In the global race to deliver military capability faster than adversaries can counter it, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program has quietly emerged as one of the most powerful tools in the U.S. arsenal. No longer just a source for seed funding, the SBIR is becoming a strategic acquisition pathway that transforms agile small businesses into a distributed innovation engine. The mission: to rebuild critical segments of the industrial base while delivering capability directly to the warfighter.
This session brings together perspectives from industry execution, federal program leadership, and the Navy’s Boats & Combatant Craft Program Office with the technical advisement of the Combatant Craft Division, which is actively using SBIR to accelerate the transition of technologies into fielded systems. Speakers will demonstrate how the program is evolving from a research mechanism into a full deployment pipeline and walk attendees through the complete SBIR lifecycle – from concept to deployment. They will also discuss changes in the 2026 reauthorization, including the introduction of Strategic Breakthrough Awards of up to $30 million, designed to push proven technologies across the valley of death and into production and operational use.
Attendees will:
- See how small businesses are using SBIR to outpace traditional acquisition models through real-world case studies spanning marine, transportation, and infrastructure
- Hear how the Navy is using SBIR to close the gap between innovation and operational capability
- Understand how the 2026 SBIR reauthorization is structurally changing how innovation is funded and transitioned into deployment
- Leave with a clear picture of how to compete and win in the evolving SBIR landscape and why commercialization and mission alignment now matter earlier than ever
