IMPORTANT UPDATE: Effective 1 October 2025, SBIR/STTR program authorization has expired. New activity is paused; ongoing awards remain valid. Awardees are encouraged to contact their TPOCs and contracting officers with questions regarding active awards.
Spark
Space Spark seeks to empower innovation at the operational edge by connecting end-users to lab engineers and acquirers to pursue novel solutions to their toughest challenges. Spark provides platforms through our accelerators, challenges, and colliders for our end-users, acquisition professionals, and engineers to collide with industry and academia to innovate.
Colliders
These events enable entrepreneurs, warfighters, and experts to meet, learn, and discuss current challenges. Each unique Collider focuses on an area of interest to spark interaction and further collaboration among participants.
Space Challenges
Space Challenges are opportunities for individuals to submit solutions to specific challenges that the Space Force launches. Challenge winners might be funded for demonstration and testing and may even be eligible for a military contract.
Combat Development Teams (CDTs)
Combat Development Teams are innovation stewards responsible for engaging each of their squadrons to identify, validate and align problem areas with innovative solutions. Additionally, the CDT as a Delta-level acquisition advocate ultimately leads innovation for their respective Delta, including portfolio management of all capabilities and initiatives developed for that Delta.