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0 to 1 · Research note · 12 Oct 2026

230 NASA small-business research contracts start on one day, 30 September 2026

Public contract records in Svatantra.ai's signal database show 230 NASA SBIR and STTR contracts with a start date of 30 September 2026, the last day of federal fiscal year 2026. They went to 202 firms, and 201 are labeled Phase I. This note sets out the counts, five of the named records, the official definition of Phase I, a Government Accountability Office report published on 29 September 2026 for context, and what the data does not show.

By Jayprakash Mistry, Founder, Svatantra.ai

One email with the PDF attached. You will be on the list for future notes and can unsubscribe from any of them. The list is not sold or shared.

Every number, and where it comes from

The first five figures in the note.

The full table has 16 rows. Each figure is as published on the date shown, with its denominator.

FigureWhat it measuresSource
230NASA contracts with SBIR or STTR in the award description and a period-of-performance start date of 30 September 2026. 230 distinct award IDsSvatantra.ai signal database, count at 9 Oct 2026
202Distinct recipient firms (unique entity identifiers) across the 230 contractsSvatantra.ai signal database, count at 9 Oct 2026
201Contracts labeled Phase I in the award description: 171 SBIR and 30 STTRSvatantra.ai signal database, count at 9 Oct 2026
19, 8 and 2Contracts labeled Phase II, Phase III, and with no phase statedSvatantra.ai signal database, count at 9 Oct 2026
176 and 26Firms holding one contract, and firms holding two or three (24 hold two, 2 hold three: 54 contracts)Svatantra.ai signal database, count at 9 Oct 2026

11 more figures in the PDF, each with its source.

Sources

9 primary releases.

  1. USASpending.gov, ARINNA, INC, award 80NSSC26C0208 (Start 30 September 2026)
    Verbatim description: "SBIR PHASE I - ARCADIA: ADAPTIVE, RESILIENT COMPACT ARRAY WITH DUST-RESISTANT INTEGRATED ARCHITECTURE". Obligation $220,642. Signed 2026-08-25. Period of performance 2026-09-30 to 2027-03-30. Awarding agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
    usaspending.gov
  2. USASpending.gov, AERODYNE RESEARCH INC, award 80NSSC26C0193 (Start 30 September 2026)
    Verbatim description: "SBIR PHASE I COMPACT LASER SPECTROMETER FOR IN SITU QUANTIFICATION OF STRATOSPHERIC HCL". Obligation $224,810. Signed 2026-08-31. Period of performance 2026-09-30 to 2027-03-30. Awarding agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
    usaspending.gov
  3. USASpending.gov, LEIDEN MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGY LLC, award 80NSSC26C0264 (Start 30 September 2026)
    Verbatim description: "SBIR PHASE I LUNAR AND MARTIAN INFRARED ANALYZER (LUMINA)". Obligation $224,982. Signed 2026-08-27. Period of performance 2026-09-30 to 2027-03-30. Awarding agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
    usaspending.gov
  4. USASpending.gov, GVD CORP, award 80NSSC26C0248 (Start 30 September 2026)
    Verbatim description: "SBIR PHASE I - BIOCIDAL COATINGS TO ENHANCE REGENERATIVE FUEL CELL LONGEVITY". Obligation $224,816. Signed 2026-08-31. Period of performance 2026-09-30 to 2027-03-30. Awarding agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
    usaspending.gov
  5. USASpending.gov, OPTERUS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, INC, award 80NSSC26C0293 (Start 30 September 2026)
    Verbatim description: "SBIR PHASE I ADAPTABLE SOLAR ARRAY SUPPORT". Obligation $224,472. Signed 2026-09-03. Period of performance 2026-09-30 to 2027-03-30. Awarding agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
    usaspending.gov
  6. US Government Accountability Office, Small Business Research Programs: Better Data Could Improve Insight into Companies' Success (GAO-26-108750) (29 September 2026)
    "11 federal agencies issued $4.4 billion in Small Business Innovation Research". "GAO analyzed data from the 11 participating agencies and SBA for over 6,000 awards issued in FY 2024." "GAO's review of FY 2019 through FY 2024 awards showed small businesses submitted required data for less than half of their prior awards." "GAO is making a total of 14 recommendations."
    gao.gov
  7. SBIR.gov (US Small Business Administration), Program basics tutorial: the three phases (Accessed 9 October 2026)
    "It lasts six to twelve months and supports exploration of the technical merit or feasibility of an idea or technology."
    sbir.gov
  8. FedScoop, House passes SBIR, STTR reauthorization bill (17 March 2026)
    "authorization for SBIR and STTR lapsed after the Senate failed to pass a short-term bill amid broader negotiations". The House passed the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act 345 to 41.
    fedscoop.com
  9. Svatantra.ai, Signal database (9 October 2026)
    Counted: signals from public federal contract records with awarding agency NASA, SBIR or STTR in the award description, and a contract start date of 30 September 2026. 230 records, 230 distinct award IDs, 202 distinct recipient identifiers. Phase read from the award description. Counts at 9 October 2026.
    svatantra.ai