Department of Education Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase IA 2025: Solicitation

The U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) is preparing to release a solicitation for the 2025 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase IA program, targeting for-profit small businesses to develop and evaluate prototypes of novel education technology products. Scheduled for release around November 8, 2024, with proposals due approximately 60 days later in early January 2025, this Phase IA solicitation will provide awards of $250,000 for up to nine months. The goal is to support innovative, high-risk, high-reward approaches that address critical challenges in education, with a focus on new technology products for learners, educators, administrators, or other school personnel. Successful Phase IA recipients can apply for a Phase II award of $1,000,000 in 2026 to further develop and commercialize their products over a two-year period. In addition to the Phase IA solicitation, two other related SBIR solicitations will be released simultaneously: Phase IB, which focuses on developing new components for existing research-based education technology products, and the Direct to Phase II track, designed to advance evidence-based innovations initially developed by academic researchers or non-profit education research organizations for commercial scale-up. Proposals cannot be submitted for the same or similar projects across these solicitations to avoid duplication. The overall program aims to stimulate private sector innovation, enhance small business participation in Department R&D, and increase the commercial impact of federally supported education technology, with historically competitive award rates. Communication with Department personnel will primarily be via email, and interested parties are encouraged to monitor for more detailed solicitation information upon release.