline, allowing time for the required registrations and application materials. Record the phase, eligibility rules, amendments and official application path alongside each candidate. Separate opportunities accepting submissions from upcoming windows so your next step is clear. Use the dated deadline guide, SBIR search, and STTR search to build that shortlist. Return to the agency notice before you submit.