SBIR and STTR odds by agency
For startups and small businesses: how often first-time firms win Phase I, how often Phase I turns into Phase II, and how concentrated each program is among repeat winners. Computed from every award SBIR.gov publishes (SBIR.gov award data (award_data.csv downloaded 2026-10-28; awards through 2023)).
| Agency / component | Phase I awards, 2021–2023 | Phase II awards | Phase I→II | First-time firms | Median Phase I | Median Phase II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Homeland Security | 104 | 43 | 47% | 28% | $150K | $1.0M |
| Department of Commerce | 109 | 83 | 56% | 68% | $150K | $499K |
| NOAA | 72 | 65 | 53% | 58% | $150K | $500K |
| NIST | 37 | 18 | 50% | 87% | $100K | $400K |
| Department of Defense | 5,705 | 4,256 | 53% | 22% | $140K | $1.1M |
| Air Force | 2,831 | 2,145 | 47% | 32% | $74K | $1.0M |
| Navy | 1,286 | 706 | 50% | 8% | $140K | $1.1M |
| Army | 617 | 395 | 48% | 17% | $173K | $1.1M |
| Missile Defense Agency | 242 | 166 | 52% | 5% | $150K | $1.5M |
| Defense Logistics Agency | 169 | 111 | 49% | 31% | $100K | $1.0M |
| Defense Health Agency | 121 | 168 | 53% | 15% | $250K | $1.1M |
| DARPA | 117 | 265 | 49% | 28% | $225K | $1.5M |
| Special Operations Command | 87 | 85 | 31% | 23% | $150K | $1.3M |
| Chemical and Biological Defense | 67 | 51 | 64% | 5% | $167K | $561K |
| Defense Threat Reduction Agency | 62 | 38 | 53% | 5% | $167K | $1.1M |
| National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency | 33 | 45 | 43% | 6% | $100K | $1.0M |
| Office of the Secretary of Defense | 26 | 16 | 6% | 15% | $250K | $850K |
| Defense Microelectronics Activity | 23 | 10 | 40% | 9% | $168K | $1.1M |
| Department of Energy | 1,297 | 669 | 49% | 23% | $200K | $1.1M |
| ARPA-E | 60 | 64 | 96% | 60% | $254K | $462K |
| Department of Transportation | 43 | 47 | 56% | 44% | $150K | $500K |
| Department of Education | 45 | 29 | 59% | 73% | $250K | $1.0M |
| Environmental Protection Agency | 81 | 25 | 41% | 51% | $100K | $400K |
| Department of Health and Human Services | 2,586 | 1,530 | 38% | 37% | $300K | $1.6M |
| National Institutes of Health | 2,481 | 1,505 | 38% | 38% | $300K | $1.6M |
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | 60 | 8 | 25% | 32% | $256K | $1.0M |
| Administration for Community Living | 31 | 13 | 40% | 45% | $100K | $575K |
| NASA | 999 | 473 | 37% | 15% | $150K | $755K |
| National Science Foundation | 993 | 368 | 38% | 85% | $256K | $1.0M |
| Department of Agriculture | 234 | 107 | 30% | 62% | $161K | $650K |
Phase I→II is the share of Phase I awards in closed cohorts that were followed by a Phase II to the same firm from the same agency or component within three years. First-time firms = share of Phase I awards to firms with no prior SBIR/STTR award from any agency. SBIR.gov's export lags about two years, so the latest complete year is 2023.