SpaceWERX (SBIR/STTR, STRATFI/TACFI, Accelerate)
Defense & Space · Run by U.S. Space Force / AFWERX
Every field is checked against a primary source where we can. How we verify.
The facts
All fields verified Aug 26, 2026- Terms model
- Non-dilutiveGives money that does not take equity: grants, prizes, or credits. Your ownership is untouched.
- Investment
- Phase I: $75K-$180K; Phase II (incl. D2P2): $1.25M-$1.8M; TACFI: $375K-$2M; STRATFI: $3M-$15M (per SpaceWERX Get Funded page, July 2026)
- Equity taken
- Not publishedInnovation arm of the U.S. Space Force; funds companies through non-dilutive SBIR/STTR contracts (Spark, Vector, Accelerate pathways incl. cohorts and STRATFI/TACFI scale-up funding). Award amounts were not stated on the fetched page, so investment_amount is null; equity null because contracts take no equity. Space PY26.2 TACFI accepts submissions on a rolling basis.
- Program length
- Not published
- Format
- Remote
- Location
- Not published
- Cohorts per year
- Not published
- Cohort size
- Not published
- Stage focus
- small businesses (dual-use space tech)
- Sub-vertical
- space technology for the U.S. Space Force
- Demographic focus
- Not published
- Backers
- U.S. Space Force, Air Force Research Laboratory
- Notable alumni
- Not published
Terms notes: Innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force; funds companies through non-dilutive SBIR/STTR contracts (Spark, Vector, Accelerate pathways incl. cohorts and STRATFI/TACFI scale-up funding). Award amounts were not stated on the fetched page, so investment_amount is null; equity null because contracts take no equity. Space PY26.2 TACFI accepts submissions on a rolling basis.
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Terms in plain English
SpaceWERX is the Space Force arm of AFWERX and funds companies through non-dilutive SBIR and STTR contracts: the government pays for R&D, takes no equity, and this is procurement, not investment. Its Get Funded page lists Phase I feasibility awards of $75K to $180K over 3 to 12 months and Phase II prototype awards of $1.25M to $1.8M over up to 24 months, including a Direct-to-Phase-II route for companies that can skip Phase I. Companies with traction can compete for larger scale-up funding, TACFI at $375K to $2M and STRATFI at $3M to $15M, which pair SBIR dollars with matching government or private funds. Proposals are submitted during set solicitation windows through the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP) at dodsbirsttr.mil.
Who this is actually for
US small businesses meeting federal SBIR/STTR eligibility rules, generally majority US-owned with 500 or fewer employees, building dual-use space technology the Space Force could buy. It is a contract pipeline rather than a cohort program, though the Accelerate pathway includes cohort-style programming alongside STRATFI/TACFI scale-up funding.
SpaceWERX (SBIR/STTR, STRATFI/TACFI, Accelerate) application deadlines
DAF SBIR/STTR solicitation 26.BZ Release 3: Opens Jun 24, 2026, closes Jul 22, 2026.
Verified Aug 22, 2026SourceDAF SBIR/STTR solicitation Release 4 (listed as 26.BX on Get Funded pages): Opens Jul 22, 2026, closes Aug 18, 2026.
Verified Aug 26, 2026SourceDAF SBIR/STTR solicitation 26.BZ Release 5 (STTR 26.TZ Release 5): Opens Aug 26, 2026, closes Sep 23, 2026.
Verified Aug 26, 2026SourcePY26.2 TACFI (continuous rolling submissions, opened June 2026): Rolling: applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis.
Verified date not recordedSource
Frequently asked questions
- When is the next SpaceWERX (SBIR/STTR, STRATFI/TACFI, Accelerate) application deadline?
- The next confirmed application window for SpaceWERX (SBIR/STTR, STRATFI/TACFI, Accelerate) closes Sep 23, 2026.
- How much does SpaceWERX (SBIR/STTR, STRATFI/TACFI, Accelerate) invest?
- SpaceWERX (SBIR/STTR, STRATFI/TACFI, Accelerate) lists an investment of Phase I: $75K-$180K; Phase II (incl. D2P2): $1.25M-$1.8M; TACFI: $375K-$2M; STRATFI: $3M-$15M (per SpaceWERX Get Funded page, July 2026).
- How much equity does SpaceWERX (SBIR/STTR, STRATFI/TACFI, Accelerate) take?
- SpaceWERX (SBIR/STTR, STRATFI/TACFI, Accelerate) does not publish the equity it takes, so we record it as not published.
- Where is SpaceWERX (SBIR/STTR, STRATFI/TACFI, Accelerate) located and is it in person?
- SpaceWERX (SBIR/STTR, STRATFI/TACFI, Accelerate) runs a remote program.
- Is SpaceWERX (SBIR/STTR, STRATFI/TACFI, Accelerate) still active?
- As of our last check on Aug 26, 2026, SpaceWERX (SBIR/STTR, STRATFI/TACFI, Accelerate) is active.
Compare this program
Put SpaceWERX (SBIR/STTR, STRATFI/TACFI, Accelerate) side by side with up to two others to weigh cash, equity, and timing.
Compare SpaceWERX (SBIR/STTR, STRATFI/TACFI, Accelerate)Guides that explain these terms
Plain-English mechanics, with worked hypothetical numbers.
- Equity vs non-dilutive accelerators: a decision frameworkHow to weigh an accelerator that buys equity against one that gives non-dilutive money, with a cap-table walkthrough at three exit sizes.
- SBIR and STTR for defense founders: how the phases actually workPhase I, II, and III mechanics, open versus conventional topics, how AFWERX and SpaceWERX style pipelines run, and an honest look at timelines.
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Sources
Everything above was checked against these, verified Aug 26, 2026.