tacfi and stratfi

Have You Won a Phase II SBIR or STTR in the Past Few Years? STRATFI/TACFI May Be Your Next Step!

Through AFWERX’s Phase 2 Enhancement Program, companies that have won a SBIR/STTR Phase II that ended within 2 years of submitting a TACFI/STRATFI package are eligible to receive additional funding to further scale their Phase II efforts. There are two different opportunities for funding: Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) and Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI). Each opportunity has different requirements and funding amounts.

Both STRATFI and TACFI are strategic funding opportunities that will ultimately help your company increase its award amounts substantially.

The purpose of this program is to catalyze the relationships between Air Force and Space Force end users, acquisition professionals, private-sector innovators, and the investment community. It also helps bridge the capability gap between current SBIR/STTR Phase II efforts and Phase III scaling efforts by facilitating the delivery of strategic capabilities for the Air Force.

While these programs are beneficial, they can also be tricky to navigate. You will need to determine which opportunity is best for you, find eligible matching funds, and complete the proposal process, which is often lengthy and complex.

How Is STRATFI/TACFI Different From Phase I and Phase II?

Two Rounds: Currently, there are two Rounds per year. In PY24 (program year 24), there was a PY24.1round for only Air Force and a PY24.2 round for only Space Force. In the recent/current PY25 round, there was a PY25.1 round for only STRATFI for either branch, and will be a PY25.2 round for TACFI for either branch in early 2025.So two rounds that are each open approximately 6-8 weeks.

First-Come-First-Serve:submission are evaluated on a first-come first-serve basis. This takes theshort windows into account.

Match System: STRATFI/TACFI awards funding through a match system. This means that all applicants must also have third-party partner buy-in. The match could come from direct Gov non-SBIR investment, from a phase 3 contract, or from a VC investment, or a few other options.

Government submissions:Recently, we saw a change in protocol that now requires the government tosubmit on the client’s behalf, which is not the case for a SBIR PI or PII.

Is this program a good fit?

For your company to be eligible for these awards, you must meet the following criteria:

  • An active SBIR/STTR Phase II or one completed within the past 2 years according to the final deliverable on the contract
      • it does not need to be Air force or DAF anymore
  • The subject effort has not already been awarded a “sequential” Phase II
  • At least 90 days have passed since the beginning of the Phase II execution
  • Not executing a prior STRATFI effort at the time of submission
  • Able to achieve the minimum matching/investment requirements
  • Able to obtain the required end-user and customer signatories on the Collaboration Agreement (similar to the Phase 2’s Customer Memorandum)