Army Applications Laboratory BAA (W911NF-24-S-0008): Executive Summary for Startups

Status: Open. White papers accepted any time through April 4, 2029, 11:59 PM ET. Amendment 1 posted October 20, 2026.

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Executive Summary

The Army Applications Laboratory (AAL), part of Army Futures Command, runs a standing Broad Agency Announcement (W911NF-24-S-0008) for research that serves both Army needs and scalable commercial markets. It covers 16 technology areas, takes white papers through a short web form at any time through April 4, 2029, and can award contracts, grants, cooperative agreements or Other Transactions.

AAL has not reserved specific funding, publishes no award size and has no special topics open right now. Treat it as an always-open door for an early conversation with the Army, not a funded call with a deadline. The BAA has been open since April 2024. Amendment 1 on October 20, 2026 added physical security requirements for contracts involving sensitive arms, ammunition and explosives.

Solicitation at a Glance

• Agency: U.S. Army Futures Command, Army Applications Laboratory; issued by Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Research Triangle Park Division
• Solicitation: Army Applications Laboratory Broad Agency Announcement for Disruptive Applications
• Number: W911NF-24-S-0008
• Award vehicle: Procurement contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, Other Transactions for research or prototypes
• Funding: No specific dollars reserved; no award size published
• Cost share: Generally not required (Other Transaction rules may differ)
• Technology maturity: Basic and applied research through technology demonstrators; not development of a specific system or a hardware procurement
• Latest change: Amendment 1, October 20, 2026
• Due date: Rolling. White papers accepted any time through April 4, 2029, 11:59 PM ET

Think your company qualifies? Talk with BW&CO before you submit your white paper.

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What Is the Army Applications Laboratory?

AAL is the Army Futures Command lab built to reach the commercial and civilian innovation ecosystem. Its BAA has three lines of effort: discovering new capability concepts from the widest range of sources, accelerating technology demonstrators that deliver a 2 to 4 times improvement over current or planned Army capabilities, and translating breakthroughs into Army modernization decisions.

What Problem Is the Army Trying to Solve?

Many technologies the Army depends on are now driven by the civilian world, including vehicles, space systems, sensing, networks, data visualization, gaming and human performance monitoring. AAL wants dual-use solutions that support emerging Army needs and scalable commercial markets, so the Army can adopt them early.

Priority Capability Areas: What AAL Is Looking For

AAL lists these areas and says the list is suggestive, not limiting:

• Autonomous platforms: Ground and air vehicles in cluttered, urban and underground terrain; low signature; fast operator training; reprogrammable architectures; sensors for obscured targets; structures, propulsion and mobility components
• AI/ML: Autonomous maneuver and object recognition, large-data analysis, resilient networking and signals analysis, multi-source data fusion
• Data visualization and synthetic environments: Sensor and large-data visualization, synthetic training, virtual-live validation
• Assured PNT: Navigation and timing in GPS-degraded or denied areas, hardened commercial PNT, PNT security, multi-source fusion
• Power generation and management: Power management algorithms, low-power electronics, compact power for small UAVs and robots, transmission and storage
• Sensing: Detecting people, equipment and activity, including obscured targets and physical, behavioral or cyber signatures
• Communications and networks: Secure, robust networks, protocols, interoperability, high-efficiency components
• Computation: Throughput, power efficiency, edge computing
• Space: Persistent high-resolution ground sensing, low-cost access to space
• Internet of Things: Automated IoT management, machine learning at IoT scale, secure and resilient IoT networks
• Quantum: Computing, sensing and navigation, communications and networking
• Signature reduction: RF, optical, thermal, acoustic and magnetic signatures
• Protection: CBRNE sensors, lightweight armor, cyber protection, counter-UAS, early warning
• Human performance: Human-machine interaction, training effectiveness, cognitive and physical augmentation
• Contested logistics: Predictive logistics analytics, autonomy for reach and endurance, alternative fuels, point-of-need manufacturing
• Kinetic payload: Modular delivery systems and additive manufacturing for payloads

Funding and Award Terms

• Instruments: Procurement contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, Other Transactions for research (10 U.S.C. 4021) or Other Transactions for prototypes. The government picks the instrument.
• Fee: Grants and cooperative agreements allow no fee or profit.
• Funding: The BAA reserves no specific dollars, and AAL says it can support only a limited number of the several hundred proposals it receives each year.
• Scope: Research and technology demonstrators, not development of a specific system or a hardware procurement.
• Security: Contracts involving sensitive arms, ammunition or explosives must meet DFARS 252.223-7007 and include a site-specific physical security plan (Amendment 1).

Eligibility Requirements and Participation

• Who can submit: Universities, nonprofits, state and local governments, foreign organizations and foreign public entities, and large and small businesses.
• Foreign participants: Security restrictions may limit foreign participation.
• FFRDCs: Selected FFRDCs may submit if their sponsoring agency allows it.
• Place of performance: No restriction.
• Registration: SAM.gov registration is required before award and optional at the white paper stage.

How to Apply

• Ask first: Read AAL's current priorities on its website and use the contact form to ask whether your idea fits. AAL encourages early inquiries.
• Submit a white paper: Use the AAL website tool: company overview, a technical summary (max 1,500 characters), technical detail (max 10,000 characters), current and military-use TRL, months and cost, and up to three key people. Pitch decks and images are optional.
• Request feedback: Ask through the contact form. AAL returns feedback within 30 days.
• Submit a full proposal: Assistance instruments through Grants.gov Workspace; contracts by email to aal-baa@army.mil.
• Pitch option: AAL may accept a pitch at an AAL event in place of the written white paper.

What Happens After You Submit?

• White paper review: AAL reviews for scientific merit, Army relevance and the state of the technology, then notifies you in writing.
• Full proposal: Evaluated under the BAA criteria and subject to available funding. AAL prefers proposals with intermediate milestones.
• Special topics: When posted on the AAL website and Grants.gov, they carry their own deadlines. None are open as of October 20, 2026.

Is This Opportunity a Good Fit for Your Company?

It fits robotics and drone companies, AI and data software teams, navigation and timing developers, sensor makers, battery and power electronics startups, space companies, quantum and photonics teams, AR/VR and simulation companies, IoT and networking firms, and advanced manufacturing companies with a commercial market and an Army use case.

Companies that need funding on a fixed timeline, or that are selling a finished product for procurement, should look at a funded call such as a CSO, an SBIR topic or a special topic with a deadline instead.

How BW&CO Can Help

BW&CO has helped deep-tech and dual-use founders secure more than $350M in non-dilutive funding. For open BAAs like AAL, we help you:

• Decide whether AAL or a funded Army call is the better first door
• Frame the Army use case and the commercial market in the same story
• Set honest current and military-use TRLs
• Write the 1,500-character summary and technical detail so they earn a conversation
• Plan the follow-on route if AAL invites a full proposal

Plan Your AAL White Paper

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a deadline?

No single deadline. White papers are accepted any time through April 4, 2029, 11:59 PM ET. Special topics, when posted, have their own dates.

How much funding is available?

AAL has not reserved specific dollars or published an award size.

Is this a new solicitation?

No. It has been open since April 5, 2024. Amendment 1 on October 20, 2026 added physical security requirements for contracts involving sensitive arms, ammunition and explosives.

Can foreign companies submit?

Yes, but security restrictions may apply.

Is cost share required?

Generally no, though Other Transaction rules may require it.

What award types are possible?

Procurement contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and Other Transactions for research or prototypes.

How long is the white paper?

It is a web form: a technical summary of up to 1,500 characters and technical detail of up to 10,000 characters, plus company, cost, schedule and team fields.

Will AAL give feedback?

Yes, within 30 days if you request it through the contact form.

Can BW&CO help with an AAL white paper?

Yes. We help founders decide whether AAL fits, frame the Army use case and write a white paper that earns a technical conversation. Book a call with our team.

Source: Army Applications Laboratory BAA W911NF-24-S-0008 on SAM.gov (amended October 20, 2026); aal.army