The U.S. Department of Education and IES’s Small Business Innovation Research program (ED/IES SBIR) released three solicitations for the 2026 Fiscal Year. ED/IES SBIR funds entrepreneurial developers and research partners to create the next generation of education technology products for students, teachers, and administrators. The program emphasizes an iterative research and development process and pilot studies to evaluate the feasibility, usability, and promise of new products to improve education outcomes. The program also focuses on commercialization after development is complete so that the products can be disseminated and be sustained over time. For more information, visit the program website.
ED/IES SBIR 2026 Solicitations Now Available
- The Phase IA solicitation (#91990026R0003) requests proposals for the development of prototypes of novel education technology products where no or limited previous research and development has already occurred.
- The Phase IB solicitation (#91990026R0004) requests proposals for the development of a new component to be added to an existing research-based education technology prototype or product.
- The Direct to Phase II (#91990026R0005) solicitation requests proposals for the development of new education technology products to ready evidence-based innovations for use at scale. Researcher(s) at a university or non-profit education research organization must have created the existing evidence-based innovation.
Deadline for Phase IA and Phase IB proposals: June 29, 2026 | 11AM EDT.
Deadline for Direct to Phase II proposals: June 29, 2026 | 2PM EDT.