This is an Air Force SBIR/STTR contract topic to design and manufacture a reusable, modern replacement for the obsolete PF300 flash bulb used in high-speed video illumination. It is for for-profit US small businesses with 500 or fewer employees that can do engineering and manufacturing R&D. Nonprofits, large companies, and businesses outside defense-adjacent hardware should not bother.
| Industry | Estimated fit |
|---|---|
| Technology & SoftwareMatches your industry (tech, sbir, sttr) | 80 |
| ManufacturingMatches your industry (production) | 55 |
| Energy & Clean TechLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses | 54 |
| Transportation & LogisticsMatches your industry (transit) | 54 |
| Finance & BankingMatches your industry (business) | 53 |
| Healthcare & BiotechLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses | 53 |
| Industry | Estimated fit |
|---|---|
| Retail & E-CommerceMatches your industry (small business) | 53 |
| Food & BeverageLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses | 50 |
| Construction & InfrastructureLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses | 49 |
| Housing & Real EstateLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses | 49 |
| Agriculture & FarmingLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses | 48 |
| Arts & CultureLimit: This program does not accept nonprofit applicants. | 0 |
| Education & TrainingLimit: This program does not accept nonprofit applicants. | 0 |
| Environment & ConservationLimit: This program does not accept nonprofit applicants. | 0 |
| Social Services & NonprofitLimit: This program does not accept nonprofit applicants. | 0 |
These are our matcher’s estimates for a typical business in each industry. A real match depends on your size, your state and what you need the money for — check your own fit.
SBIR/STTR topic open only to US for-profit small businesses (≤500 employees). Funds engineering, design, and manufacture of a reusable, modern replacement for the obsolete PF300 flash bulb used in high-speed video illumination systems, ideally leveraging COTS technologies for direct-to-Phase-II award.
The PF300 flash bulbs, that provide high-intensity illumination for high-speed video acquisition, are no longer in production. The objective is to award a contract to a small business to engineer, design, and manufacture a modern, robust, reusable replacement for the legacy PF300 flash bulb. This new system must meet or surpass the existing illumination and performance requirements of the original flash bulbs to ensure seamless integration with current high-speed video systems. The ideal solution would leverage Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) or near-COTS technologies to qualify this project as a direct-to-Phase-II effort. A successful reusable replacement would immediately solve the impending obsolescence issue, securing a reliable illumination source for future missions. Furthermore, transitioning to a reusable system would dramatically reduce consumable cost. This technological update could also pave the way for enhanced capabilities, such as adjustable light intensity and longer duration illumination, offering greater flexibility and improved data quality for high-speed video analysis across various applications
Program: SBIR, Phase I and Phase II Agency: Department of War, Air Force Topic number: DAF27BZ01-DV007 Solicitation: 27.BZ Released October 7, 2026; proposals accepted from October 28, 2026 Closes November 25, 2026. Check the official solicitation for the exact due time. Award type: contract, not a grant. Official solicitation: https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/ Listed on SBIR.gov: https://www.sbir.gov/topics/13031. SBIR.gov copies agency solicitations and can lag behind them; the official solicitation is the final word.
Small businesses only: a for-profit US business with 500 or fewer employees, including affiliates.
More than 50% owned and controlled by US citizens or permanent residents (some agencies also accept majority ownership by venture capital, hedge fund or private equity firms; the solicitation says).
SBIR: the principal investigator is primarily employed by the business. STTR: the business partners with a US nonprofit research institution or university, which does at least 30% of the work.
Registered in SAM.gov before submitting.
Check the official solicitation for its own conditions, proposal limits and security review.
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