ContractPresolicitationTotal Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)

U.S. Department of Transportation Small Business Innovation Research Fiscal Year 2026 Solicitation

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION• 6913G626QSBIR1
Response Deadline
May 29, 2026
4 days left
Days Remaining
4
Until deadline
Set-Aside
Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)
Notice Type
Presolicitation

Contract Opportunity Analysis

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s SBIR Program is seeking small-business participation in its Fiscal Year 2026 Phase I solicitation for transportation research and development topics. The planned topics span FHWA, FRA, FTA, OST, and PHMSA needs, including AI-V2X congestion mitigation, automated catch-basin inspection, rail emergency BESS de-energization, AI trip planning, predictive safety analytics, freight corridor intelligence, battery safety and mineral recovery, hazardous materials packaging coatings, self-repairing packaging, and lithium-ion fire response. This is a pre-solicitation notice only, so no submissions are being accepted yet; during the pre-solicitation period, offerors may post only clarifying technical questions through the SBIR Q&A forum, and eligible small businesses must be registered in the SBA SBIR Company Registry and SAM. The pre-solicitation period runs from April 29, 2026, through May 29, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET, with the FY26 solicitation expected on or about June 3, 2026, and the primary contact listed as Darren F. Shaffer.

Classification Codes

NAICS Code
541715
Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)
PSC Code
AS12
TRANSPORTATION R&D SERVICES; SURFACE TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC TRANSIT, AND RAIL; APPLIED RESEARCH

Solicitation Documents

1 Files
FY26 SBIR Pre-Solicitation Appendix A(508).pdf
PDF•1541 KB•Apr 29, 2026
AI Summary
The U.S. DOT SBIR Proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Phase I Research Topics outlines various federal research and development initiatives across different administrations. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) seeks solutions for congestion prevention and mitigation using AI-V2X technology and automated mobile catch-basin inspection systems. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) focuses on developing a mobile high-power emergency BESS de-energizer system for rail vehicle propulsion. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) aims to create an AI-powered person-centered, carefree, complete trip planning tool. The Office of the Secretary (OST) proposes projects for predictive safety analytics in commercial transport and freight corridor predictive intelligence. Finally, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is looking for innovations to increase end-of-life battery safety and rare earth mineral recovery, develop thermal indicator coatings for hazardous materials packaging, create self-repairing hazardous materials packaging, and improve responses to lithium-ion battery fires. These topics collectively aim to enhance safety, efficiency, and sustainability across various transportation modes.

Related Contract Opportunities

Project Timeline

postedOriginal Solicitation PostedApr 29, 2026
amendedLatest Amendment· Description UpdatedApr 29, 2026
deadlineResponse DeadlineMay 29, 2026
expiryArchive DateJun 13, 2026

Agency Information

Department
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Sub-Tier
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
Office
6913G6 VOLPE NATL TRANS SYS CNTR

Point of Contact

Name
Darren F Shaffer

Official Sources

View on SAM.gov