Department of War SBIR/STTR Proposals: What the Rebrand Means for Defense Applicants

Defense Grant Writers · March 26, 2026 · 6 min read

The Department of Defense is becoming the Department of War. The rebrand — the first name change for the department since the National Security Act of 1947 merged the former Department of War and Department of the Navy into the Department of Defense — is now underway. For the thousands of small businesses that compete for SBIR/STTR awards, DARPA BAA contracts, and AFWERX solicitations, the practical question is straightforward: what does this actually change for your next proposal?

The short answer: not much operationally, but quite a lot in terms of how you position your company. Here is what defense proposal applicants need to know.

What Is Changing

The name change from Department of Defense (DoD) to Department of War (DoW) is a top-level organizational rebrand. The department's internal structure — Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, DARPA, MDA, and the various service branches — remains intact. SBIR/STTR programs administered through the department will continue to operate through the same program offices, the same contracting officers, and the same solicitation infrastructure.

What will change over time is the branding on solicitations, contract documents, and agency communications. Expect a transition period where both "DoD" and "DoW" appear interchangeably in official materials. The Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP) at dodsbirsttr.mil may eventually migrate to a new domain, though no timeline has been announced.

What Is Not Changing

The elements that matter most to SBIR/STTR applicants are not affected by the rebrand:

Solicitation structure. Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs), Open Topics, and Specific Topics will continue to follow the same format. The three annual BAA cycles (26.1, 26.2, 26.3) remain unchanged.

Evaluation criteria. Proposals are still scored on technical merit, innovation, team qualifications, and commercialization potential. Reviewer panels are drawn from the same pool of subject-matter experts across service branches.

Funding levels. The SBIR/STTR set-aside — 3.2% of the department's extramural R&D budget for SBIR and 0.45% for STTR — is tied to the agency's research expenditure, not its name. The department remains the largest SBIR funder by a significant margin, allocating roughly $1.8 billion annually.

Phase III and transition pathways. AFWERX STRATFI/TACFI programs, Army xTechSearch, Navy Direct-to-Phase-II, and DARPA BAA mechanisms all continue under their existing authorities.

SBIR/STTR reauthorization. S. 3971, the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act, passed Congress on March 17, 2026, and reauthorizes all SBIR/STTR programs through September 30, 2031. The legislation references the existing statutory framework and is not affected by the department's name change. For a full breakdown of the reauthorization and its implications, see our analysis on SBIR Grant Writers.

How to Handle the Name Change in Your Proposals

During the transition period, applicants should follow the terminology used in the specific solicitation they are responding to. If the BAA says "Department of War," use "Department of War." If it still says "Department of Defense," use that. Do not unilaterally adopt new terminology before the agency does — reviewers evaluate proposals against the solicitation as written.

Practical guidance: When referencing the department generically in your technical narrative or commercialization plan, using "DoW/DoD" or "Department of War (formerly Department of Defense)" during the transition period ensures clarity for all reviewers regardless of which terminology they are accustomed to.

For proposals that reference prior DoD contracts, Phase II awards, or existing DoD relationships in their past performance sections, continue to use the terminology that was current at the time of those contracts. A Phase II award issued by "the Department of Defense" in 2024 should still be described that way.

What This Means for Upcoming Solicitations

The timing of the rebrand coincides with the reopening of SBIR/STTR solicitations following the five-month authorization lapse. The Department of War is expected to be among the first agencies to publish new solicitations, with BAA releases anticipated in April 2026. Topic development teams across Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, DARPA, and MDA continued preparing solicitations throughout the freeze and are ready to move quickly.

For applicants, this means the first post-reauthorization solicitations from the department may carry the new "Department of War" branding. Companies that have proposals ready to submit will have a significant advantage in what is expected to be an intensely competitive first cycle after six months of pent-up demand.

For a complete calendar of expected defense solicitation dates, see our 2026 Defense SBIR Deadlines Guide.

Impact on DARPA, AFWERX, and Service Branch Programs

DARPA operates as an independent agency within the department and has historically maintained its own branding and solicitation processes. DARPA BAAs, Proposer's Days, and white paper submissions are unlikely to see immediate changes beyond updated letterhead.

AFWERX, as an Air Force innovation arm, will continue to operate under the Air Force's SBIR/STTR program office. Open Topic and Specific Topic solicitations will follow the same submission process through DSIP. STRATFI and TACFI transition funding mechanisms remain unchanged.

Army, Navy, and Space Force SBIR/STTR programs will similarly continue under their existing program offices and evaluation structures. The rebrand is an organizational-level change that does not alter the authorities, budgets, or processes of individual service branch innovation programs.

What Applicants Should Do Now

Prepare your proposals for the first post-reauthorization cycle. The department is expected to publish new solicitations in April 2026. Companies with polished technical narratives, updated commercialization plans, and current budget templates will be positioned to respond immediately when topics drop.

Review your existing proposals for terminology. If you have draft proposals referencing "DoD" or "Department of Defense," hold off on changing the terminology until you see the language used in the specific solicitation you are targeting.

Update your company materials. Capability statements, past performance summaries, and marketing materials that reference "DoD contracts" should be updated to reference "Department of War" as the transition progresses — particularly for materials used in Phase III discussions and Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) applications.

Monitor DSIP and agency announcements. Bookmark the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal and subscribe to email alerts from your target service branches. Defense Grant Writers is tracking all post-reauthorization solicitation releases and will provide updates as they become available.

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This article will be updated as agency guidance on the rebrand becomes available. Last updated: March 26, 2026.