Department of Education Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase IB 2026: Solicitation
The Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences is seeking proposals for the development and evaluation of prototypes for new education technology components through its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase IB program (Solicitation 91990026R0004). Eligible applicants must be for-profit small businesses meeting SBA size standards with no more than 500 employees, and all R&D work must be performed in the United States by U.S. citizens or green card holders. Proposals must focus on developing distinct new components to strengthen existing, research-based education technology prototypes or products for use across multiple content areas including STEM, English language arts, civics education, social-behavioral skills, the arts, and technical vocational career readiness in prekindergarten through Grade 16 or adult education settings. The evaluation process comprises three stages—pre-review screening, triage evaluation, and full technical panel review—with scoring based on the significance of the proposed product (40 points), Phase I research and development objectives and work plan (30 points), and project team qualifications, budget appropriateness, and prior SBIR performance (30 points). Proposals must be submitted by June 29, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time to David.Yadeta@ed.gov with a copy to David.Geary@ed.gov, and official award notification is anticipated on or before September 28, 2026.
This solicitation is designated as a Total Small Business set-aside with no incumbent contractors identified. Phase IB awards are valued at $250,000 on a firm-fixed-price basis for nine-month development and evaluation periods, with up to eight awards anticipated in 2026. Successful Phase IB awardees will be eligible to apply for Phase II awards of up to $1,000,000 over two years. Proposals must allocate a minimum of 66.67 percent of funds to the small business prime contractor with no more than 33.33 percent to subcontractors and must include required documentation such as a three-minute maximum YouTube video demonstration, a 10-page project narrative, project team resumes, detailed budgets, one letter of agreement from a participating education setting, up to three letters of support for commercialization pathways, and comprehensive federal certifications. Work is to be performed in Washington, DC 20202, with an anticipated award start date of October 5, 2026.
91990026R0004 Department of Education Contracts and Acquisition Management
4/30/26, 3:43 PM Department of Education Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase IB 2026: Solicitation
The Department of Education awarded eight firm-fixed-price contracts, each valued at $250,000, to small businesses under the 2026 SBIR Phase IB program (solicitation #91990026R0004), with awards announced on September 28, 2026.
The awardees are Coursemojo, Inc. (contract #91990026C0024); SciQuiry, Inc. (#91990026C0019); ParentPowered, PBC (#91990026C0025); SwiftScore, LLC (#91990026C0026); Kibeam Learning, Inc. (#91990026C0020); Charmtech Labs, LLC (#91990026C0021); Get Gem Corp. (#91990026C0027); and NarrateAR, Inc. (#91990026C0028). Each contract covers a 9-month period of performance. The award was made under the Total Small Business set-aside. Combined contract value totals $2 million across all eight awards.
91990026R0004 Department of Education Contracts and Acquisition Management
9/30/26, 4:58 PM Department of Education Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase IB 2026: Pre-Solicitation
The Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) seeks to procure research and development services for the creation of new components to be integrated with existing education technology prototypes or products through the 2026 Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) Phase IB solicitation (#91990026R0004). Eligible applicants must be for-profit small businesses and their partners with strong research and development and evaluation capabilities in education technology. The primary objective is to identify high-risk, high-reward approaches that address pressing problems in education, with successful proposals demonstrating groundbreaking innovations for learners, educators, administrators, or other school personnel. While specific evaluation criteria are not detailed in this pre-solicitation notice, the program's historical competitiveness—with approximately 5-7% of Phase I proposals typically funded—suggests rigorous technical and commercial viability assessments. The solicitation is expected to be released on or about April 30, 2026, with proposal submissions due in late June 2026, approximately 60 days after the solicitation release.
This opportunity is designated as a Total Small Business set-aside, restricted to eligible small business firms and partners. Phase IB awards will provide $250,000 for 9-month contracts to develop and evaluate prototype components, with successful awardees eligible to apply for Phase II funding of $1,000,000 in 2027 to support full development and commercialization activities over a 2-year period. Historically, approximately 50% of Phase I awardees advance to Phase II funding the following year, demonstrating a structured pathway for continued innovation development. Offerors are prohibited from submitting identical or similar proposals across the four concurrent 2026 ED/IES SBIR solicitations, with duplicate submissions subject to rejection without review. Additional guidance and frequently asked questions are available at www.ies.ed.gov/sbir and https://ies.ed.gov/small-business-innovation-research-sbir/edies-sbir-frequently-asked-questions.
91990026R0004 Department of Education Contracts and Acquisition Management
4/14/26, 12:35 PM