The SBA’s fall SBIR/STTR conference is built around turning prior awards into revenue through Phase III work, OT/OTA routes, private capital, and industry partnerships.
Why this conference matters to small businesses
The SBA’s SBIR/STTR Fall Innovation Conference is not positioned as a general networking event. According to the SBA, it is focused on supporting the transition and commercialization of existing SBIR/STTR awards, with sessions centered on Phase III work, Other Transaction (OT)/OTA pathways, private capital investment, and industry partnerships. For founders who have already won research funding, that makes the event a practical commercialization playbook rather than a standard conference.
The event is scheduled for Tuesday, September 22, 2026 through Thursday, September 24, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. The SBA lists it as an SBA participating event hosted by the Office of Investment and Innovation (OII).
The business opportunity behind Phase III and OT/OTA
For small businesses, the real value in the SBA’s framing is the path from award to revenue. Phase III work can help a company extend prior SBIR/STTR research into follow-on business. OT/OTA pathways can open a different route to federal work than a traditional grant or contract process. Private capital and industry partnerships can also help a company move beyond the grant cycle and build a repeatable sales pipeline.
The SBA says the conference will help attendees learn how to develop competitive proposals, access resources to support their SBIR/STTR journey, and hear from resource providers and other entrepreneurs about commercializing technology. That combination suggests the event is aimed at companies trying to convert technical validation into customer demand, procurement opportunities, or investment interest.
Who should pay attention
This is most relevant for startups, consultants, and small firms that already have SBIR/STTR experience or are close to commercialization. The research brief says SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation administers federal SBIR/STTR policy across participating agencies and also runs commercialization-support programs including FAST, Regional Innovation Clusters, and SCALE. That matters because the conference is not just about one event; it sits inside a broader SBA commercialization ecosystem.
For BizTipper readers, the practical takeaway is simple: if your business has prior SBIR/STTR awards, this conference may help you identify non-dilutive-to-dilutive transition strategies, federal procurement and OTA routes, investor introductions, and partner channels that can turn R&D into revenue. If you sell to government, industry, or both, those pathways can reduce dependence on one funding source and improve the odds of landing follow-on work.
Cost and access details
The SBA lists standard/industry registration at $1,395, academic/government/non-profit/startup at $1,095, student registration at $450, and active military and Department of War civilian employees as free. The conference also lists a cybersecurity compliance workshop for contractors at an additional $225, a program-only pass at $575, an expo floor-only pass at $225, and a $150 cancellation fee.
Those prices make the event a meaningful spend, so the strongest case for attendance is not general education. It is targeted business development: meeting potential partners, learning commercialization pathways, and understanding how to position prior awards for follow-on funding or customer acquisition.
