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OpenFederal SBIR/STTROpen to for-profit businessesOSW26BZ06-DV034

Vision Language Model (VLM) for Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) target search and classification from Sensor Independent Complex Data (SICD)

Department of War, Office of the Secretary of DefenseCloses Oct 21, 2026(1 day left)

Does this fit your business?

This is a DoD SBIR Phase I/II contract topic for US small businesses (500 or fewer employees, majority US-owned) that can do R&D on vision language models for detecting and classifying targets in synthetic aperture radar imagery. If you are not an AI/remote-sensing research shop, do not bother: nonprofits cannot apply, and nothing in the notice points to healthcare, energy, or other industries. Award amounts are not published.

Best for
Small AI/ML software firms with SAR or remote-sensing expertise, For-profit US small businesses with 500 or fewer employees, Small businesses majority-owned by US citizens or permanent residents, STTR teams pairing a small business with a US nonprofit research institution
Not for
Nonprofits and organizations outside technology and software, Businesses that are not majority US-owned, Companies without AI, computer vision, or radar imagery capability
Estimated fit by industry, best first
IndustryEstimated fit
Technology & SoftwareMatches your industry (sbir, sttr)
74
Good Match
Healthcare & BiotechLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
52
Possible Match
Energy & Clean TechLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
50
Possible Match
Agriculture & FarmingLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
45
Possible Match
Food & BeverageLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
45
Possible Match
Housing & Real EstateLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
44
Possible Match
Show all 15 industries
Estimated fit by industry, best first
IndustryEstimated fit
ManufacturingLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
44
Possible Match
Retail & E-CommerceLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
44
Possible Match
Transportation & LogisticsLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
44
Possible Match
Construction & InfrastructureLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
42
Possible Match
Finance & BankingLimit: Primarily for minority-owned businesses
42
Possible Match
Arts & CultureLimit: This program does not accept nonprofit applicants.
0
Worth Exploring
Education & TrainingLimit: This program does not accept nonprofit applicants.
0
Worth Exploring
Environment & ConservationLimit: This program does not accept nonprofit applicants.
0
Worth Exploring
Social Services & NonprofitLimit: This program does not accept nonprofit applicants.
0
Worth Exploring

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.

What this funds

Money can be used for
R&D, Research
Who can apply
Small businesses

Questions about this grant

Who can apply for this grant?
For-profit US small businesses 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). The principal investigator must be primarily employed by the business for SBIR, or the business must partner with a US nonprofit research institution for STTR. You must be registered in SAM.gov before submitting.
Can a nonprofit apply?
No. Only small businesses may apply. Under STTR, a nonprofit research institution or university can be a partner doing at least 30% of the work, but it cannot be the applicant.

Summary

DoD SBIR Phase I/II contract topic for US small businesses (500 or fewer employees, majority US-owned). Funds R&D on vision language models that detect and classify targets in synthetic aperture radar imagery from sensor independent complex data (SICD), integrating LLMs with vision encoders for multimodal analysis.

About this grant

Vision language models (VLMs) combine multimodal (Video, SAR and Infrared Imagery) data/imagery and generative AI models to understand and process video, image, and text. VLM integrates large language models (LLM) with a vision encoder that allows LLM to explain contents of an imagery. The goal of this research is to analyze (detect and classify) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery from sensor independent complex data (SICD) data.

Program: SBIR, Phase I and Phase II Agency: Department of War, Office of the Secretary of Defense Topic number: OSW26BZ06-DV034 Solicitation: 26.BZ Released September 2, 2026; proposals accepted from September 23, 2026 Closes October 21, 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/12970. SBIR.gov copies agency solicitations and can lag behind them; the official solicitation is the final word.

Who can apply

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.

Topics and uses of funds

Topics

  • Defense
  • Technology
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Remote sensing

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