SBIR/STTR Topic Radar: Open Topics, Deadlines & DoD Q&A

SBIR/STTR topic search on Apify: every open SBIR and STTR topic from every participating agency (DoD/DoW branches, NIH/HHS, NASA, NSF, DOE, USDA, DHS, DOT, ED, EPA, DOC...) in one table with full topic text, close date, days left, topic number, official solicitation link, and for DoD topics the Q&A status and technical point of contact. $0.003 per topic. Apify's free plan includes $5 of monthly credit, enough for about 1,660 topics.

Stop checking a dozen agency portals. SBIR.gov's own JSON API has been down for maintenance since August 2026, so most SBIR tools only show past awards. Topic Radar reads the live SBIR.gov topic listings (all agencies) and the public DoD SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP) topic search, normalizes them and hands you a sorted, deadline-first spreadsheet.

• 🎯 Open topics you can still propose to, sorted by close date, with days left colour-coded (red ≤14, amber ≤30)
• 🏛️ All agencies: DoD/DoW (Air Force, Army, Navy, DARPA, DTRA, MDA, SOCOM, SDA, OSD, CBD, DHA...), NIH/HHS, NASA, NSF, DOE, USDA, DHS, DOT, ED, EPA, NIST, NOAA
• 📄 Full topic text, topic and solicitation numbers, release/open/due dates and the official solicitation link
• 💬 DoD extras: topic Q&A status, Q&A end date, number of published questions and the technical point of contact (when DSIP publishes it)
• 🔎 Filters: keywords, agency/branch, SBIR vs STTR, close-date window; or switch to closed topics to see what an agency keeps asking for
• 📊 Excel + CSV with clickable links, search log and read-me sheets
• 💸 $0.003 per topic returned. 50 topics = $0.15. Searches with no results cost nothing. Topic pages and DSIP lookups are included.

Who it's for

• Small tech companies and founders hunting for SBIR/STTR topics that fit their technology
• SBIR consultants and proposal writers building a weekly topic shortlist for clients
• University tech-transfer offices looking for STTR topics that need a research partner
• BD and capture teams tracking what DoD and civilian agencies are asking for

How to use

1. Type keywords (e.g. autonomous, battery, wound care) or leave empty to list everything.
2. Optional: pick agencies, program (SBIR/STTR) and a close-date window.
3. Set Maximum topics (you pay per topic, so this caps cost) and click Start.
4. Download TOPICS_XLSX or TOPICS_CSV from the key-value store, or read the dataset via API.

Input example

{ "keywords": "autonomous", "status": "open", "agencies": ["USAF", "NAVY"], "program": "any", "maxResults": 50 }

Output example (one row, trimmed)

{
  "status": "Open", "daysLeft": 22, "closeDate": "2026-11-25",
  "title": "Cyber Resiliency for Fog and Edge Computing Devices",
  "agency": "DOD", "branch": "USAF", "program": "STTR",
  "topicNumber": "DAF27TZ01-DV002", "solicitationNumber": "27.TZ",
  "dodQaStatus": "IN_PROGRESS", "url": "https://www.sbir.gov/topics/...",
  "officialSolicitationUrl": "https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/"
}

Use with AI agents (MCP)

Call it from Claude, Cursor or any MCP client through Apify's MCP server (https://mcp.apify.com, Actor pandadad0214/sbir-sttr-topic-radar). Every row carries an agentSummary line and the run's SUMMARY record has a one-line takeaway.

Task examples:

• "List open Navy and Air Force SBIR topics on autonomy closing in the next 30 days, with points of contact."
• "Which open STTR topics mention batteries? I need a university partner."
• "Show closed NIH SBIR topics on digital health from the last solicitations so I can see the pattern."

Pricing

Pay per result: $0.003 per topic returned (paid Apify plans get 10-30% off). No results, no charge. Set a maximum charge per run to cap spend.

Next steps

• Grants Finder (https://apify.com/pandadad0214/grants-finder): Grants.gov opportunities plus past NIH/NSF awards for the same topic.
• Researcher & Expert Finder (https://apify.com/pandadad0214/researcher-expert-finder): find university partners for STTR topics.

Notes and limits

• SBIR.gov copies agency solicitations and can lag the agency site. Always confirm deadlines and instructions on the official solicitation link.
• DoD Q&A and point-of-contact fields come from DSIP and are filled only when DSIP publishes them.
• Public pages only, read politely (3 parallel requests). Not affiliated with or endorsed by SBA, SBIR.gov, DoD or any US government agency.

FAQ

Where does the data come from? The public SBIR.gov topic listings for all agencies, plus the public DoD SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP) topic search for DoD Q&A and point-of-contact details.

Does it show past awards? No. It lists solicitation topics (open, or closed if you choose). For past awards on a topic, pair it with Grants Finder.

How do I keep cost down? Set Maximum topics and a maximum charge per run. Searches that return nothing are free.

Can I schedule it? Yes. Save a task with your keywords and agencies and run it weekly to catch newly released topics before they close.

Can an AI agent use it? Yes, through Apify's MCP server. Every row has an agentSummary line, so an agent can shortlist topics without parsing full topic text.