ForecastedResearch announcementOpportunity HHS-2027-ACL-NIDILRR-BISA-0308

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, Phase I

Administration for Community Living · Department of Health and Human Services

At a glance

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, Phase I is a forecasted federal grant opportunity from the Administration for Community Living (Department of Health and Human Services). The agency's forecast estimates an application due date of December 16, 2026; forecast dates can change. Individual awards are listed as $95K – $100K, with about 11 awards expected and $1.1M in total estimated funding. Applicant types listed as eligible include small businesses. Cost sharing is not required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 93.433 (ACL National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research).

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

Sep 25, 2026Forecast posted
Oct 16, 2026 (est.)Full notice expectednext date
Dec 16, 2026 (est.)Application deadline
Jun 1, 2027 (est.)Est. award date

Posted: Sep 25, 2026
Est. close date: Dec 16, 2026
Est. award date: Jun 1, 2027
Award floor: $95,000
Award ceiling: $100,000
Est. total funding: $1,100,000
Expected awards: 11
Cost sharing: Not required
Funding instrument: Grant
Opportunity category: Discretionary
Fiscal year: FY2027

Who can apply

Small businesses

Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)

Each organization submitting an application must qualify at the time of the award as a small business concern as defined by the Small Business Administration. Foreign entities are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement.

Can your organization apply?

A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.

The purpose of the Federal SBIR program is to stimulate technological innovation in the private sector, strengthen the role of small business in meeting Federal research or research and development (R/R&D) needs, and improve the return on investment from Federally-funded research for economic and social benefits to the nation. The specific purpose of ACL's SBIR program is to improve the lives of people with disabilities through R/R&D products generated by small businesses, and to increase the commercial application of ACL-supported research results and development products. Phase I SBIR grants are intended to conduct research to determine the scientific or technical merit and feasibility of concepts, topics, or ideas. NIDILRR will make 11 grants under this opportunity. Grants will have a 6-month project period with a corresponding six-month budget period.

Additional information from the agency ↗

How to apply

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Read the full announcement (NOFO)Eligibility, evaluation criteria, page limits and required attachments are in the full notice on Grants.gov. Open ↗
Confirm eligibility and fitCheck your organization type above; no cost sharing is required.
Register (or renew) in SAM.gov and get a UEIFree. New registrations can take several weeks; registrations must be renewed every year. Open ↗
Set up Grants.gov accessCreate a Grants.gov account and make sure someone has the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) role. Open ↗
Watch for the full noticeThe agency estimates posting it around October 16, 2026. Save this grant to track changes.
Prepare narrative, budget and attachmentsFollow the notice's format exactly — page limits and required forms are common reasons applications are rejected.
Ask the agency contact any questions earlyBrian Bard · brian.bard@acl.hhs.gov Open ↗
Submit before December 16, 2026Submit a few days early and keep your Grants.gov confirmation and validation emails.

Assistance Listing

What is an ALN?

93.433ACL National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation ResearchProgram →

Reported obligations under ALN 93.433

Historical data · not a prediction

FY24

$113M

FY25

$113M

FY26

$111M est.

Source: SAM.gov Assistance Listing 93.433. Program-wide totals, not awards from this specific opportunity.

Agency contact (as published)

Brian Bard
brian.bard@acl.hhs.gov
(202) 795-7298

Quick answers

Is “Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, Phase I” open for applications yet?

Not yet. It is a forecast — an agency's advance notice of an expected opportunity. The agency estimates posting the full notice around October 16, 2026. Forecast details and dates can change.

Who is eligible to apply for “Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, Phase I”?

The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible: Small businesses. Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.

How much funding is available through “Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, Phase I”?

Per the notice, individual awards are listed as $95k – $100k, total estimated program funding is $1,100,000 and the agency expects to make about 11 awards.

How do I apply for “Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, Phase I”?

Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity HHS-2027-ACL-NIDILRR-BISA-0308), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.

Matched on shared Assistance Listings, agency, categories and eligible applicant types.

ForecastedResearchALN 93.433