Department of Defense SBIR/STTR

The Phase I Technical Volume (Volume 2) page limit is NOT fixed by the DoD-wide BAA; it is set by each DoD Component in its Component-specific instructions. The proposing firm is responsible for verifying the Technical Volume does not exceed the page limit after upload to DSIP, and some Components will reject the entire technical proposal if it exceeds the stated page count. The DoD-wide BAA itself states no numeric page limit (no specific 7/10/15/20 value is given in the BAA text). Always read the Component-specific instructions for the exact number.

Use no type smaller than 10-point in the Technical Volume (the BAA states: 'no type smaller than 10-point on standard 8-1/2" x 11" paper with one-inch margins'). NOTE: the 22.4 BAA Layout text does NOT contain the exception language allowing smaller type in headers/footers/embedded tables/figures/images, nor a 'will not be evaluated if illegible' clause — that exception wording appears in some Component instructions and/or later BAA cycles, not in this DoD-wide 22.4 Layout paragraph.

The DoD-wide 22.4 BAA states the 10-point minimum / 8.5x11 / one-inch margin standard but does NOT use the phrase 'no font compression' and contains no explicit horizontal character-compression prohibition. The 10-point minimum effectively prohibits shrinking body type below 10-point. There is no DoD-wide deterministic anti-compression rule beyond the 10-point minimum.

Use one-inch margins on standard 8-1/2" x 11" paper. The header on each page of the Technical Volume should contain the company name, topic number, and DSIP-assigned proposal number, and the header may be included in the one-inch margin.

The DoD-wide 22.4 BAA Layout instruction (Section 5.3.b(3)) specifies 10-point minimum type, 8.5x11 paper, one-inch margins, consecutive page numbering, and a per-page header, but does NOT mandate any specific line spacing (e.g., single-spaced). Line spacing is not a DoD-wide deterministic rule in the BAA and must be confirmed in Component-specific instructions/templates.

The Technical Volume (Volume 2) must be a single Portable Document Format (PDF) file, including graphics. Perform a virus check before uploading (a detected virus may cause rejection of the proposal). Do not lock or encrypt the uploaded file. Do not include or embed active graphics such as videos, moving pictures, or other similar media. Number all pages consecutively; the header on each page should contain the company name, topic number, and the DSIP-assigned proposal number.

The Technical Volume (Volume 2) should cover, in the order given: (1) Identification and Significance of the Problem or Opportunity; (2) Phase I Technical Objectives; (3) Phase I Statement of Work (including Subcontractors' Efforts, and identification of Human/Animal Subjects and/or Recombinant DNA protocols if applicable); (4) Related Work; (5) Relationship with Future Research or R&D; (6) Commercialization Strategy (approximately one page); (7) Key Personnel (concise PI technical resume required; all resumes count toward the Volume 2 page limit); (8) Foreign Citizens (identify foreign nationals/dual citizens, country of origin, visa/work-permit type, and anticipated involvement; the proposal will be rejected if the requested information is not provided); (9) Facilities/Equipment; (10) Subcontractors/Consultants (a minimum of two-thirds of the Phase I research/analytical work, by direct and indirect costs, must be performed by the proposing firm unless the Contracting Officer approves otherwise in writing); (11) Prior, Current, or Pending Support of Similar Proposals or Awards.

The proposer must be a Small Business Concern (SBC) meeting 13 C.F.R. 121.702, satisfied on the date of award: organized for profit with a place of business located in the U.S. (operating primarily in the U.S. or making a significant contribution to the U.S. economy); in an allowed legal form; more than 50% directly owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are citizens or permanent resident aliens of the U.S. (or by other such SBCs, or any combination); and, including affiliates, not more than 500 employees.

DFARS 252.209-7002 (Disclosure of Ownership or Control by a Foreign Government, JUN 2010) is incorporated into the solicitation. Any SBC submitting a proposal must disclose, by completing Attachment 2 (Foreign Ownership or Control Disclosure), any interest a foreign government has in the SBC when that interest constitutes control by a foreign government; if the SBC is a subsidiary, it must also disclose reportable foreign-government interests in its immediate, intermediate, and ultimate parents. Proposers must review Attachment 2 to determine applicability; if applicable, an authorized firm representative completes it and uploads it to Volume 5 (Supporting Documents, Volume 5(b)). (Note: later DoD cycles, e.g., 25.x, add a separate Volume 7 foreign-affiliations webform.)

Proposing firms must be registered in the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP) to prepare and submit proposals; all users must register for a Login.gov account and link it to their DSIP account. Proposals are required to be submitted via DSIP; proposals submitted by any other means will be disregarded.

Before any DoD Component can award a contract, the proposing firm must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov with an active registration and current representations and certifications. A firm with a SAM.gov entity registration has a Unique Entity ID, UEI (SAM) (the DUNS number was replaced by the UEI (SAM) on April 4, 2022); new firms obtain a CAGE code and the UEI (SAM) during SAM registration. Firms must update their DSIP firm profile with the UEI (SAM).

Firms with prior DoD and/or non-DoD Phase I and/or Phase II SBIR/STTR awards must update and maintain the organization's Company Commercialization Report (CCR) on SBIR.gov (SBIR/STTR awardees are required by SBA to update/maintain the CCR; voluntary annual updates requested for at least 5 years), download the CCR PDF from SBIR.gov, and have the Firm Admin upload it to the DSIP Firm Forms; this CCR is inserted into all proposal submissions as Volume 4. SBA benchmark (Progress toward Commercialization) determinations are made via the SBA process and feedback at www.sbir.gov.

The Cost Volume (Volume 3) is completed separately using the DSIP online cost volume form and is a distinct volume from the Technical Volume (Volume 2); the DoD-wide BAA page-limit/length language applies to the Technical Volume only. Proposed costs must be substantiated (firms must be prepared to submit further documentation to the Contracting Officer to substantiate costs upon selection). NOTE: the explicit phrase 'the Cost Volume does NOT count toward the page limit' is stated in Component instructions (e.g., Army), not verbatim in the DoD-wide 22.4 BAA; the BAA supports this only by treating Volume 3 as a separate online form.

The DoD-wide 22.4 BAA sets NO single fixed Phase I dollar ceiling; Phase I (and Phase II) awards are made 'in accordance with the SBA Policy Directive guidelines, current version,' and each Component's instructions set the actual Phase I cost ceiling and period of performance (Phase I PoP generally 6-12 months, 12 months max). The SBA SBIR/STTR Policy Directive Sec. 7(i)(1) sets the statutory guideline baseline at $150,000 for Phase I (and $1,000,000 for Phase II), reviewed annually for inflation with adjustments posted on www.SBIR.gov; agencies may exceed the guideline by up to 50% on their own authority. Secondary sources report the inflation-adjusted Phase I guideline at approximately $314,363 and, as of April 2026, approximately $323,090 (the level below which agencies need no SBA approval). Confirm the exact Phase I ceiling in the specific Component/topic instructions.