Drone Dominance
A phased, operator-evaluated acquisition initiative. Earlier vendor selections and orders are awards or competition milestones, not an open SIIG bid. Watch for an official future-phase invitation or notice.
Official program page ↗SIIG intelligence / Northeast
THE OPPORTUNITY
BRIEF.
A weekly briefing for owners, investors, government leaders, and small businesses tracking defense innovation, public opportunities, and university partnerships.
ISSUE 02
SEPTEMBER 28, 2026
This week / Verified September 28, 2026
DEADLINES
IN VIEW.
The strongest near-term paths are a nationwide Army small-business competition and current SBIR/STTR rounds. A maritime counter-uncrewed-systems notice is open but has restrictive scale and clearance criteria. SIIG’s practical role is to help capable Northeast teams define operator tests, integration questions, and research partners before they respond.
01 / OPEN · ARMY COMPETITION
xTech|Search 10
Published: September 10, 2026. Deadline: October 19, 2026, 5 p.m. ET. Eligibility: independent, for-profit U.S. small businesses of no more than 500 employees; read the full rules. Location: nationwide. The concept white paper goes through the Army xTech competition site; later SBIR/STTR proposals are limited to selected competitors. This is a prize competition leading to possible further proposals, not an awarded contract.
SIIG fit: an eligible Long Island autonomy, sensing, tactical communications, or integration developer could use a clear operator problem and test plan to strengthen its concept. Next step: identify a technology owner, check the RFI and prior-funding rules, and submit the concept through xTech before the deadline.
Army competition and rules ↗02 / OPEN · SBIR/STTR
AFWERX & SpaceWERX Release 6
Verified: September 28, 2026. Window: opened September 23; closes October 21, 2026, subject to topic instructions. Status: open specific-topic 26.BZ/26.BX SBIR and 26.TZ/26.TX STTR rounds, not a single generic grant. Eligibility: U.S. small-business concerns; STTR requires a qualifying nonprofit research-institution partner. Location: nationwide.
SIIG fit: check individual topics for autonomy, communications, sensing, integration, and test needs. A Northeast university partner may be useful for a genuine STTR research plan. Next step: select one exact topic, confirm its current DSIP instructions and deadline, then map technical claims to measurable operator outcomes.
AFWERX funding schedule ↗03 / OPEN · SOFWERX SBIR TOPIC
Resilient transport in denied environments
Published/opened: September 23, 2026. Deadline: October 21, 2026, noon ET. Status: open SBIR 26.BZ Release 6, Direct to Phase II topic SOC26BZ06-DV006, “Resilient Integrated Photonic Transport in Denied Environments.” Eligibility: eligible small-business concerns; Direct to Phase II requires evidence of Phase I-level feasibility under the topic instructions. Location: virtual/nationwide. This is a proposal window, not a SOFWERX event award.
SIIG fit: tactical communications and integration teams with a mature transport solution can frame how performance survives operational constraints. Next step: read the topic PDF and DSIP instructions, confirm feasibility evidence and question cutoff of October 7, then decide whether a lead technology company can submit.
SOFWERX release details ↗04 / OPEN · DIU BRIDGE, SPECIALIZED
Counter-maritime UxV sensors and effectors
Verified: September 28, 2026. Deadline: October 13, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET. Status: DIU Bridge CLASS ACT pilot notice; explicitly not a standard DIU Commercial Solutions Opening. Eligibility: nontraditional defense contractor with no current or prior facility clearance, a sensor or effector at TRL 7+, at least $10 million equity raised, $2 million or more annual revenue, and U.S.-citizen key management. Review the full solicitation. Location: national; maritime use case.
SIIG fit: relevant to port and coastal defense, operator evaluation, and cross-domain counter-UxV integration, but SIIG alone should not assume eligibility. Next step: identify a qualifying technology company and check all gates before considering an assessment or test partnership.
DIU notice and eligibility ↗05 / NORTHEAST · SELECTIVE WATCH
State procurement and veteran-owned paths
Verified: September 28, 2026. New York’s State Contract Reporter is an active notice portal with an SDVOB set-aside filter, but the portal itself is not a bid. We did not verify a newly open state notice or SDVOSB set-aside with a strong SIIG match this week. Massachusetts’ Business Builds Capital Grant Program has a September 30, 2026 application deadline for eligible facility investment in Massachusetts; it is relevant only to a qualifying in-state expansion or manufacturing partner.
SIIG fit: monitor Long Island and Northeast technology, testing, university, and veteran-owned notices without treating construction and unrelated services as defense leads. Next step: search the official NY portal by category and set-aside; if a Massachusetts-based partner is considering capital expansion, confirm the grant rules immediately.
NY State Contract Reporter ↗ · Massachusetts grant ↗Programs to watch / Verified September 28, 2026
THE NEXT
ENTRY POINT.
These program pages need different treatment: some contain live notices, some are standing pathways, and some report awards or closed windows. Recheck the official notice before any submission.
Army xTech
xTech|Search 10 is open through October 19 at 5 p.m. ET. Small U.S. technology businesses should submit to the competition portal, then await selection for any later SBIR/STTR stage.
Search 10 details ↗DIU
DIU lists zero current CSOs and two Bridge CLASS ACT notices closing October 13. One targets maritime counter-UxV sensors and effectors with strict financial, maturity, and clearance gates.
Current DIU pathways ↗NAVWAR
NAVWAR’s CSO page is a standing route, not a live notice by itself. Its assured PNT operational-awareness SBIR topic DON26BX05-NP004 closed September 23. Watch for successor topics and naval integration needs.
NAVWAR pathways ↗CDAO Tradewinds
The Solutions Marketplace remains a standing submission route. Its opportunities page reports no active Special Topics or Shopping Notices as of this verification; a closed June collection is not a new opening.
Tradewinds status ↗AFWERX
Air Force and Space Force SBIR/STTR Release 6 specific topics opened September 23 and list October 21 closes. Choose a precise topic and verify final submission rules in DSIP.
Funding schedule ↗SOFWERX
Release 6 Direct to Phase II topic remains open through October 21 at noon ET. The Mission Autonomy assessment and Group 2 Air Launched Effects events have passed their submission cutoffs; their event dates are not new application windows.
SOFWERX events ↗Research partnerships: the live STTR round is the clearest verified university path this week. SIIG has not identified a separate new Northeast university solicitation with a strong fit.
Issue archive
Issue 02 — September 28, 2026
Issue 01 — September 24, 2026
Editorial note. Verified against linked official program, agency, and state pages on September 28, 2026. Dates and terms can change; confirm the live notice before acting. “Open” means a specific application or proposal window; an awarded contract, closed notice, and standing portal are labeled separately. SIIG is independent, is not affiliated with these agencies, and cannot guarantee an award.