AFWERX: New Funding Opportunity for Santa Cruz Small Businesses
The Department of Defense, specifically the Air Force, has faith that you’re on the verge of developing or have been working on ground-breaking technology that can meet a critical component for their missions. Ultimately, this will fuel towards fulfilling AFWERX’s long term goal - to develop the 21st Century Industry Base for Defense. The "Phase I Open Call for Innovative Defense Related Dual Purpose Technologies/Solutions with a Clear AF Stakeholder Need" is a call of action for non-Defense commercial solutions that can innovatively adapt to meet the needs of the Department of Defense stakeholders’ within a short timeframe and at a low cost. Full proposals are due Feb 18, 2021.
The funding amounts available through AFVentures and the SBIR Open Topic are:
Many Small Bets (Phase I) - “A simple, open door for innovation"
Up to $50,000 per award, 1000-1500 awards per year, three solicitations per year
Some Medium Bets (Phase II)
Up to $750K per award matched funding encouraged, 300-500 awards per year
A Few Big Bets (Strategic Financing)
Up to $15M (SBIR) Awards, 20+ awards per year, 1:1:2 program-SBIR private matching, annual solicitation
Check out a few ways to explore Defense needs and opportunities are available below:
Following the Phase I award, companies will be asked to identify Mission Needs they may be able to address. Once identified, offerors will be connected with the AF Mission Need sponsors.
NOTE: If applicable, please reference relevant Mission Need IDs in the Technical Volume’s header. Referencing Mission Needs will not affect the peer review. However, it will assist in connecting companies to AF sponsors expeditiously upon award.