80NSSC26R0007
Appendix 26B: Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I Funding Opportunity
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION > NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION > NASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER
New
Rejected
Quick analysis
Opportunity is NASA SBIR/STTR FY26-27 BAA, Appendix 26B — STTR Phase I with proposals due May 21, 2026, 5:00 PM ET.
Technical topic emphasis (from reviewed Section 13) is quantum/quantum-inspired/hybrid quantum-classical algorithms applied to NASA Science Mission Directorate problems; TRL 3–4 expected at Phase I completion.
Trace’s documented core capabilities do not include quantum computing R&D; no NASA past performance is listed in company profile.
Set-aside is for small business; STTR typically entails a small business prime with a U.S. research institution. Eligibility and administrative details were not visible due to partial document extraction, creating compliance uncertainty and schedule risk with a 1-month timeline.
Scope summary
- Proposal due May 21, 2026 by 5:00 PM ET (Appendix 26B).
- Maximum of two (2) proposal packages per offeror.
- Technical focus: quantum/quantum-inspired/hybrid quantum-classical algorithms addressing NASA SMD problems (remote sensing, climatology, astrophysics, heliophysics).
- Phase I deliverable: technical feasibility demonstration, research results, and path toward Phase II.
- Provide classical and quantum resource estimates (e.g., qubit/gate counts and classical resources) and compare against state-of-the-art classical approaches; quantify utility to SMD.
- Expected TRL at Phase I completion: 3–4.
- STTR Phase I administrative/eligibility requirements (e.g., small business status, research institution collaboration) — details not visible in the extracted sections; must be verified on the NASA SBIR/STTR site.
Dimension scores
Total
- 20/100
Technical Fit
- 3/20
The reviewed topic centers on quantum/quantum-inspired/hybrid algorithms for SMD problems (Section 13). Trace’s core capabilities (SATCOM, CDS, M-DRIVE, MPE, tactical edge, JADC2, cyber, SE&I) do not include quantum computing R&D. This is outside core lanes. Evidence: company_profile; evidence ledger topic summary.
Past Performance
- 2/20
No NASA past performance is listed in the company profile. The mission focus (quantum algorithms for SMD) is not represented in Trace’s past performance portfolio. Evidence: company_profile past performance list; evidence ledger Section 13 topic.
Vehicles / Contract Access
- 5/10
This is a BAA/STTR Phase I and not gated by a contract vehicle Trace holds; accessible via open STTR submission to NASA. Evidence: evidence ledger identifies Appendix 26B STTR Phase I with proposal submission via NASA program site.
Competitive Position
- 1/15
The topic aligns with specialized quantum computing R&D typically pursued by niche small businesses and academic teams. Trace lacks documented differentiators in quantum and is not an incumbent with NASA SMD. Evidence: company_profile capabilities; evidence ledger Section 13 topic focus.
Risk
- 3/15
High risk due to domain mismatch (quantum computing), likely need for a research institution partner, and short timeline (proposals due May 21, 2026). Eligibility/administrative STTR details were not accessible in the partial document, adding compliance risk. Evidence: due date and topic from PDF; limitations noted in ledger.
Strategic Value
- 3/10
Potential to open a NASA relationship, but this is a small Phase I STTR in a non-core domain with limited near-term adjacency to Trace’s primary lanes. NASA is a Tier 3 target in company profile; strategic upside appears limited relative to effort and fit. Evidence: company_profile target agencies; evidence ledger topic.
Compliance
- 3/10
Set-aside is small business; Trace has ~330 employees (company profile) suggesting possible small-business eligibility, but STTR-specific eligibility and required research institution partnership are not confirmed in the reviewed sections. Partial access to the solicitation prevents full compliance verification. Evidence: set-aside from metadata; company_profile headcount; ledger notes on missing eligibility details.
Concerns
- Technical mismatch: specialized quantum computing R&D is outside Trace’s documented core capabilities.
- Compliance uncertainty: STTR-specific eligibility and required research institution partner not confirmed in available sections.
- Schedule: ~1 month to submit; limited time to form teaming with a qualified research institution and prepare a credible proposal.
- New customer/mission: No NASA past performance; learning curve and relationship-building required.
- Partial document access: key administrative, funding, and compliance details not reviewed due to size/limits.
Teaming opportunities
- Research institution partner with strong quantum computing credentials (to address STTR collaboration requirements).
- Quantum algorithms PI/SMEs with demonstrated publications and experience in hybrid quantum-classical methods.
- NASA SMD domain expertise in remote sensing/climatology/astrophysics/heliophysics for problem framing and validation.
- Access to quantum hardware/simulators and benchmarking frameworks to produce credible resource estimates and SOTA comparisons.
Competitive position
- If pursued, assemble a university-led quantum team while Trace provides systems engineering, modeling/simulation rigor, and program management to deliver defensible benchmarks and transition plans.
- Leverage Trace’s SE&I and digital engineering capability to produce robust verification, validation, and scaling documentation aligned to TRL advancement and Phase II readiness.
Bid/No bid factors
- Set-aside/eligibility: STTR-specific requirements not confirmed in the reviewed content.
- Topic fit: quantum computing focus not reflected in Trace’s capabilities or past performance.
- Short timeline to proposal and teaming formation.
- Primary solicitation link unreadable; appendix PDF only partially reviewed.
Documents
Download all
https://www.nasa.gov/sbir_sttr/
Open link
https://www.nasa.gov/sbir_sttr/
Open link
Restricted: Unreadable
Summary
Document could not be reviewed because access is restricted or controlled. Analysis continues using other available evidence.
Links.txt
Links.txt
No current live SAM.gov attachment matches this stored row.
Summary
Single-line file containing a link to NASA's SBIR/STTR webpage (https://www.nasa.gov/sbir_sttr/). This points to the authoritative program page where the full STTR solicitation, submission instructions, and associated appendices (including Appendix 26B) are published and maintained.
- Contains NASA SBIR/STTR program URL: https://www.nasa.gov/sbir_sttr/
- Authoritative source for full solicitation text, application instructions, deadlines, and attachments for NASA STTR/SBIR opportunities
- Primary place to retrieve Appendix 26B STTR Phase I details, eligibility rules, and submission portal
NASA 2026-2027 SBIR STTR BAA Appendix 26B-I STTR.pdf
Download
NASA 2026-2027 SBIR STTR BAA Appendix 26B-I STTR.pdf
Download
Partially reviewed: Too large
Summary
Partial extraction (sections 1 and 13) of the NASA SBIR/STTR FY26-27 BAA Appendix 26B for STTR Phase I. The appendix solicits STTR Phase I proposals (deadline May 21, 2026), includes proposal submission rules (e.g., max two proposals per offeror), and contains technical topics in section 13 focused on quantum computing applications for SMD with expected TRL 3–4 and Phase I deliverables of feasibility demonstrations.
- Opportunity: NASA SBIR/STTR FY26-27 BAA, Appendix 26B — STTR Phase I (BAA 80NSSC26R0003).
- Proposal due date/time: May 21, 2026 by 5:00 PM ET (explicit in file).
- Submission constraint: NASA will not accept more than two (2) proposal packages from any one offeror.
- Help Desk: guaranteed response cutoff May 20, 2026 by 5:00 PM ET.
- Technical focus (section 13): quantum computing / quantum-inspired / hybrid quantum-classical methods applied to SMD problems (remote sensing, climatology, astrophysics, heliophysics).
- Expected TRL at completion: 3–4 (section 13).
- Phase I desired deliverable: technical feasibility demonstration with research results and documentation of path toward Phase II.
- Phase II expected deliverables: prototype demonstration and software delivery, documentation, and scaling/commercialization plan.
- Primary taxonomy: TX11 Software, Modeling, Simulation, and Information Processing (noted in section 13).
- Critical technical objectives called out: develop quantum/hybrid algorithms, provide classical and quantum resource estimates (qubit/gate counts and classical resources), compare to state-of-the-art classical algorithms, and quantify utility to SMD.
- Collaboration cue: file states opportunities to collaborate with NASA’s existing quantum computing workforce; suggests potential teaming or NASA collaboration.
- File review limited: only sections 1 and 13 were extracted/reviewed; the document is large and other solicitation details (e.g., STTR-specific administrative requirements, funding amounts, eligibility details, and contractual clauses) were not available in the extracted sections.
Technical details
Entry: sync
Review status: Up to date
Logical upstream opportunity: 41628
Notice lineage:
- 8268a9cca50348579237c1b71b08868c (posted 2026-04-21) - current
- 710a021b1a784f22bd054521aa03e974
- bf991b7587b1438ca7930a9b840635dc
Last synced: 2026-04-21T16:19:20.437842+00:00
Last analyzed: 2026-04-21T16:21:08.493134+00:00
Latest package fingerprint: 9019a67ad16c04eb2280f6f296dac19b7b9c858264774dc94dee488b30108de1
Latest package notice: 8268a9cca50348579237c1b71b08868c
Latest package documents: 3
Evidence limitations- https://www.nasa.gov/sbir_sttr/: restricted (unreadable)
- NASA 2026-2027 SBIR STTR BAA Appendix 26B-I STTR.pdf: partially reviewed (too large)
- Only partial document evidence was available from the upstream package.
- 2026-04-21T16:19:20.441536+00:00: 8268a9cca50348579237c1b71b08868c with 3 docs
Labels
Human notes
No human notes yet.