The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) posted a new Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Phase II funding notice on 1 October. The fiscal 2026 round lists $24.75 million in anticipated total funding and an individual award range of $600,000 to $650,000. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Eastern time on 17 November 2026. NIFA says the notice covers research projects across ten topic areas connected to agriculture, food, natural resources, rural development and related technologies.

Eligibility is narrower than the general description of a small-business grant may suggest: only previous USDA SBIR or STTR Phase I award recipients may apply for this Phase II opportunity. Applicants must continue research and development built on their earlier Phase I work and explain a commercialization strategy. The notice does not fund a company simply to get established or support a proposal consisting only of product development without research. Awards are competitive, and posting the opportunity does not mean an applicant has been selected or that any specific number of awards is assured.

The NOFO divides the FY2026 anticipated funding into approximately $19.5 million for SBIR and $5.25 million for STTR. For FY2027 it separately anticipates the same amounts, with a tentative 21 September 2027 deadline; that later cycle is distinct from the current deadline. The notice cautions that FY2027 funding is subject to appropriations and other authorizing legislation. Individual topic tables specify expected award counts, project durations and amounts, so applicants need to use the table for their chosen topic rather than treating the overall range as a guarantee for every proposal.

Phase II applicants may also request up to $50,000 in additional Technical and Business Assistance funding, or TABA, for eligible external services or staff training. They must identify a provider and include the required plan and costs in the application; unspent TABA money cannot simply be shifted to other project expenses. NIFA’s notice also says matching funds are not required. The practical next step for an interested firm is to confirm its prior Phase I award and topic fit, then follow the application instructions and submit before the November deadline.