Defense Innovation Funding Series: Army Innovation Funding Pathways

This webinar has concluded, download the resources here.

Overview

The U.S. Army offers a wide range of non-dilutive funding opportunities for dual-use technologies. For eligible small businesses, SBIR and STTR remain some of the most accessible and impactful programs, with the Army providing $387.7M in SBIR funding in 2024 alone. The Army’s xTech competition has also awarded more than $29M in prizes and supported over $285M in follow-on contracts across less than eight years.

But not all companies are small businesses, and not all teams are focused on SBIR. Many organizations pursue Army funding through larger mechanisms such as OTAs, BAAs, and CSOs, which can offer higher award amounts, broader scopes of work, and more flexible contracting structures.

In this webinar, Grant Engine, now strengthened by its acquisition of Akela Consulting, will walk you through the Army’s full innovation landscape. We will dive deeply into SBIR/STTR, xTech, FUZE, and Catalyst for small businesses, while also outlining the larger funding pathways available to companies of all sizes, including OTAs, BAAs, and CSOs.

What You Will Learn:

• Understanding the Army Innovation Landscape: A clear explanation of Army SBIR, xTech, FUZE, and Catalyst programs for small businesses, and an overview of larger opportunities such as BAAs, CSOs, and OTAs for companies that are not SBIR-eligible or are seeking bigger funding routes.
• Choosing the Right Pathway for Your Company: How small businesses can leverage SBIR and xTech to secure early R&D funding, and how mid-sized and larger companies can target OTAs, BAAs, and CSOs as entry points into the Army innovation ecosystem.
• Winning SBIR and xTech: How to frame your narrative, align with Army capability gaps, and develop competitive proposals that resonate with evaluators and end-users.
• Competing for Larger Army Opportunities: What it takes to pursue OTAs, BAAs, and CSOs, how these mechanisms work, and what types of technologies and maturities are best suited for them.
• Bridge and Transition Support: How programs such as FUZE, Catalyst, and Army labs help companies—both small and large—advance from research concepts to prototype evaluations and early fielding.
• Patterns of Company Success: Real examples of how different types of companies—startup, mid-stage, and enterprise—have engaged the Army through the pathway that best fit their size, goals, and technology maturity.

What Grant Engine Will Cover:

• The Full Army Pathway Options: A clear map of both early-stage small-business programs and larger Army-wide funding mechanisms, giving attendees insight into which pathways best fit their size, eligibility, and objectives.
• Proposal Strategy and Positioning: How the Grant Engine team focused on defense and dual-use technologies helps organizations craft proposals and submissions that speak directly to Army priorities, whether through SBIR or other contracting mechanisms
• Engaging the Right Army Stakeholders: How to understand Army customer needs, identify relevant commands and offices, and communicate a compelling value proposition at any company size.
• Our Strengthened Platform: How the combination of Grant Engine’s life sciences funding expertise and Akela’s deep DoD specialization forms a comprehensive platform that supports both small businesses and larger organizations pursuing Army opportunities.

Who Should Attend

• Small businesses developing dual-use technology
• Companies new to DoD funding or with limited federal funding experience
• Innovators who understand their technology is DoD-relevant but don’t know how to access opportunities
• Teams that have attempted DoD funding before without success
• Organizations looking for a strategic partner to navigate the complex federal funding landscape

Next Steps

After the webinar, you’ll have the opportunity to schedule a free consultation with the Grant Engine Defense team to discuss your specific technology, identify near-term opportunities, and explore how our partnership model can accelerate your access to DoD funding.

This webinar has concluded, download the resources here.