DoD SBIR guides
The DoD Quad Chart, Explained by the People Who Write Them
The four quadrants of a DoD quad chart
Templates vary by component, and the topic instructions always govern, but most DoD quad charts cover the same four areas. Here is what belongs in each.
Quadrant 1
Problem and technology impact
The operational gap your technology closes, in the words the topic uses. Name who experiences the problem, what it costs them today, and what becomes possible once your technology works. This quadrant sets the stakes for everything else on the page.
Quadrant 2
Technical approach
How the technology works and why it will reach the Phase I exit criterion. State the core innovation, the method you will follow, and the evidence that the approach is feasible within the Phase I period.
Quadrant 3
Project schedule
The Phase I timeline as a short sequence of milestones, each with a measurable exit criterion and the month it lands. This quadrant shows reviewers the work is planned, not aspirational.
Quadrant 4
Cost and team
A compact budget summary aligned to the schedule, the principal investigator and key personnel, and the transition path: the end user, program office or prime who would field the technology after Phase II.
Each component publishes its own template, and topic instructions specify whether a quad chart is required. Confirm both at dodsbirsttr.mil before you design yours.
PhD-level tips for framing each quadrant
Framing the problem and technology impact
- Lift the problem statement from the topic and restate it in one sentence reviewers can verify against the source.
- Quantify the impact where you honestly can: time saved, size or weight reduced, detection range extended, patients reached.
- Keep background out. The reviewer already knows the field; they are checking whether you know the mission.
Framing the technical approach
- Anchor every claim in numbers: a performance delta against the current state of the art lands harder than an adjective.
- One clear figure, diagram or results table communicates more than a dense paragraph. Design the quadrant to be read in under a minute.
- Name the innovation core. Reviewers score technical merit on what is genuinely new, so put that front and center rather than burying it in system-level description.
Framing the project schedule
- Tie every milestone to a risk it retires. Reviewers fund plans that confront the hardest technical question early.
- Match the granularity to the period of performance. A six-month effort typically supports three to five milestones.
- Keep the schedule consistent with the technical volume. Reviewers notice when the one-pager and the proposal tell different stories.
Framing the cost and team
- Show cost realism. Line the budget up against the milestones so reviewers see the money buying the work.
- Give the PI one line of directly relevant credentials. Depth in the specific technology beats a long list of general honors.
- Name the transition end user where you have one, even as an interest letter. A named path to a program of record strengthens the whole chart.
What strong DoD quad charts have in common
The topic's own vocabulary
Strong quad charts read like they were written by someone who studied the topic. Mirror the keywords the program office used, and reviewers instantly see the fit.
Numbers over adjectives
Every claim that can carry a number should. Percentages, units, months and readiness levels give a skimming reviewer something to score against.
A named transition path
The single strongest element a quad chart can carry is a specific end user, program office or prime who wants the technology. It converts a research idea into a mission solution.
One page, designed to be skimmed
Reviewers move fast between proposals. Clear hierarchy, generous white space and one strong figure per quadrant keep your chart in the readable pile.
Consistency with the full proposal
The quad chart is a summary, so every number, milestone and claim on it must match the technical volume exactly. Divergence costs credibility on both documents.
DoD quad chart questions we hear
What is a DoD SBIR quad chart?
A one-page, four-quadrant summary of a Phase I proposal: the problem and expected impact, the technical approach, the project schedule, and the cost, team and transition path. Many DoD components request a quad chart with the proposal, and reviewers often read it first to orient themselves before diving into the technical volume.
What are the four quadrants of a DoD quad chart?
Most DoD templates cover the same four areas: the problem the technology solves and its impact on the mission, the technical approach, the project schedule with milestones, and the cost and team alongside the path to field the technology. The exact labels and layout vary by component, so always work from the template published with the topic.
Is a quad chart required for every DoD SBIR topic?
It depends on the component and the topic. Many DoD SBIR and STTR topics request a quad chart at submission, and pitch-style opportunities such as AFWERX Open Topics are built around the format. Each topic's instructions state whether one is required and in what form, so confirm before you design yours.
What format should a DoD quad chart use?
Follow the template the component publishes with the topic, which is typically a single slide or one-page document with defined quadrant placement. When a template specifies fonts, colors or file type, treat those as compliance requirements in the same way you would page limits in the technical volume.
Should the quad chart repeat the technical volume?
The quad chart condenses the proposal rather than replacing it. Reviewers use it to navigate and to compare proposals quickly, so distill the strongest version of each argument. Every fact on the chart must match the full proposal, because reviewers check consistency.
Can GrantUp write our DoD quad chart?
Yes. We build the quad chart alongside the Phase I proposal so the one-pager and the technical volume tell one coherent story, and we pressure-test it the way a defense review panel would read it. Book a free eligibility call to start.
Want a quad chart that survives the first read?
Book a free eligibility call and we will assess your fit for DoD SBIR, then map the one-pager and the proposal around what reviewers score.