Pitch days, industry days, conferences, and proposal deadlines for 2026–2027. Dates shift — always confirm on the official page before booking anything.
The Army's marquee ground-force and sustainment show — a prime venue to meet program offices and transition partners.
Huntsville, AL
Details ↗Finalists demonstrate autonomous ground and launched-effects solutions; up to five win ~$275K each.
TBD (live experimentation)
Details ↗Submit a brief quad chart to guarantee a pitch slot at the eMerge Americas 2026 xTech|Live event.
Virtual
Details ↗On-site Army pitch event at the eMerge Americas conference, with up to ~$600K in prize funding.
Miami, FL
Details ↗Close of the white-paper window to commercialize Army-developed IP for cash prizes and an SBIR lane.
Virtual
Details ↗Up to 16 finalists pitch Army/DoW SMEs at the Southwest Mission Acceleration Center; up to 8 win ~$20K each.
Arizona (SWMAC)
Details ↗Up to 12 finalists (~$20K each) pitch a panel of Army subject-matter experts.
Virtual / TBD
Details ↗Up to five winners (~$150K each) announced and invited to submit an Army SBIR Phase I proposal.
Virtual
Details ↗The largest land-power event in North America and a frequent stage for xTech finals and program-office meetings.
Washington, DC
Details ↗Up to 15 finalists run their force-sustainment tech through a live Soldier exercise before winner selection.
TBD (live exercise)
Details ↗Anticipated launch of the next open-topic xTechSearch round; watch the competitions page for the RFI. ~unconfirmed.
Virtual
Details ↗The Army releases Applied SBIR topics on a rolling basis through its Broad Agency Announcement.
Virtual
Details ↗Expected 2027 edition of the ground-force symposium in Huntsville. ~unconfirmed dates.
Huntsville, AL
Details ↗Expected 2027 land-power annual meeting in Washington, DC. ~unconfirmed dates.
Washington, DC
Details ↗Up to 12 xTech|Inversion finalists (selected from the June 2026 white-paper round) each receive a $20,000 stipend and pitch to a panel of Army and DoW subject-matter experts. Up to five winners receive an additional $150,000 each and an invitation to submit a Phase I Army SBIR proposal.
Virtual / Army SME panel
Details ↗xTech|Inversion final winners may submit a Phase I Army SBIR proposal worth up to $300,000 through DSIP, converting the prize win into a funded development contract.
Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP)
Details ↗New Army SBIR/STTR research topics pre-release on the first Wednesday of each month through FY2026, each with its own open and close window. Pre-release is the one period when you may contact topic authors (TPOCs) with questions before the solicitation formally opens.
armysbir.army.mil / DSIP
Details ↗AUSA's spring symposium in Huntsville, adjacent to Redstone Arsenal and much of DEVCOM's aviation, missile, and materiel enterprise — a prime venue for Army R&D transition conversations. 2027 dates not yet confirmed (2026 ran March 24–26).
Von Braun Center, Huntsville, AL
Details ↗The premier ground-warfare exposition for the Marine Corps, drawing broad DoW acquisition and technical attendance. Relevant to Army-focused founders whose ground, autonomy, or soldier-systems technology is joint-service dual-use.
Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC
Details ↗The next DoD-wide SBIR/STTR annual solicitation cycle, under which Army Futures Command releases topics across its scheduled solicitation periods. Topics pre-release 15–30 days before proposals open, with 30–60-day submission windows.
Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP)
Details ↗The Army FUZE xTech program runs multiple prize competitions per year (recent examples: xTech|Edge Strike: Ground, xTech|Phantum, xTech|Inversion). Watch the competitions page for the next open white-paper window; each opens and closes on a short, fixed timeline.
xtech.army.mil
Details ↗Chasing one program often means you qualify for others you haven't heard of. These sister guides cover more of the U.S. non-dilutive landscape — same honest, no-nonsense approach. Not sure which fits what you're building? Ask us — we'll point you at the right doors, even the ones that aren't ours.
America's ~$4B/yr non-dilutive seed fund across 11 agencies.
Visit →Air Force & Space Force open topics and $3–15M matching funds.
Visit →Commercial tech to DoD via fast OTA prototype contracts.
Visit →Tipping Point, TechFlights, NIAC and the space startup ladder.
Visit →