Event-Based Sensing Hardware and Algorithms for Navigation - SBIR Topic MDA26BZ04-NV008

Funding Amount:

$314,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

ITAR:

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

Objective:

Develop novel and innovative low size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) event-based sensing navigation solution suitable for hostile flight and/or space environments that is not reliant on Global Positioning System (GPS) or Global navigation Satellite System (GNSS) inputs.

Description:

The proposed initiative focuses on the development of event-based sensing technology that utilizes advanced neural network models to enhance the navigation capabilities of kill vehicles and satellites. This system aims to operate independently of GNSS yet synergistically with existing inertial navigation systems (INS) or units, providing critical inputs that improve overall navigational accuracy and responsiveness in dynamic environments.

By leveraging neural networks, the technology will process event-driven data—such as changes in the vehicle's surroundings or mission-specific stimuli—allowing for real-time decision-making and adaptive navigation. Solutions should enhance the vehicle's ability to react to unforeseen circumstances but also allows for the integration of various sensor modalities, thereby enriching the situational awareness of the system.

The performance benchmarks for this technology are set to align with the precision of current GPS standards, ensuring that the navigation capabilities meet or exceed the existing levels of accuracy required for advanced military operations. Development should plan on integration into current Missile Defense Agency platforms to maintain compatibility with established navigation frameworks.

PHASE I:

Design and develop innovative solutions, methods, and concepts for an advanced visual navigation system utilizing event-based sensing technologies capable of low-earth orbit and/or extremely highspeed flight environments. Deliverables will include, description and data supporting initial design through modeling, experimentation, and/or testing.

PHASE II:

-Refine and document detailed requirements in collaboration with the platform(s) system integrator.

-Develop a functional system prototype or algorithm able to perform on representative hardware.

-Conduct comprehensive testing of prototypes in representative operational environments.

-Demonstrate successful navigation operation without GPS inputs.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

-Define clear navigation system requirements and interface specifications in collaboration with the system integrator.

-Produce flight ready prototype in accordance with test required volumes, power needs and interfaces.

-Demonstrate successful navigation outputs during powered flight that mirror GPS within acceptable tolerances stated by platform engineers and security allowances

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Ground-Based Affordable Mass (G-BAM) Challenge - SBIR Topic ARM26BX04-DV010

Funding Amount:

$2,000,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

Note:

The following topic number, ARM26BX04-DV010 – Ground-Based Affordable Mass (GBAM), in this release is tied to a Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Challenge Commercial Solutions Opening.

The DIU G-BAM Prize Challenge will be used to identify small business concerns that meet the criteria for a potential SBIR Direct-to-Phase II (DP2) award under this topic.

Finalists selected from the DIU G-BAM Prize Challenge will be the only firms eligible to submit an SBIR DP2 proposal under this topic.

Proposals submitted to this topic by non-winners of the DIU Prize G-BAM Challenge will not be evaluated.

How to Apply

Visit the DIU Open Solicitations page to read the full Challenge Announcement, topic details, and application instructions:

https://www.diu.mil/work-with-us/open-solicitations

Key Dates

• July 2, 2026: White paper submission window opens via the link above.

• July 14, 2026 at 11:59:59 PM ET: Response deadline via the link above.

(Challenge Submission Window Subject to Change. Please refer to the DIU Open Solicitations page for the latest information.)

DIU Prize Challenge applications are NOT submitted through DSIP.

Small business concerns that do not submit an application through the DIU Open Solicitations page (https://www.diu.mil/work-with-us/open-solicitations) before the deadline will be ineligible to compete or submit a full SBIR proposal to DSIP.

The DSIP proposal submission window tied to this topic is for the winners of the competition only.

Objective:

The United States currently faces an "unprecedented" military buildup by China and increasing air and missile threats that demand a robust deterrent. However, the current inventory of longrange strike weapons is dominated by high-cost, low-volume systems or aging strategic assets like the Minuteman III, which dates back to the 1960s. The lack of a cost-effective, ground-launched payload delivery system prevents the Joint Force from achieving producibility at scale, leaving the U.S. vulnerable in high-intensity, multi-domain environments where high-end munitions would be rapidly depleted. The objective of this topic is to facilitate innovative research on low-cost, rapidly manufacturable, payload delivery systems.

Description:

The Department of War (DoW) is pivotally shifting toward "affordable mass" to counter peer adversaries who are rapidly expanding their military capabilities.

While hypersonic systems offer high speeds, their exorbitant costs—exceeding $50 million per round—limit the military's ability to achieve the "magazine depth" necessary for prolonged conflict.

This project proposes a ground-based, non-hypersonic, long-range precision payload delivery system that leverages low-cost production methods and commercial technologies to provide a scalable, high-volume alternative that is a tenth of the price of current high-end munitions.

PHASE I:

This topic is accepting DP2 submissions for a cost limit up to $2,000,000 and a 12-18 month period of performance.

(DIRECT TO) PHASE II:

This topic is a DP2 topic.

In order for proposers to submit a DP2 proposal, they must provide justification documentation to substantiate that the scientific and technical merit and feasibility described above has been met and describes the potential military and/or commercial applications.

Documentation should include all relevant information including, but not limited to:

• Technical reports.

• Test data.

• Prototype designs/models.

• Performance goals/results.

This justification must be provided during the DIU G-BAM Challenge in order to be selected as a winner and eligible to submit a DP2 proposal under this topic.

The results from the DIU G-BAM Challenge demonstration event will be used to determine eligibility for DP2.

The objectives during Phase II are to produce prototype solutions that will be easy to operate by a Soldier.

These products will be provided to select Army or other Department of War (DoW) units for testing and experimentation with end Users in a realistic field environment.

Feedback from testing and experimentation will be provided directly to Small Businesses to iterate rapidly on recommended modifications or improvements for Army operational use.

In addition, companies will work with Army partners to develop a draft technology transition and commercialization plan for DoW and commercial markets.

Prototype capabilities sought include:

• Cost Efficiency: Achieve a "flyaway" unit cost of less than $2 million, representing a significant reduction from current advanced tactical missiles.

• Producibility: Demonstrate a company manufacturing process capable of producing at least 500 units annually.

• Operational Range: Validate a ground-launched threshold range exceeding 300 nm, matching or exceeding the capabilities of the Precision Strike Missile Increment One.

• Employment: Should not require the Army to develop or modify other systems for employment. Should be a “plug and play” system that easily integrates with existing transport, targeting, and situational awareness systems.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

The sub-system technologies developed for low-cost, long-range payload delivery have significant applications in the civilian/commercial aerospace and logistics sectors.

The artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous navigation systems required for these munitions can be adapted for commercial cargo delivery drones and autonomous maritime vessels.

Additionally, the push for additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping in the Indo-Pacific region to support these systems can revitalize domestic high-tech manufacturing, providing private companies with advanced production techniques that reduce costs for civilian infrastructure projects.

Additionally, this space lends itself to the potential for development of low-cost alternate fuel technologies.

Companies participating in the shoot-off are encouraged to propose tech development for manufacturing methods, materials, guidance, seekers, alternate propulsion, etc. to enhance their products.

These are the primary opportunities for commercialization.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

UH-60M Patient Handling System - SBIR Topic ARM26BX04-DV009

Funding Amount:

$2,000,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

Objective:

This topic will explore optimizing the UH-60M interior to provide improved capability over the existing HH-60M in terms of survivability, functionality, and patient access by designing a modular Patient Handling System (PHS) that could be tailored to fit a multitude of aircraft.

Description:

All U.S. Army COMPOs face a technical problem concerning the ability to augment the MEDEVAC fleet to reach the end strength goal of 446 MEDEVAC aircraft.

The capability gap is driven by the reduction of the HH-60M fleet numbers, cancellation of the UH-60V program, and the divestment of the UH-60L MEDVAC variant.

A new MEDEVAC PHS is required to support a MEDEVAC capability on the UH-60M aircraft and support the end strength goal of 446 MEDEVAC aircraft.

The UH-60M aircraft will require an all-new technological solution that does not currently exist due to the design differences of the internal cabin structure between the UH-60M and HH-60M aircraft.

PHASE I:

This topic is accepting Direct to Phase II submissions for a cost limit up to $2,000,000 and a 12-18-month period of performance.

In order for proposers to submit a DP2 proposal, they must provide the justification documentation to substantiate that the scientific and technical merit and feasibility described above has been met and describes the potential military and/or commercial applications.

Documentation should include all relevant information including, but not limited to:

• Technical reports.

• Test data.

• Prototype designs/models.

• Performance goals/results.

(DIRECT TO) PHASE II:

During Phase II, in addition to the standard SRR, PDR, and CDR reports, key milestones for this effort will include:

• Solid Models of new I/PHS design.

• Airworthiness Qualification Specification (AQS) for the new design.

• Technology Demonstrator/Prototype of the new design.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

The optimized, lightweight Patient Handling System will lend itself to commercial medical evacuation missions on aircraft, ground vehicles, and developing heavy lift Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

Specific to the aircraft market collectively known as Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS), there are over 1,000 aircraft serving this mission in the United States, providing critical transports to nearly 300,000 patients annually.

Further broken down, there is an estimated 230,000 critical care transports by ground vehicles, and 40,000 by fixed wing aircraft.

The opportunity nearly triples when the global HEMS fleet is considered.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Asymmetric Collaborative Counter Swarm - SBIR Topic ARM26BX04-NV008

Funding Amount:

$300,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

Objective:

Develop and integrate a distributed Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that can collaboratively command and control a multi-agent Group 1 or Group 2 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) swarm to defend an area against a numerically superior enemy swarm. AI system must be able to interface with existing, standard platform autonomy and perception systems. System must also not rely on a centralized control node

Description:

Develop and integrate distributed Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that can collaboratively control a multi-agent Group 1 or Group 2 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) swarm to defend an area against a numerically superior attacking enemy swarm.

The vast majority of counter-UAS systems are optimized for a 1 vs 1 scenario, in which the interceptor UAS seeks to destroy, degrade, disable, or capture a single enemy UAS.

This approach typically relies on a sensor package and kinetic or non-kinetic effector optimized to degrade/destroy a single enemy UAS of a specific class (size, range, speed, etc.).

To defend an area against a numerically superior enemy swarm, individual UAS platforms must collaborate to determine the optimal strategy for many individual 1 vs N scenarios.

Individual UAS platforms must demonstrate the ability to target a cluster of enemy platforms through AI algorithms and active or passive inter-drone communication for targeting information from other friendly platform perspectives.

The UAS platform employed can be an off-the-shelf OEM or custom-built.

Key system attributes include:

• Must be able to collaborate across a homogeneous set of Group 1 or Group 2 UAS platforms to actively inform each friendly platform (given permissive network environment) of enemy UAS location, velocity, track, etc.

• Must be able to execute algorithms under extreme SWaP-C constraints with a total compute payload under 2 lbs.

• Must be able to passively collaborate and achieve similar, but degraded performance within a non-permissive network/communications environment.

• A single UAS platform must demonstrate the ability to degrade/destroy N enemy UAS within a range of 10 meters through either kinetic or non-kinetic effectors.

• Friendly UAS swarm must be able to severely degrade the combat power of the enemy to a fraction of X% of its original size.

• Although 100% degradation of the enemy swarm is ideal, depending on the degree of asymmetry, it may not be realistic. Therefore, a target final enemy combat power goal is achieved from the degree of enemy/friendly asymmetry. As shown in Figure 1, in a scenario where there is no initial asymmetry and our 1 v 1 capabilities are superior, the enemy should retain 0% of its original combat power. However, if that enemy/friendly initial combat power ratio were 4/1, final enemy combat power might be 75% of its original. The ideal curve is one in which final enemy combat power is 0% regardless of the initial asymmetric combat power advantages the enemy possesses.

This effort is not designed to create, design, or deliver a new UAS platform as the end item.

Rather, it is meant to develop technology that will leverage the existing capabilities of OEM drone platforms or, if necessary, custom-built drones by the performer.

The key deliverable is a suite of AI and other software algorithms that continuously plan and take optimal actions in a decentralized manner.

The algorithms run on each individual UAS platform, take advantage of active communications with other friendly platforms when operating in a permissive network environment, but can still operate under a denied or degraded network environment by communicating passively.

PHASE I:

This topic is accepting Phase I submissions for a cost limit up to $300,000 and a 1-6-month period of performance.

Conduct a feasibility study to assess what is in the art of the possible that satisfies the requirements specified in the above “Objective” and “Description” paragraphs.

Propose multiple algorithmic approaches, sensors packages, and assess tradeoffs in performance according to different combinations of such parameters.

PHASE II:

Develop, install, and demonstrate a prototype system determined to be the most feasible solution during the Phase I feasibility study on a Group 1 or Group 2 Program of Record UAS (or custom-built drone).

Simulation may be used for demonstration at very large scale for cost purposes.

However, demonstrations of swarm behavior must include hardware for smaller swarms.

The primary demonstrable capability is the decentralized execution of AI algorithms that enable active or passive collaboration of a friendly swarm of homogeneous UAS platforms that reduce the combat power of a numerically superior enemy swarm to a maximum degree.

Multiple evaluations in hardware demonstrating effective 1-N targeting will be conducted to ensure core capability can scale to larger swarms.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

Protection of critical infrastructure in CONUS.

These are considered soft targets even if they are government facilities.

We have recently seen the threat domestically launched drones can have on any structure given how easily unidentified drones have been able to fly unencumbered in CONUS.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Asymmetric Collaborative Counter Swarm - STTR Topic ARM26TX04-NV001

Funding Amount:

$300,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

Objective:

Develop and integrate a distributed Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that can collaboratively command and control a multi-agent Group 1 or Group 2 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) swarm to defend an area against a numerically superior enemy swarm. AI system must be able to interface with existing, standard platform autonomy and perception systems. System must also not rely on a centralized control node.

Description:

Develop and integrate distributed Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that can collaboratively control a multi-agent Group 1 or Group 2 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) swarm to defend an area against a numerically superior attacking enemy swarm.

The vast majority of counter-UAS systems are optimized for a 1 vs 1 scenario, in which the interceptor UAS seeks to destroy, degrade, disable, or capture a single enemy UAS.

This approach typically relies on a sensor package and kinetic or non-kinetic effector optimized to degrade/destroy a single enemy UAS of a specific class (size, range, speed, etc.).

To defend an area against a numerically superior enemy swarm, individual UAS platforms must collaborate to determine the optimal strategy for many individual 1 vs N scenarios.

Individual UAS platforms must demonstrate the ability to target a cluster of enemy platforms through AI algorithms and active or passive inter-drone communication for targeting information from other friendly platform perspectives.

The UAS platform employed can be an off-the-shelf OEM or custom-built.

Key system attributes include:

• Must be able to collaborate across a homogeneous set of Group 1 or Group 2 UAS platforms to actively inform each friendly platform (given permissive network environment) of enemy UAS location, velocity, track, etc.

• Must be able to execute algorithms under extreme SWaP-C constraints with a total compute payload under 2 lbs.

• Must be able to passively collaborate and achieve similar, but degraded performance within a non-permissive network/communications environment.

• A single UAS platform must demonstrate the ability to degrade/destroy N enemy UAS within a range of 10 meters through either kinetic or non-kinetic effectors.

• Friendly UAS swarm must be able to severely degrade the combat power of the enemy to a fraction of X% of its original size.

• Although 100% degradation of the enemy swarm is ideal, depending on the degree of asymmetry, it may not be realistic. Therefore, a target final enemy combat power goal is achieved from the degree of enemy/friendly asymmetry. As shown in Figure 1, in a scenario where there is no initial asymmetry and our 1 v 1 capabilities are superior, the enemy should retain 0% of its original combat power. However, if that enemy/friendly initial combat power ratio were 4/1, final enemy combat power might be 75% of its original. The ideal curve is one in which final enemy combat power is 0% regardless of the initial asymmetric combat power advantages the enemy possesses.

This effort is not designed to create, design, or deliver a new UAS platform as the end item.

Rather, it is meant to develop technology that will leverage the existing capabilities of OEM drone platforms or, if necessary, custom-built drones by the performer.

The key deliverable is a suite of AI and other software algorithms that continuously plan and take optimal actions in a decentralized manner.

The algorithms run on each individual UAS platform, take advantage of active communications with other friendly platforms when operating in a permissive network environment, but can still operate under a denied or degraded network environment by communicating passively.

PHASE I:

This topic is accepting Phase I submissions for a cost limit up to $300,000 and a 1-6-month period of performance.

Conduct a feasibility study to assess what is in the art of the possible that satisfies the requirements specified in the above “Objective” and “Description” paragraphs.

Propose multiple algorithmic approaches, sensors packages, and assess tradeoffs in performance according to different combinations of such parameters.

PHASE II:

Develop, install, and demonstrate a prototype system determined to be the most feasible solution during the Phase I feasibility study on a Group 1 or Group 2 Program of Record UAS (or custom-built drone).

Simulation may be used for demonstration at very large scale for cost purposes.

However, demonstrations of swarm behavior must include hardware for smaller swarms.

The primary demonstrable capability is the decentralized execution of AI algorithms that enable active or passive collaboration of a friendly swarm of homogeneous UAS platforms that reduce the combat power of a numerically superior enemy swarm to a maximum degree.

Multiple evaluations in hardware demonstrating effective 1-N targeting will be conducted to ensure core capability can scale to larger swarms.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

Protection of critical infrastructure in CONUS.

These are considered soft targets even if they are government facilities.

We have recently seen the threat domestically launched drones can have on any structure given how easily unidentified drones have been able to fly unencumbered in CONUS.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Very Low-Cost Kinetic Defeat for C-sUAS - SBIR Topic DAF26BX04-DP025

Funding Amount:

$2,000,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

ITAR:

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

Objective:

Development and application of highly dispersible, survivable, and scalable kinetic defeat mechanisms capable of neutralizing Group 1-3 UAS threats.

Description:

This Department of the Air Force (DAF) focused open topic seeks C-sUAS defeat options for transition into the USAF and USSF, with a specific focus on transitioning technologies to AFLCMC/ES and the Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF 401) marketplace.

We seek the development and application of highly dispersible, survivable, and scalable kinetic defeat mechanisms capable of neutralizing Group 1-3 UAS threats.

This includes, but is not limited to, novel interceptor/munitions designs that achieve a <$6K cost per engagement and an effective engagement range of at least 800 meters.

Firing $30,000 interceptors at $500 commercial drones is financially unsustainable, especially against mass or swarm tactics.

Interceptors/Munitions must feature autonomous "fire-and-forget" terminal guidance with no user involvement required after launch.

System should be able to operate in a contested, GPS-denied environment.

It should feature the ability for simultaneous engagements.

Systems must demonstrate the potential to seamlessly integrate into various C-sUAS command and control frameworks.

Such systems include but are not limited to Medusa (SUADS).

It is preferred that systems are capable of operating in low collateral areas but not strictly required.

PHASE I:

This topic is intended for technology proven ready to move directly into Phase II.

Therefore, Phase I awards will not be made for this topic and Phase I proposals will not be accepted for this topic.

The applicant is required to provide detail and documentation in the Direct-to-Phase-II (D2P2) proposal which demonstrates accomplishment of a “Phase I-type” effort, including a feasibility study.

This includes determining, insofar as possible, the scientific and technical merit and feasibility of ideas appearing to have commercial potential of a very low-cost kinetic defeat mechanism.

The applicant should have defined a clear, immediately actionable plan with the proposed solution.

The feasibility study should have:

1. Describe the pathway to integrating with DAF operations, to include how the applicant plans to accomplish core technology development, navigate applicable regulatory processes, and integrate with other relevant systems and/or processes discussed in the Topic Description.

2. Describe if and how the solution can be used by other DoD, Governmental, or non-Federal customers.

3. Describe how the solution can neutralize Group 1-3 UAS threats.

PHASE II:

Deliver a field-ready, production-representative interceptor system demonstrating a strict sub $6k cost per unit.

Demonstrate engagement of Group 1−3 threats at 800m (Threshold) and 5km (Objective).

Proposals should include development, demonstration, and/or test and evaluation of the proposed solution prototype.

The relevant use case will be the defense of base assets, which will include integration with other defensive measures (munitions, non-kinetic weapons, and persistent ISR methods) using a system-of-systems and multi-layer detect and defeat system approach.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

Transition to AFLCMC/ES and the JIATF-401 C-UAS marketplace for Base Defense.

Commercial dual-use applications include:

• Airport security.

• Critical infrastructure protection.

• Border patrol.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Advancing Assured Access: Integrated Digital Capabilities for the 2 SLS to Accelerate Mission Tempo and Readiness - SBIR Topic DAF26BX04-DV508

Funding Amount:

$2,000,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

ITAR:

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

Objective:

The objective of this SBIR is to develop integrated digital capabilities that will assist spaceport operations in enhancing mission readiness. This effort will introduce modern tools for scheduling, information management, and historical data retrieval. Together, these capabilities will provide teams with improved information access to support training and official duties, thereby raising the overall baseline of operational readiness to meet accelerated demands. The objective of this project is to develop integrated digital capabilities to enhance space launch operations. This effort will combine advanced scheduling assistance, centralized information management, and an intelligent search tool for historical data. Together, these capabilities will provide teams with improved access to information, supporting training and official duties and enhancing overall operational readiness for future launch demands.

Description:

As launch cadences and mission tempos continue to increase, this topic seeks to modernize operational processes to maintain high levels of mission readiness.

The goal is to improve efficiency and enhance access to institutional knowledge to better sustain a high operational tempo.

This topic seeks integrated digital capabilities that combine intelligent scheduling assistance, centralized information management, and an advanced search function.

These capabilities will deliver scheduling optimization, synchronized information, and rapid access to historical data.

The tools will enable users to quickly search, retrieve, and apply knowledge across systems for training, mission planning, and official duties.

Together, these integrated capabilities will reduce manual workload, improve decision quality, and raise the baseline knowledge of the workforce to achieve a higher mission tempo and operational readiness.

Solutions must provide usable outputs for government operators and integrate securely with existing enterprise systems while meeting all security requirements.

PHASE I:

This topic is intended for technology proven ready to move directly into Phase II.

Therefore, Phase I awards will not be made for this topic.

The applicant is required to provide detail and documentation in the D2P2 proposal which demonstrates accomplishment of a “Phase I-type” effort, including a feasibility study.

This feasibility study must clearly identify potential stakeholders, describe the pathway to integrating with DAF operations (including core technology development, regulatory processes, and system integration), and explain how the solution can be used by other DoD or governmental customers.

In addition, applicants should demonstrate a framework design as proof of concept for integrated digital capabilities supporting launch operations.

This framework should illustrate how intelligent scheduling assistance, centralized mission information management, and an intelligent query search can work together to accelerate mission tempo and readiness.

The enhanced search tool is a critical component, enabling users to rapidly search, retrieve, and synthesize historical data across systems to support training, mission planning, and official duties, thereby significantly raising the baseline knowledge and preparedness of Space Force teams operating in a high-tempo environment.

PHASE II:

Phase II will focus on developing and refining the modernized software tools outlined in the feasibility study, with a primary goal of enhancing validation speed, user interface usability, recommendation accuracy, and expanding the scope of data sources and constraints.

Specifically, Phase II aims to deliver a cohesive software solution(s) capable of providing intelligent scheduling assistance for safety and reliability oversight shift operations, centralized mission integration information aggregation and distribution, and an intelligent search interface.

The intelligent search tool will serve as a key capability by enabling users to rapidly search, retrieve, and synthesize archived records across systems to support training, mission planning, and official duties.

This solution addresses the pressing need for improved operational efficiency and significantly higher operational pace and preparedness for local launch operators.

The development process will involve ingesting data from personnel systems, certification trackers, operational tasking tools, and mission integration repositories to deliver:

• Real-time scheduling optimization.

• Synchronized information management.

• Version control.

• Automated notifications.

• Past operational data access.

Phase II will also focus on seamless integration with existing Space Force workflows through secure APIs, conducting operational demonstrations with safety oversight and integration teams, and ensuring full compatibility with both unclassified and classified systems, as necessary.

The solution will be designed to provide actionable outputs for USSF schedulers, operators, and leadership.

Overall, Phase II will build upon the foundation laid in the feasibility study by refining the solution, improving performance metrics, and expanding its applicability across multiple sites, mission areas, and classification levels.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

Phase III will focus on scaling the modernized software tools developed in Phase II across all safety and reliability oversight and integration teams supporting local launch operators and the broader Space Force enterprise.

The primary goal is to expand the solution’s scope and impact to enable comprehensive support for high-demand mission profiles across multiple operational locations and classification levels.

Specifically, Phase III aims to deliver an enterprise-wide capability that matures intelligent scheduling assistance, centralized integration information management, and an intelligent search interface into a fully operational system.

The automated query assistant will be enhanced to provide rapid, context-aware access to archived records and institutional data, enabling Guardians to efficiently support training, mission planning, and real-time decision-making.

This solution addresses the critical need for a sustained operational pace, improved operational efficiency, reduced manual workload, and elevated preparedness across the digital launch facility.

Phase III will involve:

• Expanding data sources and analytical techniques.

• Advancing real-time notification systems.

• Enhancing system integration through secure APIs.

• Conducting operational evaluations with end users.

Collaboration with key stakeholders, including Space Systems Command (SSC) and other Space Force units, will be essential to ensure alignment with evolving operational requirements.

Overall, Phase III will build upon the foundation laid in prior phases by scaling the solution enterprise-wide, improving performance and usability, and expanding its applicability to additional mission areas.

The resulting capability will also have strong dual-use potential for other DoD components, federal agencies, and commercial organizations with complex 24/7 scheduling, information management, and knowledge access requirements.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Commercial-Derived Insights for Novel Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Tracking (TacSRT) Capabilities - SBIR Topic DAF26BX04-NV506

Funding Amount:

$175,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

ITAR:

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

Objective:

The objective of this Phase I effort is to identify, assess, and demonstrate the feasibility of novel, non–missile-warning space and/or ground enabled sensing and analytic capabilities that can deliver rapid, commercially derived insights with meaningful operational utility. The effort seeks concepts that enhance geospatial tactical awareness, reduce operational risk, and provide operators with timely, relevant, and resilient information in contested environments. Phase I will evaluate scientific and technical feasibility, characterize expected performance, and define the minimum viable capability that can be matured into a rapidly fieldable prototype in Phase II.

Description:

This topic seeks to rapidly field non–missile-warning, space and/or ground enabled sensing and analytic capabilities that enhance warfighter decision speed.

Space Force Components and Combatant Commands increasingly depend on commercially derived, space and/or ground enabled insights, but existing systems lack the responsiveness, automation, and sensing diversity needed for real-time tactical awareness.

Adversary advancements and dynamic operational environments have outpaced traditional acquisition approaches, creating critical gaps that Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Tracking (TacSRT) is working to solve.

Aligned with the Space Force Commercial Space Strategy, this topic solicits innovative, unclassified concepts across the sensing-to-analysis continuum—including data collection, phenomenology exploitation, analytic fusion, and information delivery—that can deliver meaningful operational utility within one year.

Proposed solutions may introduce new sensing or analytic methods or significantly advance existing commercial approaches.

An initial operational capability (IOC) is defined as a functional prototype that provides testable outputs directly to operators.

Solutions may include hardware, software, analytic tools, sensing concepts, data-processing architectures, or integrated workflows.

Stand-alone capabilities and service-based models are acceptable, and performers may leverage commercial space-as-a-service or existing commercial space infrastructure.

Approaches must deliver timely, operationally relevant insights without requiring government development of new space hardware.

Representative in-scope areas include:

• Novel phenomenology sensing.

• Automated exploitation pipelines.

• Multi-sensor fusion.

• Change detection.

• Activity characterization.

• Material or environmental signature analysis.

• Deep maritime or littoral monitoring.

• Rapid-revisit analytics.

• Unconventional sensing approaches.

• Space-to-air or space-to-ground tipping and cueing.

• High-cadence environmental insight.

• Incorporation of AI/ML.

• Fusion of structured or unstructured data.

Out-of-scope areas include:

• Missile warning/tracking.

• Kinetic interceptors.

• Satellite buses.

• Launch vehicles.

The overarching intent is to operationalize commercial capabilities rapidly and ensure warfighters receive meaningful, unique insights at the speed of need.

The intent of this effort is not focused on Operational Planning Product (OPP) generation through the Global Data Marketplace but targets a new innovative solution (view Reference 1 for additional context).

PHASE I:

Phase I will determine the technical merit, scientific feasibility, and operational applicability of proposed non–missile-warning space-enabled sensing or analytic capabilities.

Over a three-month Period of Performance (PoP), performers will identify the core technical approach, characterize expected performance, and validate feasibility through targeted analysis, modeling, simulation, or initial prototype demonstrations.

Activities may include:

• Characterizing sensing or analytic methods and defining the minimum viable capability.

• Conducting trade studies, modeling, data analysis, or small-scale experiments.

• Assessing performance in relevant operational scenarios aligned to SRT-supported Components.

• Evaluating pathways for integration into existing commercial-derived workflows or architectures.

• Identifying technical risks, operational constraints, data dependencies, and mitigation strategies.

• Outlining expected capability maturity achievable within a 12-month timeframe, from Phase I contract award through Phase II.

Phase I must culminate in:

1. A clear feasibility assessment supported by technical evidence.

2. A Phase II plan aligned to the schedule, including delivery of an initial operational capability and full prototype within the Phase II PoP.

3. Defined operating parameters and anticipated performance metrics.

4. An integration and transition concept demonstrating how the capability can support SRT mission needs.

Performers must demonstrate that Phase II development can begin immediately to ensure continuity and minimizing administrative latency.

PHASE II:

Phase II will mature the feasible concepts identified in Phase I into a deployable, testable prototype.

As the principal R&D effort, Phase II will include design refinement, system development, integration activities, and operationally relevant testing focused on delivering a measurable improvement in tactical insight or decision advantage.

Activities may include:

• Developing and demonstrating a prototype that produces actionable outputs.

• Conducting system integration, to include data pipelines, processing architectures, or delivery mechanisms.

• Evaluating performance across key operating parameters such as latency, persistence, coverage, accuracy, resilience, and usability.

• Testing in relevant or operationally representative environments, including SRT-supported workflows.

• Iterating capability in collaboration with Space Force Components and end users.

• Documenting performance, reliability, and scalability for transition planning.

Success criteria for Phase II include:

• Demonstrated prototype capability that materially improves the sensing or analytic options available to the warfighter.

• Ability to integrate outputs into operational workflows with minimal burden on users.

• Evidence that commercial markets can support long-term sustainment or scaling.

• Achievable path to Phase III transition, including identification of customers, funding mechanisms, and required approvals.

For Phase II proposals, the target should be to develop a working prototype for immediate operational demonstration and transition as soon as possible and adhere to the expected capability maturity timeframe developed in Phase I.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

Phase III will pursue full transition of the capability to operational use through non-SBIR/STTR funding streams.

This phase may include final integration, expanded testing, scaling to larger user bases, or adaptation for additional mission partners.

Capabilities entering Phase III should target a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 6-7, demonstrating functionality in relevant environments and readiness for operational deployment.

Activities may include:

• Full integration into SRT operational workflows or related architectures.

• Transition planning with acquiring organizations, including SYD 810/ETT, and their stakeholders.

• Compliance with security, accreditation, data, and interoperability requirements.

• Engagement with Combatant Commands and Partner Nations for expanded adoption.

• Identifying dual-use opportunities across defense, civil, and commercial markets to strengthen long-term sustainability.

Phase III success is achieved when the capability is fielded at scale, provides recurring operational value, and reduces warfighter risk by delivering timely, commercial-derived insights that expand sensing diversity and strengthen decision advantage.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

High Precision Specialized Waveguides for Extreme Temperatures - SBIR Topic DON26BZ04-NV067

Funding Amount:

$315,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

ITAR:

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

Objective:

Provide specialized waveguides capable of high temperature, high power, low loss, robust, and agile transmission of radio frequency (RF) signals within a hypersonic vehicle.

Description:

The use of RF cables has difficulty meeting environmental conditions while maintaining signal integrity and power requirements.

Hypersonic surface temperatures can exceed over 1,000-degree C.

Waveguides provide high power transmission and might be easier to manage under extreme hypersonic conditions.

The Navy seeks RF transmission that focuses on high frequency, is consistent performance across a vast range of extreme thermal temperatures, and provides long durations of high thermal loads.

The ability to produce complex and unique shapes while maintaining signal performance is required.

The development of these waveguides should address extreme hypersonic conditions.

The RF frequencies are across a large spectrum for different antennas/capabilities, but waveguides become too large at lower frequencies.

To be successful, the waveguides should target frequency bands of X, Ku, K, and Ka.

Any dielectric medium may be used within the waveguide.

A successful dielectric material would have a permittivity near that of a vacuum, such as air, to ensure low-loss transmission, specifically at extreme temperatures.

Work produced in Phase II may become classified.

Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. owned and operated with no foreign influence as defined by 32 U.S.C. § 2004.20 et seq., National Industrial Security Program Executive Agent and Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been implemented and approved by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS).

The selected contractor must be able to acquire and maintain at least a secret-level facility and Personnel Security Clearances.

This will allow contractor personnel to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and SSP in order to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this will be an inherent requirement.

The selected company will be required to safeguard classified material during the advanced phases of this contract IAW the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), which can be found at Title 32, Part 2004.20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

PHASE I:

Provide feasibility of producing X through Ka band waveguides out of a material robust enough to withstand the extreme environmental conditions of a hypersonic vehicle.

During this stage of the development, a prototype of any band is desired to demonstrate operation, but not required to transition to Phase II.

Tolerances, bends, and refined connections/adapters will be implemented in Phase II.

Describe how this manufacturing capability can make custom waveguides that will meet all hypersonic conditions.

Define:

• The limitations.

• Improvements over other materials.

• Improvements over other manufacturing methods.

• Description on high volume production (including any limitations or areas of future investment opportunities).

The Phase I Option, if exercised, will include the initial design specifications and capabilities description to build a prototype solution in Phase II.

PHASE II:

Develop a custom part that meets extreme environmental condition tests that must assess the transmission of X, Ku, K, or Ka band RF signals.

Do extensive machining and testing to provide tolerances, bending limits, and custom connections/adapters concepts that could be adopted and implemented quickly.

(Note: The design may be an iterative process to improve performance of the waveguide and to specific requirements.)

Demonstrate the prototype’s ability to meet the requirements presented at the beginning of Phase II.

It is probable that the work under this effort will be classified under Phase II (see Description for details).

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

Support the Government in transitioning the technology for Government use.

The transitioned product is expected to support current and future hypersonic and space systems, as well as a wide range of other air, land, and sea-based systems.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Domestic Production of Plant-based Carbon Fiber Precursors in Support of Hypersonic Applications - SBIR Topic DON26BZ04-NV066

Funding Amount:

$315,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

ITAR:

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

Objective:

Develop an environmentally friendly processing method to produce a plant-based carbon fiber precursor for high-temperature applications.

Description:

Rayon-based carbon fibers remain the choice of material as reinforcement in carbon phenolic composites used as thermal protection systems for hypersonics.

Currently, rayon fiber precursors used to make rayon-based carbon fibers are not produced in the United States and are subject to the volatile global market for rayon fibers.

Moreover, rayon fibers are vital to other Department of Defense programs, NASA, and commercial space companies due to their proven superior thermal performance over polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and pitch-based carbon fibers [Ref 1].

The production of rayon fibers ceased in the United States in 1997 due to the increased cost associated with environmental concerns from the traditional viscose process to produce rayon fibers.

Since then, rayon fiber precursors have been sourced from European textile companies that primarily produce rayon for applications other than as a precursor for carbon fiber.

Among the 6.5 million metric tons of rayon fibers produced per year, approximately 1.6-3.2 metric kilotons are rayon fiber precursors used to make carbon fiber [Ref 2].

The global market for rayon is shifting toward a non-toxic process to produce rayon fibers; however, new rayon fibers and other plant-based (cellulose or lignin) fibers have yet to be proven as adequate precursors to produce carbon fibers for thermal protection systems.

Therefore, research on environmentally friendly processes to produce a rayon fiber precursor or another plant-based fiber is needed to establish a domestic source of carbon fiber precursor suitable for thermal protection systems.

The fiber precursor must be able to be carbonized into a carbon fiber and characterized for structure and properties.

Work produced in Phase II may become classified.

Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. owned and operated with no foreign influence as defined by 32 U.S.C. § 2004.20 et seq., National Industrial Security Program Executive Agent and Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been implemented and approved by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS).

The selected contractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances.

This will allow contractor personnel to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and NAVSEA in order to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this will be an inherent requirement.

The selected company will be required to safeguard classified material during the advanced phases of this contract IAW the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), which can be found at Title 32, Part 2004.20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

PHASE I:

Develop a proof of concept for the processing of cellulose or lignin to produce a fiber precursor for the production of carbon fibers.

(Note: The fiber precursor is expected to be carbonized into a carbon fiber. The subsequent carbon fiber is expected to be characterized for break strength and carbon content.)

Ensure that the process meets Environmental Protection Agency standards for effluent from fiber processing in accordance with pertinent environmental regulations for the production of fibers.

The Phase I Option, if exercised, will include the initial design specifications and capabilities description to build a prototype solution in Phase II.

PHASE II:

Build upon the process identified during Phase I by weaving and carbonizing the fiber precursor to create a carbon fabric prototype.

(Note: For applicability into thermal protection systems, the fiber precursor can be woven into fabric prior to or after carbonization.)

Provide, at a minimum, the following characterization analysis of the prototype:

1. Electrical conductivity.

2. Density.

3. Char yield.

4. Break strength.

5. Alkali metal impurities content of the carbonized fabric.

It is probable that the work under this effort will be classified under Phase II (see Description for details).

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

Scale the process in order to produce fiber precursors that can be woven, carbonized, and integrated into applicable polymer matrices to deliver a polymer matrix composite component for a thermal protection system.

Transition the composite to the Navy based on its thermal and ablative performance in an arc jet test.

Provide additional characterization such as the composite’s density, thermal conductivity, char yield, spectral emissivity, tensile strength, and shear strength.

Support the government in transitioning the technology for government use.

The transitioned product is expected to be able to support current and future weapon and space systems, as well as a wide range of other air-, land-, and sea-based systems.

The development of a domestic course of rayon-based carbon fibers would be of interest to the Army, Navy, Air Force, NASA, and commercial space programs for rocket nozzles and thermal protection systems.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Non-Volatile Memory for Extreme Environments - SBIR Topic DPA26BZ04-DV017

Funding Amount:

$1,200,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

ITAR:

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

Objective:

Develop and demonstrate a co-packaged temperature-hard (-269°C to +600°C) and radiation-tolerant NOR Flash memory system for extreme environment applications.

Description:

DARPA seeks to enable high performance computing for DoW systems that must function in extreme environments.

Nonvolatile memory is a bottleneck, even in commercial High-Performance Computing and Artificial Intelligence systems. This phenomenon is referred to as the ‘Memory Wall’, where processing speeds become limited by memory access time.

While there has been extensive research in emerging technologies to overcome this barrier, no commercial technology has shown the ability to reliably function in both high temperature and high radiation environments.

Today's charge-trap based NVMs, magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), and resistive RAM (RRAM), each have significant deficiencies that limit their use in extreme conditions.

MRAM, which stores data using magnetic states rather than electrical charges, offers some inherent advantages in radiation-heavy environments. However, current MRAM technology is typically limited to an operating temperature of around 105°C, falling short of the requirement for some of the most demanding applications.

RRAM is a promising technology that relies on the formation and rupture of conductive filaments. While it has shown some radiation hardness, RRAM can suffer from filament instability and variable resistance when exposed to radiation, leading to unreliable performance.

The ideal NVM for extreme environments would possess several key characteristics:

• Inherent radiation hardness: the fundamental storage mechanism should be resistant to the effects of ionizing radiation, minimizing the need for heavy and power-consuming shielding.

• Wide temperature range: the memory must be able to operate reliably across a vast temperature range, from the cold of deep space to the heat of a nuclear reactor.

• High endurance and retention: the memory must be able to withstand a high number of read and write cycles and retain data for long periods without power.

• Low power consumption: power is a precious resource in space and other remote applications, so the memory must be highly energy efficient.

This SBIR program seeks demonstration of a non-volatile memory device that is resistant to extreme temperatures and radiation as a critical enabler for future advancements in space exploration, nuclear energy, and strategic defense.

The radiation hardened memory should have an operating temperature range of -269°C to 600°C with a density of at least 1Mb, and operating frequency of 10MHz.

Due to the broad and dual-use nature of Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) technologies, security classification and export control requirements vary significantly based on the specific node, fabrication process and intended end-use.

Proposers are solely responsible for determining the appropriate security classification of their proposed effort.

If the memory system makes use of CMOS (i.e. for peripheral control logic), proposers must consider and describe the impacts of relevant DoW Security Classification guides to the proposed work.

PHASE I:

This topic solicits Direct to Phase II (DP2) proposals only.

Proposers must provide data demonstrating that the following has been achieved outside of the SBIR program:

1. Initial hardware demonstration of proposed memory technology.

2. Simulated and/or experimental data that support the feasibility of temperature-hard radiation tolerant memory system capable of meeting SBIR program metrics.

PHASE II:

Phase II will cover the fabrication of temperature-hard and radiation-tolerant non-volatile memory system capable of operating in extreme environments.

Realized designs should incorporate both the non-volatile memory array and necessary peripheral control logic, demonstrating the ability to function reliably across the full -250°C to +600°C temperature envelope.

In addition to meeting the extreme environmental survivability requirements specified, the prototype system should achieve a density of at least 32Mb and maintain an operating frequency of >1MHz.

A packaging and integration report should be included to outline the methods and constraints for co-packaging the extreme-environment memory cells with CMOS or alternative control logic while mitigating thermal and radiation degradation.

As Phase II is focused on fabrication and testing, milestones include interim reports on individual memory cell performance, test plans and initial radiation exposure results as the project proceeds toward final system assembly.

By the end of Phase II, the performers must deliver ten packaged 32Mb memory prototype units meeting the program metrics and a final program report detailing the fabrication process, radiation survivability, and characterization data for delivered prototypes.

All prototypes should be provided with adequate instructions and interface boards to support government testing and evaluation using standard environmental and radiation laboratory equipment.

Fixed payable milestones for this 24-month program should include:

• Month 1: Report detailing program plan and detailed technical design.

• Month 3: Quarterly report describing progress of technical work.

• Month 6: First test chip released to fabrication. The initial test chip can feature test structures or functional device.

• Month 9: Report detailing baseline performance of initial test chip.

• Month 12: Interim report describing progress of technical work, including results of radiation and/or temperature testing of first test chip.

• Month 15: Test plan outlining temperature, radiation and performance characterization of integrated device.

• Month 18: Integrated device released to fabrication.

• Month 21: Report detailing results of radiation, temperature and performance characterization of device addressing program metrics in Table 1.

• Month 24: Final report summarizing design, work undertaken, results, and comparison with alternative state-of-the-art systems; 10 prototype units with interface boards; Test instructions.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

Phase III work is typically oriented towards commercialization of SBIR/STTR research or technology with funding obtained from either the private sector, a non-SBIR/STTR Government source, or both, to develop the technology into a viable product for sale in military or private sector markets.

Given the needs for resilient non-volatile memory technology in space, nuclear and strategic defense technologies, this SBIR has potential dual-use applicability across DoD and commercial entities.

These systems require advanced capabilities with high degrees of reliability given the cost of failure.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Fusion of Abstract Learning and Context-Optimized Neural-methods (FALCON) - SBIR Topic DPA26BZ04-DV016

Funding Amount:

$1,500,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

Objective:

The goal of this effort is to combine advanced machine learning (ML) methods that can be computationally efficient in structured data with large language models (LLM) that are general and can extract context from data. The aim is to derive powerful and efficient technology for interactive statistical analysis of large-scale data seen such as in enterprise or battlefield.

Description:

By integrating the contextualization power of LLMs with the statistical power of ML, the program aims to leverage the benefits of both to provide domain-specific statistical contextualization of structured data.

This effort must:

• Survey and research the emerging ML methods suitable for large scale data containing both structured and unstructured data.

• Develop an architecture to combine select ML methods with LLM models.

• Determine a set of metrics that encompass accuracy, new insights, computational efficiency, and ability to generalize across datasets.

• Evaluate the combined architecture and methods in datasets drawn from multiple applications. This may focus on tabular data in enterprise or engineering applications.

• Develop and demonstrate methods to mitigate possible hallucination in the workflow and demonstrate verifiable and reproducible analytic traces.

• Demonstrate interactive analysis by incorporating new insights as they develop during the course of analysis.

PHASE I:

This topic is soliciting Direct to Phase II (DP2) proposals only.

Phase I feasibility should be demonstrated by documenting in the technical proposal the research team’s prior comprehensive research experience on emerging ML methods for structured data.

Proposals must demonstrate the research team understands their functionality, ability to scale, and advantages relative to SOTA ML methods.

Prior research should have been conducted in the last three years.

Reports which provide data, clearly present the analysis done, and provide evidence of scholarly impact will be strongly preferred.

PHASE II:

Identify one or more promising ML methods and develop the software for combining it with one or more available LLMs, preferably open source.

The implementation plan should incorporate an initial demonstration of the analysis functionality (in the first six months), and a plan to scale up to enterprise level data and interactive analysis (at the end of the first year).

The final demonstrations are to be done with at least two datasets from different areas.

The evaluation of the combined method should demonstrate accuracy relative to ground truth as well document the improvement over SOTA methods (ML only, and LLM only).

This Phase should have a parallel effort on the commercialization strategy implementation and a go-to-market plan.

Phase II fixed payable milestones for this program should include:

Base

• Month 1: Kick off and technical report on the ML methods to be implemented.

• Month 3: Quarterly meeting presentation material, including demonstration of progress to date and plans.

• Month 6: Quarterly meeting presentation material, including demonstration of progress to date, plans overall, and an initial demonstration of the analysis functionality.

• Month 11: Phase deliverable to demonstrate ability to scale up to enterprise level data and interactive analysis with at least two datasets from different areas.

• Month 12: Quarterly/Phase meeting presentation material on progress over base year. Phase II Final report and software delivery, with suitable documentation.

Option

• Month 15: Quarterly meeting presentation material, including demonstration of technical and commercialization progress to date and plans.

• Month 18: Quarterly/Phase meeting presentation material on progress over Option. Option Final report and software delivery, with suitable documentation.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

The effort should deliver technology that is quantitatively superior to SOTA methods in both civilian and military sectors.

Modern commercial and scientific applications from business enterprises to biology labs which have structured data along with unstructured text are potential applications.

Military strategic and tactical applications also have to deal with structured tabular data in design and manufacturing as well as in analyzing economic, social, and geographic data.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Art of Novel Signals: Predicting and Forecasting with High Confidence - SBIR Topic DPA26BZ04-DV015

Funding Amount:

$2,000,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

Objective:

To develop and demonstrate a predictive/forecasting model that leverages Temporal Knowledge Graph Forecasting using In-Context Learning from novel, multilingual, and multimodal data. The goal is to develop and test a capability that increases the forecasting timeline from days to weeks in advance of an event, while increasing forecasting precision to at least 90%.

Description:

The frontier of predictive AI is running into a data wall: the high-quality open text that has powered recent models is largely exhausted, and the two ways around it both have ceilings. Reusing existing data yields little after a few passes, and synthetic data degrades models once it grows past a curated minority of the mix. Neither route creates a genuinely new signal.

This SBIR idea seeks to break the wall with signal that was never in the training distribution to begin with: multilingual radio, local news, and community reporting from data-sparse regions. This is a large, almost entirely untapped reservoir of high-value, time-sensitive information that the open web never captured and that synthetic generation cannot manufacture. The central bet of this effort is that conflict and instability signal surfaced from this audio, fed into a temporal-knowledge-graph forecasting model, materially improves geopolitical forecasting precision and warning time in exactly the environments where conventional collection is sparse or denied.

The approach has four interlocking parts:

• A radio data engine.

• Per-language automatic speech recognition (ASR) for predominantly oral languages.

• A synthetic-data strategy that could make broad language coverage affordable.

• The forecasting integration that turns transcribed audio into an early warning.

Data

Published scaling work on low-resource ASR (Akera et al., 2025) shows that fine-tuning Whisper Large-v3 (state-of-the-art automatic speech recognition model trained on over 5 million hours of labeled data) reaches usable accuracy at roughly 50 hours of transcribed audio per language and crosses the 10% word-error-rate threshold near 200 hours, with gains flattening beyond that.

For this effort, two adjustments are core areas of importance.

First, those results that were obtained on clean, single-speaker audio; radio is noisy and multi-speaker, so one should expect higher error rates on raw signal and budget for data curation, not just volume.

Second, the 200-hour figure is per language, and the commitment is to be operationally relevant, predominantly oral languages, which are precisely the hardest cases.

The collection uses two complementary methods.

Where stations stream online, the performer will ingest them directly, which extends the reach far beyond the range of any single receiver.

In the low-connectivity environments this program targets, however, many stations never reach the internet at all, and in-region software-defined radio receivers are the only way to capture them.

This is precisely why the physical radio listeners matter.

The audience is not a fallback, but rather a sole means of reaching signal that no online source can carry.

When combined, these two methods make coverage independent of both connectivity and device placement.

The performer will further supplement this audio with local news feeds and community audio from social-media channels (Telegram, WhatsApp, etc.) in the target countries.

Speech is gated to the roughly 15% of transmissions that contain it, draft transcripts are bootstrapped with Whisper Large-v3, and native-speaker annotators (correcting function).

Annotators could be sourced at reasonable costs (around $5/hour) through the performer’s existing in-region network and from diaspora communities; where channels carry human captions, found data further lowers the associated cost.

Proposed benchmark

A two-dimensional benchmark that pairs word-error-rate with hours of training data, reported per language and tagged by acoustic condition, plus a third axis comparing all-real data against real-plus-synthetic mixes.

The headline metric becomes the real transcription hours saved to reach a fixed error rate, which is simultaneously a clean scientific result and a direct cost argument.

Metrics

Across the regions of interest (Central and Southeast Asia, East and Northeast Africa, and South America), the current SOA forecasting precision is approximately 80%, and the novel-signal approach is expected to raise this toward 90%.

Precision alone is an incomplete measure; a model could score high on precision while still missing many true events, so a strong precision figure could overstate the coverage.

As the volume of radio-derived signal grows, the system would gain a more complete picture of the event space, which makes accuracy measurable.

The program therefore begins accuracy measurement once sufficient data has been accumulated and improves against that baseline.

PHASE I:

This topic is soliciting Direct to Phase II (DP2) proposals only.

Performers can bypass Phase I by providing documentation that they have developed a theory for identifying critical knowledge and a framework for testing the theory by determining knowledge requirements and assessing technologies that facilitate multi-modal data ingestion and analyses in complex, real-world settings.

Performers should plan to operationalize and evaluate their frameworks during Phase II.

Proposals will be considered for DP2 funding based on the ability of the proposing team to build a theoretical framework-based forecasting system that leverages novel multilingual, multimodal open-source signal with in-context learning over temporal knowledge graphs to anticipate events in data-sparse environments.

Proposals must clearly demonstrate that the proposed theoretical framework and technology can satisfy the following feasibility criteria:

1. A working in-context-learning forecasting pipeline that operates over temporal knowledge graphs without retraining graph embeddings.

2. Forecast precision at the baseline (days-long) horizon at or above 80% fidelity (metrics validated by an independent team/organization) event-type data such as Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) style political and conflict events.

3. Demonstrate ingestion and normalization of multilingual, multimodal open-source signal, including radio and other audio from data-sparse environments.

4. Demonstrate that the approach generalizes to events and regions not explicitly represented in training.

5. Deployment and evaluation in following strategic regions of interest:

   • Central and Southeast Asia

   • East and Northeast Africa

   • South America

PHASE II:

Phase II fixed milestones for this program should include a Base Period where the performers are expected to produce precision across target regions with a precision of approximately 80%, and the novel-signal approach that would raise this precision level up to 90%, while reducing within-country false-positive rates by roughly half.

Precision alone is an incomplete measure.

However, the model should be able to score high on precision while still missing a large share of true events, so a strong precision figure could overstate real-world coverage.

What this effort really wants to measure is accuracy, but this requires a complete picture of the landscape of the conflict in a region.

As the volume of signal drawn from novel community sources grows, the system gains a more complete picture of the event space, making it possible to measure accuracy and not precision alone.

The base period therefore begins accuracy measurement once sufficient data has accumulated, establishing a baseline that later milestones improve against.

The milestones should include:

Month 3

Milestone:

Stand up radio collection and ingestion for the first languages; begin bootstrap-and-correct annotation; produce initial fine-tuned ASR models and the first word-error-rate-versus-hours curve; establish the forecasting baseline at the current across-region precision.

Month 6

Milestone:

Expand language coverage; begin the real-to-synthetic ratio sweep; demonstrate a 10-day forecasting horizon; reduce within-country false-positive rates by half; begin accuracy measurement to establish a baseline; report ASR ablations isolating the contribution of the radio signal.

Month 9

Milestone:

Demonstrate the two-week horizon; advance across-region precision toward the 90% target; deliver the real-versus-synthetic benchmark; quantify robustness to noise, missing data, and language-coverage gaps.

Month 12

Milestone:

End-to-end demonstration on a live or recent real-world scenario; run the with-versus-without-radio forecasting ablation; show a 30% improvement in accuracy over the Month 6 baseline while holding precision at the 90% target; deliver a mid-program report.

Month 15

Milestone:

Extend the audio model beyond transcription to paralinguistic signal.

Extract prosodic and affective features from broadcast audio, including pitch, energy, speaking rate, and indicators of emotional arousal, valence, and agitation; stand up this feature pipeline across the target languages; and establish a forecasting baseline that combines these features with the textual event stream.

Month 18

Milestone:

Test, by ablation, whether paralinguistic features add early-warning signal beyond the textual events, that is, whether rising fear, anger, or agitation on the air anticipates events the words alone do not; deliver the final base-period report and benchmark suite covering ASR, synthetic stretch, textual-event forecasting, and the paralinguistic contribution.

Option Period (6 Months, $500k)

The primary objective of the option period is to convert the demonstrated capability into operational and contingency value.

Potential directions include:

Operational pilot and transition

Run a sustained, live forecasting feed for a single theater alongside an operational user, measuring real-world warning value over the six months and produce a transition package.

Rapid language onboarding

Demonstrate standing up a new crisis language in weeks rather than the full collection cycle, using cross-lingual transfer and synthetic augmentation, to prove a surge capability for contingencies.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

The end goal of the Phase II effort is to demonstrate a commercially deployable, validated early-warning forecasting capability built on multilingual signal sourced from data-sparse environments, extending reliable prediction from five days to a two-week horizon at higher precision.

Phase III will be oriented towards transition within DoW/Military ecosystem and further commercialization of the technology.

Funding for Phase III is obtained from the private sector or a non-SBIR/STTR Government source.

This is to develop the prototype technology into a viable product or service for sale (e.g., a deployable, ruggedized, user-friendly device) in military and intelligence community or private sector markets.

The following are the potential commercial and DoW/Military applications and use cases:

• DoW/Military and IC: Indications and warning at the Combatant Command level providing and/or assisting in:

  • Force protection for forward-deployed forces.

  • Embassy and diplomatic personnel.

  • Operational continuity in austere or denied environments.

  • Support to information-environment assessment.

  • Humanitarian assistance and disaster-response planning.

• Commercial:

  • Country and political-risk monitoring for multi-national operators in frontier markets (mining, energy, infrastructure).

  • Operational-continuity and supply-chain risk for banks and insurers.

  • Early warning for Non-Governmental Organizations and humanitarian operations.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Universal Automated Control Assessment, Validation & Risk Correlation Platform for Hybrid DoW Environments - SBIR Topic MDA26BZ04-NV007

Funding Amount:

Phase I - $314,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

Objective:

Develop a universal assessment framework capable of automating Control Validation Tests (CVT) across diverse operating environments (Cloud, On-Premise, and Air-Gapped/Tactical). The solution must ingest data from existing vulnerability scanners and automatically correlate technical findings to NIST SP 800-53 controls, reducing manual administrative overhead and allowing assessment teams to focus on mission-critical risk analysis.

Description:

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) requires a standardized, environment-agnostic capability to validate cybersecurity controls across its complex architecture.

Current assessment methodologies rely heavily on manual data correlation—assessors spend valuable time mapping vulnerability scan results (CVEs) and STIG checklists to RMF controls (NIST 800-53). This manual process is slow, prone to inconsistency, and diverts high-value human capital from analyzing actual mission risk.

The Agency seeks an "Assessment Orchestration" solution that can:

• Operate Anywhere: Function identically in cloud-native, enterprise on-premise, and disconnected/austere environments, providing a unified data structure regardless of the target's location.

• Automate the "Grind": Ingest raw outputs from standard tools (e.g., Nessus/ACAS, SCAP) and automatically map findings to the relevant security controls (NIST 800-53, with extensibility for NIST 800-171/CMMC).

• DCO Alignment: Bridge the gap between Assessment (SCA) and Operations (DCO) by validating the implementation status of directed actions (e.g., Cyber Tasking Orders) on the target system.

• Data Portability: Ensure assessment data can be securely synchronized from tactical edge environments to strategic governance hubs for aggregation and trend analysis.

PHASE I:

1. Universal Data Ingestion: Demonstrate the feasibility of parsing and normalizing outputs from standard DoD tools (ACAS, SCAP) into a unified assessment database.

2. Automated Control Mapping: Develop algorithms to correlate technical vulnerabilities (CVEs) and configuration settings (STIGs) to specific NIST SP 800-53 controls with high accuracy.

3. Hybrid Architecture Design: Define a modular architecture that allows the core assessment engine to run effectively on a cloud instance, a local server, or a standalone laptop without code refactoring.

4. Assessor Workflow Optimization: Research and design a user experience (UX) that integrates the automated assessment results into a streamlined workflow for human validation and risk adjudication.

PHASE II:

Develop, demonstrate, and pilot a functional "Assessment Orchestration" prototype based on the architecture defined in Phase I.

The Phase II effort shall result in a deployable Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that demonstrates:

1. End-to-End Assessment Workflow: Demonstrate a complete, automated cyber assessment lifecycle, from initial data ingestion and automated control mapping to the final generation of valid compliance artifacts (e.g., POA&M, Security Assessment Report).

2. Longitudinal Trend Analysis: Demonstrate a centralized capability to aggregate assessment data over time, visualizing risk trends, maturity improvements, and configuration drift between assessment periods.

3. Operational Alignment: A demonstrated interface or methodology for validating that specific Defensive Cyber Operations (DCO) mandates (e.g., CTOs, IAVMs) have been successfully applied to the target environment.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

Scale the verified prototype into a mature, enterprise-ready capability for broad deployment across the MDA Enterprise and the Defense Industrial Base (DIB).

• DoD Transition: Integration into the standard Cyber Vulnerability Team (CVT) workflow to support Continuous ATO (cATO). The solution should enable an "assess once, report many" capability, feeding valid data to enterprise GRC and DCO stakeholders.

• Commercial / DIB Transition (CMMC): Adaptation of the platform to support Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) compliance for the Defense Industrial Base assessments.

• Critical Infrastructure & Private Sector: Commercialization for highly regulated private sectors (Finance, Healthcare, Energy/OT) that require rigorous compliance validation (e.g., HIPAA, ARC-AMPE) in distributed or segmented network environments.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Neuromorphic Hardware - SBIR Topic MDA26BZ04-NV006

Funding Amount:

Phase I - $314,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

ITAR:

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

Objective:

Realize next-generation neuromorphic technology to enable continuous adaptation and self-optimization to maintain overmatch in Electronic Warfare (EW) and cyber-contested domains.

Description:

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) seeks to leverage neuromorphic technology to maximize performance and efficiency for terrestrial and space applications.

Neuromorphic processing supports multiple applications that advance the Missile Defense System, including distributed sensing and real-time learning for arbitrary waveform generation.

In highly contested environments, autonomously adaptive arbitrary waveform generation supports superiority in the radio frequency domain.

The communication throughput and edge processing required for distributed sensing would be realized with the low latency and high throughput inherent to neuromorphic technology.

PHASE I:

Demonstrate a pathway to a product that provides solutions to the challenges of neuromorphic hardware.

Phase I proposals would be evaluated to the degree to which they are applicable to the Missile Defense System, its sensing needs, and the ability to perform real-time learning.

Phase I Deliverables should include:

• Assessment of the challenges to performance, packaging, and survivability.

• A roadmap to develop a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 product.

• Identify hardware, software, and material required in Phase II.

• Development, Test, and Evaluation Plan of a TRL 6 Prototype.

PHASE II:

Demonstrate autonomously adaptive arbitrary waveform generation using neuromorphic processing.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the degree to which they demonstrate:

• Incorporation of Neuromorphic technology.

• Operation in a radio frequency-contested environment.

• Operation in a space environment.

• High throughput.

• Efficient processing.

• Real-time latency.

Performance categories of interest:

• Latency.

• Plasticity.

• Complexity of mathematical computations.

• Computations per second per watt.

• Throughput.

• Power utilization.

• Machine speed (action/reaction).

Proposals applying neuromorphic semi-conductor chips (with bio-inspired learning and parallel processing) to address these problem sets will be prioritized.

Solutions could range from individual systems-on-a-chip (SoC) to complete circuit card assemblies (CCAs).

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

Production, test, and evaluation in a realistic environment with a system level testbed.

Technology shall be ready for demonstration in relevant operational environment.

This environment could include placement on airborne or space low size, weight, and power (SWaP) platforms.

All technical parameters for the technology given will be verified.

Autonomously adaptive arbitrary waveform generation using neuromorphic processing shall be demonstrated.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Miniaturization, Modulation, and Chip Scaling of Photonic Technologies - SBIR Topic MDA26BZ04-NV005

Funding Amount:

Phase I - $314,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

ITAR:

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

Objective:

To advance and adopt chip-scale photonic and quantum technologies for operation in the Missile Defense System.

Description:

The Missile Defense Agency seeks advancing and incorporating quantum and photonic technologies that can augment current state-of-the-art radar and communication systems into fielded hardware.

Photonic technologies coupled with measurable quantum effects could dramatically increase the resilience and effectiveness of the sensors and radios in the Missile Defense System.

Selected proposals shall provide a pathway to common building block technologies to direct sample and/or heterodyne structure software defined radios (SDRs).

Low size, weight, and power (SWaP) photonic and quantum transceivers that are compatible with modern sensor requirements will be prioritized.

PHASE I:

Phase I work should address the challenges and inhibiting factors for large-scale adaptation of photonic and quantum technologies.

Operation in real-world environments, scalability to larger arrays, transmit capabilities, laser SWaP issues, compatible back-end interfaces, chip scale (miniaturization) and manufacturability should be evaluated.

Optional and selectable components for a possible Phase II effort should be included.

Phase I Deliverables should include:

• Assessment of the challenges to performance, capability, scalability, and packaging.

• A roadmap to develop a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 product.

• Identify hardware, software, and material required in Phase II.

• Development, Test, and Evaluation Plan of a TRL 6 Prototype.

PHASE II:

Successful performance shall culminate with operation in real-world environments in such a way that it addresses the scalability, transmit, and SWaP challenges evaluated in Phase I.

Proposals should have a clear transition path forward with partners capable of chip-scaling novel quantum and photonic sensing architectures and integrating those technologies into the Missile Defense System.

Conduct engineering and manufacturing development, test, evaluation in a realistic environment with a system level testbed.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

Production, test, and evaluation in a realistic environment with a system level testbed.

Technology shall be ready for demonstration in relevant operational environment.

This environment could include placement on airborne or space low SWaP platforms.

All technical parameters for the technology given will be verified.

Production and manufacturing should be scalable with a miniaturized package.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Potential Application of Very Large Array (VLA) over Transmission Infrastructure - SBIR Topic MDA26BZ04-NV004

Funding Amount:

Phase I - $314,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

ITAR:

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

Objective:

The application of Very Large Array (VLA) techniques to the utilization of existing transmission infrastructure.

Description:

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) seeks to add multiple resilient layers to the Missile Defense System.

The proposed system uses current power infrastructure to detect potential anomalies generated by unknown sources.

PHASE I:

While solutions may incorporate any combination of hardware, software, and infrastructure upgrades, proposals would be evaluated to the extent that they leverage existing infrastructure with minimal changes required.

The solution’s feasibility should include innovative techniques to optimize the anticipated results.

Phase I Deliverables should include:

• Assessment of the challenges to performance and optimization techniques.

• A roadmap to develop a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 product.

• Identify new infrastructure required to achieve TRL 6, if any.

• Development, Test, and Evaluation Plan of a TRL 6 Prototype.

PHASE II:

The overall mission demonstrates the ability to coherently receive and transmit from multiple geographically distributed infrastructures.

Proposals will be evaluated to the degree that they deliver enabling technologies to the detection and tracking of unknown sources.

Evaluation will also consider to what degree the suggested technology utilizes existing infrastructure and enables the realization of VLA measurements.

Demonstrate real-time electric and magnetic field mapping from ground to endo-atmosphere with potential relativistic effects.

MDA seeks leveraging existing infrastructure and biology inspired neuromorphic data processing along with advanced techniques to turn grids into sensing arrays.

The vendor solution should culminate in a demonstration, subject to conditions to verify function and performance.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

Conduct engineering and manufacturing development, test, and evaluation in a realistic environment with a system level test-bed.

All technical parameters for the given technology should be verified, along with a revolutionary leap forward in sensing capabilities.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Software Defined Antenna for Interceptor-to-Interceptor Communications - SBIR Topic MDA26BZ04-NV003

Funding Amount:

Phase I - $314,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

ITAR:

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

Objective:

Develop low-cost software defined circular-band (ring shape) antenna for near-omnidirectional missile to missile communication in high-speed endo-atmospheric and exo-atmospheric environments.

Description:

This topic seeks development of a flight antenna capable of multiple node, simultaneous, high-speed, secure communication in meshed High Assurance Internet Protocol Encryptors (HAIPE) "Zero Trust" platforms and networks.

System shall provide wideband, omnidirectional-like (quasi-isotropic) coverage with beam steering and shaping flexibility with multiple beam transmit and receive capability.

Antenna shall address frequency hopping, band switching, and modulation manipulation capabilities.

Antenna shall have the capabilities of multiple antenna reception and transmission polarization associated with flight.

Antenna shall have the ability to maintain secure communication while in contested spectrums.

Antenna shall be able to operate in S+ to Ka frequency bands, and transmit 250 km in exo-atmospheric and endo-atmospheric hypersonic environments.

For purposes of this topic, assume missile diameter of 10”.

Solutions shall minimize the size, weight, power, and cost.

PHASE I:

Design and develop innovative solutions, methods, and concepts for advanced software defined antenna capable of harsh flight survivability and operations.

Present data supporting initial design through modeling, experimentation, and/or testing.

PHASE II:

• Refine and document detailed requirements in collaboration with the interceptor system integrator.

• Develop a functional antenna prototype utilizing existing Software Defined Radio (SDR) assets.

• Conduct comprehensive testing of the antenna prototype in representative operational environments.

• Demonstrate successful antenna operation and data acquisition within the target system.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

• Define clear communication requirements and interface specifications in collaboration with the system integrator.

• Establish a functional communication link between two representative missile platforms.

• Demonstrate successful data exchange between the interceptor, validating interoperability.

• Assess communication range, latency, and data throughput.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Radiation Hardening of Non-Hardened Commercial Microelectronics - SBIR Topic MDA26BZ04-NV002

Funding Amount:

Phase I - $314,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

ITAR:

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

Objective:

Develop a process to radiation harden commercial microelectronics that were not originally designed to operate in radiation environments.

Description:

The performance and survivability of Department of War (DoW) and space systems, especially those operating in space environments, are critically affected by radiation.

Radiation testing of parts is a major cost and schedule driver for DoW and space systems.

The market for microelectronics that meet government radiation requirements is small.

Commercial microelectronics could meet the government’s performance requirements while failing to meet its natural space requirements.

Some state-of-the-art processes like Gate All Around (GAA) technologies meet the DoW’s performance and Size, Weight, and Power (SWAP) requirements yet might not meet all of the DoW’s survivability requirements.

MDA seeks a process which utilizes advanced packaging techniques and chiplets to pair fast ‘non-hardened’ components with slower hardened packages together, thereby increasing the rad-hard (radiation hardened) tolerance while maintaining the high performance of non-hardened commercial technologies.

The goal is to target a minimum Single Event Latch-up (SEL) immunity of 75 Linear Energy Transfer (LET) and Total Ionizing Dose (TID) survival of 300 kRad(Si).

This topic will seek to take existing Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) parts/chiplets fabricated using state-of-the-art processes such as sub-16nm FinFETs (Fin Field Effect Transistor) or GAA, modify them or provide a package-on-package-like solution such that their radiation tolerance meets natural space requirements.

This includes solutions based on heterogeneous packaging, where a rad-hard "watchdog" chiplet is integrated to monitor and compensate for radiation-induced errors in the high-performance COTS component.

At a minimum, the final product should meet an SEL immunity requirement of at least 75 LET and must be able to survive at least a 300 kRad TID.

Solutions relying on shielding the part or requiring access at the state-of-the-art foundry to add or change masks are not of interest.

All solutions should start with already fabricated parts either in bare die form or packaged parts.

PHASE I:

Feasibility Study and Proof of Concept:

Develop the proposed approach to a sufficient level to demonstrate its viability and identify requirements for full development.

This should include detailed simulation and modeling of the proposed heterogeneous packaging architecture, showing predicted radiation tolerance improvements and potential performance impacts.

Explore different integration schemes for the hardened and non-hardened chiplets.

Component Selection and Characterization:

Identify suitable COTS components (e.g., FinFETs, Gate All Around (GAA), Fully Depleted Silicon on Insulator (FD-SOI) devices) and chiplets for the heterogeneous packaging approach.

Perform baseline radiation testing on the selected COTS components to quantify their initial radiation tolerance.

Design and Simulation:

Design the initial heterogeneous package, including interconnects, thermal management, and power distribution.

Simulate the radiation response of the packaged system, considering both TID and Single-Event Upset (SEU) effects.

Deliverables:

• Detailed feasibility study report outlining the proposed approach, simulation results, and component selection rationale.

• A preliminary design of the heterogeneous package.

• A test plan for Phase II radiation testing.

PHASE II:

Prototype Development and Fabrication:

Fabricate a prototype heterogeneous package based on the Phase I design.

This may involve collaboration with a packaging vendor or trusted foundry.

Radiation Testing and Optimization:

Conduct comprehensive radiation testing (TID, SEU, SEL, and dose rate) of the fabricated prototype to characterize its radiation tolerance.

Optimize the design and fabrication process based on the test results.

Performance Evaluation:

Evaluate the performance of the heterogeneous package in terms of speed, power consumption, and signal integrity.

Compare the performance to that of the original COTS component.

Integration and Validation:

Integrate the hardened component into a representative space avionic subsystem/system application.

Test in realistic space radiation environments.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

Deliverables:

• Fabricated and tested prototype heterogeneous package.

• Detailed radiation test report.

• Performance evaluation report.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below:

Next-Gen Thermal Batteries for Missile Defense Application - SBIR Topic MDA26BZ04-NV001

Funding Amount:

Phase I - $314,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

ITAR:

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

Objective:

Develop and demonstrate advanced thermal battery technology that significantly reduces size and weight while extending operational life, enabling enhanced performance and mission capabilities for missile defense systems.

Description:

Current thermal battery technologies, while highly reliable for critical power applications in missile defense, present limitations that directly impact the performance and capabilities of advanced interceptor systems.

Key constraints include their specific energy density, power density, size, weight, and operational lifespan. These factors limit the overall effectiveness and maneuverability of these crucial defense assets.

For example, the Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) currently utilizes multiple discrete Lithium thermal batteries to power its various subsystems, each with specific voltage, current, and duration requirements. The size, weight, and performance of these batteries are dictated by the manufacturer (Enersys, EaglePicher, and GYT) and the demands of the design, but there is a clear need for improved performance.

A single, more efficient battery solution could greatly simplify the power architecture, reduce weight, and enhance system responsiveness.

This SBIR topic seeks innovative research and development to create next-generation thermal batteries that overcome these limitations.

We are looking for proposals focused on achieving significant improvements in specific energy density, power density, operational lifespan, and miniaturization.

Ideally, solutions would be lightweight, exceptionally safe, and designed to operate reliably in the harsh environments typical of missile defense deployments.

Innovations may include, but are not limited to:

• Novel electrolyte chemistries

• Advanced electrode materials

• Improved thermal management techniques

• Alternative activation methods

The ultimate goal is a new generation of thermal batteries that enable enhanced missile defense capabilities through improved performance, reduced system footprint, and extended operational readiness.

PHASE I:

Phase I would focus on conducting a trade study to identify the most promising candidate materials and designs for smaller dimension, lightweight, and extended-duration thermal batteries.

This would include a feasibility analysis, a cost estimate, and the identification of candidate solution sets that use measurable metrics (e.g., specific energy, specific power, volume, weight, lifespan) to provide equivalent or better solutions than existing technologies.

Proposed Deliverable:

• Trade study report

• Modeling and simulation results

• Prototype cell test data

• Thermal management model

• Manufacturing feasibility assessment

• Detailed Phase II plan

PHASE II:

Phase II plan is to construct a prototype of the best candidate thermal battery design from Phase I and test it to qualify it as a potential replacement for current thermal batteries used in missile defense systems.

This would involve optimizing the battery design, improving manufacturing processes, and conducting comprehensive performance and safety testing.

The prototype would be tested under simulated operational conditions to validate its performance and reliability.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

The technologies developed during this SBIR, such as novel electrolytes, advanced electrode materials, and improved thermal management, could be translated to several civilian and other defense applications, creating a substantial dual-use market.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

Request to talk with a member of our team by completing the form below: