The EPA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) FY26 Phase I Broad Agency Announcement is a federal funding opportunity administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support U.S. small businesses developing innovative environmental technologies with commercial potential. The program focuses on early-stage research and development addressing environmental challenges, including clean and safe water, air quality, circular economy solutions, sustainable materials, and safer chemicals. Through competitive research contracts, the initiative helps eligible businesses demonstrate technical feasibility and advance technologies toward commercialization.
Application Window and Deadlines
- Application Opening Date: 24 September 2026
- FedConnect Issue Date: 25 September 2026
- Application Deadline: 09 November 2026, 05:59 GMT+1 (08 November 2026, 11:59 PM U.S. Eastern Standard Time)
- Solicitation Number: 68HERW26R0102
- Application Submission: Proposals must be submitted electronically through FedConnect before the deadline.
- Solicitation Updates: Applicants should review the latest amendments and proposal instructions before submission.
Eligibility Requirements
- Applicants must qualify as Small Business Concerns under U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) regulations.
- Businesses must operate as for-profit entities.
- Applicants must maintain a place of business in the United States and operate primarily within the country or make a significant contribution to the U.S. economy.
- Businesses must meet applicable U.S. citizenship or permanent-residency ownership and control requirements.
- Companies must have no more than 500 employees, including affiliates.
- SBIR-funded research and development activities must generally be conducted in the United States.
- Applicants must propose innovative technologies responsive to the specific research topics identified in the FY26 Phase I solicitation.
- Applicants must satisfy applicable eligibility and certification requirements at the time of award.
Priority Research Areas
The FY26 Phase I solicitation supports environmental technologies across four principal research areas:
- Clean and Safe Water: Water reuse monitoring technologies, PFAS treatment in wastewater sludge and biosolids, and PFAS removal or destruction in groundwater.
- Air Quality: PFAS detection technologies for environmental matrices and improved carbon monoxide monitoring solutions.
- Circular Economy and Sustainable Materials: Food waste prevention and recycling, critical mineral recovery from lithium-ion batteries, battery recycling and reuse, and technologies to reduce the environmental impacts of critical mineral mining.
- Safer Chemicals: Development of lower-concern rubber anti-degradants and improved lead testing technologies.
Registration Requirements
Applicants must complete the required federal registrations before submitting proposals. EPA advises that registration procedures may take approximately 6–8 weeks.
- System for Award Management (SAM): Maintain an active SAM registration authorizing federal contract awards.
- Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): Obtain the UEI assigned through SAM.
- FedConnect Registration: Register to submit proposals electronically through the federal contracting portal.
- SBA Company Registry: Complete registration and include the assigned SBC Control ID in the proposal.
- Employer Identification Number (EIN): Obtain the required tax identification number before a funding award is issued.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications undergo technical and commercial evaluation by internal and external reviewers. Proposals are scored against three equally weighted criteria:
- Technical Merit (33.3%): Quality and feasibility of the proposed technical approach and capabilities of the research team.
- Relevance (33.3%): Alignment with the selected solicitation topic and potential impact of the proposed innovation.
- Commercial Potential (33.3%): Innovation and intellectual property, market opportunity, commercial team capabilities, and commercialization strategy.
In addition to evaluation scores, EPA may consider programmatic balance, agency priorities, and available funding when selecting projects for awards.
Application Process
Applicants should review the FY26 Phase I solicitation and its latest amendments, identify the relevant research topic, confirm eligibility, and complete all required registrations. Proposals must follow the published technical and administrative instructions, include required documentation and certifications, and be submitted through FedConnect before the official deadline. Late or noncompliant submissions may be excluded from consideration.
The EPA SBIR FY26 Phase I program offers eligible U.S. small businesses an opportunity to advance commercially promising environmental innovations through federally funded research and development contracts. Successful applicants must demonstrate technical feasibility, strong alignment with EPA's research priorities, and credible commercialization potential. Businesses interested in applying should complete their registrations, carefully review the latest solicitation requirements, and submit their proposals by 09 November 2026, 05:59 GMT+1 to be considered for funding.