SolicitationPosted Sep 18, 2026·Responses due Jan 7, 2027

NSF X-Labs Initiative � AI for Physical Systems Topic Announcement

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION · DIRECTORATE FOR TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION, & PARTNERSHIPS

Stage
Open solicitation
NAICS
541715
Value
Not stated
Solicitation
NSF-Topic3-FY26-XLabsPhysicalAI
Set-aside
No Set aside used
PSC
AJ12
Place
Alexandria, VA, USA
Contact
X-Labs (XLabs@nsf.gov)
CSV Email

Capture briefs (a one-page, shareable copy of this page) are part of Pro. The CSV here holds the notice, its timeline and past awards.

Where this opportunity stands

Every notice posted under solicitation NSF-Topic3-FY26-XLabsPhysicalAI in this department, oldest first.

Early notice
None posted
Solicitation
  • Sep 16, 2026
    Solicitation
    Open
  • Sep 16, 2026
    Solicitation
    Open
  • Sep 16, 2026
    Solicitation
    Open
  • Sep 16, 2026
    Solicitation
    Open
  • Sep 18, 2026 · this notice
    Solicitation
Award
Not yet. Too few past cases at this agency to estimate timing (0 found; 10 needed).

Next steps for this stage

Standard steps for the notice type; not advice about this buyer.

  • Decide bid or no bid before the response deadline.
  • Look at the past winners for likely competitors and teaming partners.
  • Follow the opportunity to hear about amendments and the award.

What the notice says

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP), is soliciting Written Proposals under the NSF X-Labs Initiative for the AI for Physical Systems Topic. NSF seeks innovative, early stage platform technologies that advance intelligent, adaptive, and scalable AI systems operating in or interfacing with the physical world, including robotics, embodied systems, human robot interfaces, advanced sensing, and cyber physical systems. NSF anticipates making one or more Other Transaction (OT) awards under 42 U.S.C. � 19116.

Who won similar work

No award notices in the last 24 months matched this office, agency or NAICS. No incumbent shows up in the award record for this kind of work.

Competitive landscape

No past winners to check.

Policy around it

Bills the past winners named while lobbying this agency's issues, rules from the department, and executive orders that name the agency, last 12 months.

  • 0 bills named on the past winners' lobbying filings
  • 0 rules from the department in the last 12 months
  • 0 executive orders naming the agency in the last 12 months
See who and the source records with Pro

Market

For past winners matched exactly to a listed company. Insider trades are open-market buys and sells (Form 4) in the last 90 days, shown as facts; our own study found insiders do not reliably buy ahead of awards.

  • 0 of the past winners are listed companies
  • 0 insider buys and 0 insider sells at them in the last 90 days
See who and the source records with Pro

Sources: SAM.gov notices and award notices; Senate LDA lobbying filings; FEC filings; FARA; Federal Register; congress.gov; SEC Form 4. Every row above links to its record.

Companies are matched to tickers by exact name only. A company we could not match shows no market rows; that is a miss, not a finding.