By Daniel Smoot, Army Innovation Programs 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Army calls on innovative small businesses to develop advanced water treatment, water contaminant biosensors, and small unmanned delivery systems through its Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Program. These cutting-edge solutions will enhance Soldier self-sufficiency, safety, and communication in austere environments to address urgent operational challenges. 

Featured Army Challenges 

High Recovery Desalination for Expeditionary Water Production: The Army seeks advanced water treatment solutions to bolster sustained operations in remote, austere environments. Novel desalination technologies must enable efficient, high-recovery water treatment to enhance unit self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on external water resupply. Current reverse osmosis systems face challenges at high recovery rates, including membrane fouling, increased energy consumption, and declining performance over time. 

• Contested Logistics & Sustainment | A25D-021 
• Phase I (Feasibility) 
• Maximum 6 Months 

Metagenomic Discovery of Water Contaminant Biosensors: The Army is interested in a novel biosensor system that uses microorganisms’ natural sensing abilities to quickly detect a wide range of water contaminants, including pH, turbidity, and arsenic, for Soldiers in austere environments. By leveraging metagenomics to engineer sensitive biological components and integrating them into portable devices, the project aims to create effective biosensors and a screening technique to address emerging threats. 

• Sensors | A25D-022 
• Phase I (Feasibility) 
• Maximum 6 Months 

Symbiotic UAS Delivery System: The Army seeks innovative research and development to enable Special Operations Soldiers to launch multiple fire-and-forget strikes from Group 2 or Group 3 UAS with Automatic Target Recognition capabilities. The self-propelled munitions must travel over four kilometers and execute anti-personnel, or anti-material strikes without post-launch guidance from the launching platform. This technology will expand operators’ reach and effectiveness, allowing precise kinetic strike missions from existing program-of-record unmanned platforms, with proposers required to detail all viable system design options and key specifications in a feasibility study. 

• Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning | A254-048 
• Phase I (Feasibility) 
• Maximum 6 Months 

How to Apply for Funding 

Army officials will host a reverse pitch webinar on August 14 to discuss solicitations. They will provide an overview of each topic and answer programmatic questions during the session. Officials will collect technical questions and post responses on the Defense SBIR|STTR Innovation Portal within two weeks of the event. The pre-release period opens on August 6, 2025, and closes on August 26, 2025. The submission window opens on August 27, 2025, and closes on September 24, 2025. 

To apply: 

• Review the full topic descriptions on the Army SBIR|STTR Topics Page. 
• Register your business on the Defense SBIR|STTR Innovation Portal. 
• Prepare and submit your proposal before the due date. 

Benefits of Participating 

Army SBIR provides funding to small businesses developing dual-use technologies with military and commercial potential. Selected companies receive support from Army experts in technical, acquisition and operational fields to align their innovations with Army needs. 

The STTR component fosters collaboration between small businesses and research institutions, including universities and federally funded research and development centers. Under STTR, small businesses serve as prime contractors and must perform at least 40% of the work, while research partners complete at least 30%. 

About the Program 

The U.S. Army SBIR|STTR Program, established under the Small Business Innovation Development Act of 1982, invests in small business-led research and development to support Army readiness and modernization. The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology manages the program and aligns innovative small businesses with critical Army priorities. By accelerating innovation and fostering collaboration, the program helps the Army maintain its technological edge and drives economic growth across defense and commercial markets. 

Stay Connected 

Stay informed about upcoming topics, due dates and events: 

• Visit the Army SBIR|STTR website regularly for the latest news. 
• Follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn and YouTube. 

Contact Us 

For general inquiries, contact the Army SBIR|STTR Program Office at the Army SBIR|STTR mailbox.