SBIROpen

DIRECT TO PHASE II: Advanced Damage Criticality Analysis

Solicitation ID26.BZ
Agency
DOD
NAVY
Deadline
Jun 3, 2026
15 days left
Posted Date
Apr 13, 2026
Classification
SBIR
Phase: Phase II

SBIR Opportunity Analysis

The U.S. Navy is seeking a Direct to Phase II SBIR solution for an advanced passive structural health monitoring system that can identify, locate, and characterize ship hull defects and crack growth in real time. The work calls for developing and delivering a prototype hardware, software, or firmware solution using novel or advanced technologies to monitor large hull areas and provide automated, actionable assessments of defect severity. The Navy is prioritizing physics-based approaches that avoid qualitative assumptions and can perform reliably amid ship background noise with minimal false positives or negatives. Offerors must provide Phase I feasibility documentation showing prior development of the technology, and proposals are due by June 3, 2026 at 4:00 PM UTC.

SBIR Documents

1 Files
1778025753712.pdf
PDF62 KBMay 11, 2026
AI Summary
The Navy seeks to develop an advanced, passive Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system to detect, locate, and characterize defects like cracks in ship hulls in real-time. This system aims to overcome limitations of current strain gauge-based SHM systems, which infer crack growth rather than directly identifying it. The Navy needs a system that can monitor large hull areas, minimize false positives/negatives, and provide actionable information on crack severity. This Direct to Phase II RFP requires offerors to have completed feasibility work demonstrating a concept for such a prototype. Phase II will involve developing and delivering this prototype. Phase III will focus on transitioning the technology for Navy use, including training personnel and exploring dual-use applications such as monitoring acoustic tiles, existing cracks, and large storage tanks.

Related SBIR/STTR Opportunities

Opportunity Snapshot

Source SystemOfficial Link
Program Type
SBIR - Phase II
Agency
DOD / NAVY

Key Dates

Release DateApr 13, 2026
Open DateMay 6, 2026
Application DueJun 3, 2026
Close DateJun 3, 2026