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Opportunities | Other Civil Agencies

Small Business Administration (SBA)

The SBA connects entrepreneurs with lenders and funding to help them plan, start and grow their business.

  • SBIR Program – The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is a highly competitive program that encourages domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) that has the potential for commercialization. 
  • STTR Program – The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) is another program that expands funding opportunities in the federal innovation research and development (R&D) arena.
  • Small Business Development Centers – Small Business Development Centers provide counseling and training to small businesses including working with SBA to develop and provide informational tools to support business start-ups and existing business expansion.

Export-Import Bank of the United States (EX-IM)

The EXIM Bank is the official export credit agency of the United States. It mission is to support American job creation, prosperity and security through exporting. EXIM accomplishes this by unlocking financing solutions for U.S. companies competing around the globe.

  • Solutions – Looking to expand your foreign sales? How about protect your company, or access the cashflow you need to take on more business? Select from this list to learn more.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.

  • NASA Procurement Homepage – Main portal for every NASA mission directorate, containing information regarding procurement needs and how to submit unsolicited proposals.
  • NASA Office of Small Business Programs – The mission of the NASA Office of Small Business Programs is to promote and integrate small businesses into the industrial base of contractors and subcontractors that support the future of space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research.
  • SBIR Solicitations – The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
  • NASA Acquisition Forecast – The forecast consolidates anticipated procurements (in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold) at each NASA Center with the aim of increasing industries’ advance knowledge of NASA requirements and to enhance competition.
  • Space Tech Industry Partnerships – The Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) uses partnerships to expand important space technologies and capabilities. These opportunities encourage collaborations with the commercial space sector that leverage emerging markets and capabilities to meet NASA’s strategic goals and industry needs.
  • NASA Small Spacecraft Opportunities
  • NASA Vendor Database – The purpose of the NVDB is to compile a database of vendors, both large and small, who wish to do business with NASA. The NVDB is utilized for NASA’s OSBP for outreach communications and Office of Procurement (OP) for market research and acquisition planning. The database may also be used by industry when searching for capabilities to support subcontracting opportunities or for networking purposes. Vendors

Department of Energy (DOE)

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and energy production, as well as manages the research and development of nuclear power.

  • Lab Partnering Service – The DOE Office of Commercialization offers entrepreneurs access to the resources and expertise of the national laboratory system. In addition, the Office also offers SBIR grants and other funding to early stage tech startups.

Department of Transportation (DOT)

The Department of Transportation is responsible for planning and coordinating federal transportation projects. It also sets safety regulations for all major modes of transportation.

  • SBIR Program – DOT’s highly competitive SBIR program awards contracts to domestic small businesses to pursue research on and develop innovative solutions to our nation’s transportation challenges.