Getting Started
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Curious about how you can work with the Army? Whether you’re in industry, academics, or even the government, you can find a path to use Army research innovation beyond just the Army SBIR Program. Select the options that apply to your organization and technology and learn about the Army opportunities available to you.
Small Business with Academia Participation
Thanks for completing the survey! As a small business with an academia partner, you are eligible to participate in the following programs. Please select an option from the list below to find out more!
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
BAAs target broadly defined areas of interest for research and development and are used to increase knowledge in science and acquire scientific study and experimentation directed toward advancing state-of-the-art technologies.
BAAs focus more on advancing science than acquiring specific products. They can pertain to basic and applied research, and certain early-stage development work.
For current BAA listings, visit sam.gov.


Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
The SBIR Program enables small, high-tech U.S. businesses with less than 500 employees the opportunity to provide innovative Research and Development (R&D) solutions to critical Army Technology requirements.
What comes out of SBIR:
- Stimulate technological innovation
- Use small businesses to meet federal R&D needs
- Army SBIR|STTR Website
Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)
The STTR program, like the SBIR program, requires participation by universities, federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCS) or other nonprofit research institutions.
- All STTR Phase I or Phase II proposals for any Department of Defense (DoD) topic must be submitted through the online DoD Submission website.
What comes out of STTR:
- Largest source of early-stage R&D funds for Small Businesses – not a loan
- Company retains data rights for five years
- Builds company’s research credibility
- Army SBIR|STTR Website


Army xTech Program
The xTech Program operates prize competitions with Army and DoD partners, sponsored by the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT)). xTech’s goal is to help small and nontraditional businesses partner with the army by breaking down barriers and cutting out the bureaucratic processes.
xTech organizes several competitions every year, including an open-topic competition, xTechSearch.
What comes out of an xTech competition?
- Prize money
- SBIR awards, OTAs, cooperative agreements, etc.
- Education
- Mentorship
- Networking opportunities
- Home – xTechSearch (army.mil)