When Can a Small Business Challenge an SBIR Follow-On Award at the Court of Federal Claims in 2026?
A small business can challenge an SBIR follow-on award at the Court of Federal Claims when the agency violates SBIR rules in a procurement-connected award decision and files before performance makes relief impractical.
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•8 min readWhat Is When Can a Small Business Challenge an SBIR Follow-On Award at the Court of Federal Claims? and Who Does It Affect?
What is an SBIR follow-on award challenge at the Court of Federal Claims?
SBACourt of Federal Claims15 U.S.C. § 638
According to SBA and 15 U.S.C. § 638, an SBIR follow-on award challenge is a bid protest claiming the agency used the SBIR follow-on authority incorrectly, expanded the scope, or awarded to the wrong firm without lawful competition. The Court of Federal Claims can hear it when the dispute is tied to a procurement, not a pure grant-management complaint.