DAF SBIR DAF27BZ01-DV012: Agile Autonomous Technical Data Package to Path Robotic Task Specification

Quick Answer

DAF27BZ01-DV012 is a Department of the Air Force SBIR Direct to Phase II topic in DoW SBIR 2027 BAA Release 1 for software that ingests Technical Data Packages (3D CAD, 2D drawings, BOMs, and text specifications), extracts engineering intent such as GD&T, and automatically generates collision-free robotic inspection paths without manual waypoint programming. Awards are up to $2,000,000 over up to 24 months, closing November 25, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET.

This is a software topic. Building the physical manipulator is out of scope. The goal is to cut quality inspection programming from days to under two hours and reach TRL 6 to 7.

Topic at a Glance

• Topic number: DAF27BZ01-DV012
• Title: Agile Autonomous Technical Data Package to Path Robotic Task Specification
• Component: Department of the Air Force
• Solicitation: DoW SBIR 2027 BAA, Release 1
• Program and phase: SBIR Direct to Phase II
• Award ceiling: $2,000,000
• Period of performance: 24 months
• Technical volume limit: 35 pages or slides
• Projected CMMC level: Level 2 (Self)
• Export control: Restricted under ITAR (22 CFR 120-130) or EAR (15 CFR 730-774). Foreign national participation must be disclosed and may be restricted.
• Focus areas: Advanced Computing and Software; Advanced Manufacturing; Hypersonics; Space Technology; Sustainment and Logistics; Trusted AI and Autonomy
• Keywords: autonomous path planning, technical data package, automated inspection, enterprise data ingestion, semantic feature extraction, digital manufacturing
• Pre-release: October 7, 2026
• Opens: October 28, 2026
• Closes: November 25, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET
• Submission portal: DSIP at dodsbirsttr.mil

What the Air Force Is Looking For

Robotic inspection lines still depend on specialists manually teaching waypoints and running trial-and-error collision tests in vendor-specific tools. As defense systems move to modular, rapidly changing, low-cost attritable designs, that model does not scale.

The Air Force wants an intelligent layer that parses multi-format TDP data, binds tolerances to locations on the 3D geometry in a standardized data model, simulates the inspection virtually, and deploys executable commands to mobile robotic manipulators from multiple vendors. A no-code operator interface with human-in-the-loop review is required.

Benchmarks and use cases

• Setup time for novel manufacturing configurations under 8 hours.
• Numerical programming time under 1.5 hours.
• Native ingestion of STEP, IGES, drawings, PDF specification sheets, and text process blocks without manual pre-formatting.
• Use case 1: rapid line reconfiguration for modular or short-run parts such as autonomous collaborative platform and unmanned aircraft structures.
• Use case 2: multi-vendor kinematic adaptation across serial arms on mobile carts or tracked bases, abstracted from OEM programming languages.

How the Phases Are Structured

Phase I is skipped. Because this is Direct to Phase II, your proposal must prove feasibility already exists. The DAF will not consider a proposal that fails to show technical merit and feasibility, or whose feasibility was not substantially performed by your firm or principal investigator. The topic requires proof that you own or hold rights to the algorithmic baseline and evidence in three areas: ingestion and semantic interpretation, a standardized data architecture binding dimensions to CAD nodes, and kinematic and simulation mechanics. Acceptable evidence includes technical reports, OCR and parsing accuracy data, architecture models, path generation run-time benchmarks, and defined prototype success criteria. Missing quantitative proof makes the proposal ineligible.

Phase II hardens the platform and validates it on representative aerospace assembly geometries, ending with a software-driven execution demo in high-fidelity simulation or on physical hardware in a pilot production setting.

Phase III commercializes to program offices, the industrial base, and dual-use manufacturers.

Funding and Proposal Limits

• Direct to Phase II award maximum: $2,000,000. Proposals above this amount will not be considered for evaluation or award.
• Award maximum duration: 24 months.
• Technical Volume (Volume 2) limit: 35 pages or slides.
• No Phase I awards will be made under this topic.
• TABA: DAF will provide up to $50,000 per Phase II award in addition to the topic amount, and you may split it 50/50 across a first and a sequential Phase II. The detailed request must be in Volume 5.

Who Is Eligible

• You must be a U.S. small business concern that meets SBIR ownership and size rules at the time of award.
• You must document that you already completed Phase I type feasibility work. That work must have been substantially performed by your firm or your principal investigator, and it cannot be based on or logically extend from any prior or ongoing federally funded SBIR or STTR work.
• Firms majority owned by multiple venture capital operating companies, hedge funds, or private equity funds are eligible to propose to DAF topics.
• DoW now limits proposals on a per-topic basis, so plan on one strong proposal for this topic.

Key Dates and How to Apply

• Now through October 28, 2026: pre-release. Topic authors are listed on the DSIP Topics and Topic Q&A page and you can call or email them directly with technical questions. This is the only window for direct contact.
• October 28, 2026: the topic opens for proposals in the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP). After this date, questions go through DSIP Topic Q&A only.
• November 25, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET: complete proposals must be certified and submitted in DSIP. A proposal still marked In Progress or Ready to Certify is not considered submitted.
• Before you submit, confirm an active SAM.gov registration, a DSIP account, completed Volume 6 Fraud, Waste, and Abuse training, and the Volume 7 foreign affiliation disclosure webform.

Is This Topic a Fit for Your Company?

Manufacturing software, CAD-to-robot, and inspection automation companies with working parsing and path planning engines are well matched. Teams that only have the robotics side or only the document AI side should consider teaming before this deadline.

BW&CO has helped deep tech founders secure $350M+ in non-dilutive funding. If you want a second opinion on fit, feasibility documentation, or a proposal plan before the deadline, book a call with our team below.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is DAF SBIR topic DAF27BZ01-DV012?

It is a Department of the Air Force SBIR Direct to Phase II topic in DoW SBIR 2027 BAA Release 1 for software that turns Technical Data Packages into autonomous, collision-free robotic inspection paths.

Do I need to build a robot?

No. Design and fabrication of the physical manipulator is out of scope. The work is translating TDPs into robot-ingestible task specifications and paths.

How much funding is available?

Up to $2,000,000 over up to 24 months, plus up to $50,000 in TABA per Phase II award if requested.

What happens if my feasibility evidence is weak?

The topic states that failing to provide rigorous, quantitative proof of a functioning baseline that bridges data ingestion with path computation results in a determination of technical non-conformance and ineligibility.

Is this topic export controlled?

Yes. It is restricted under ITAR or EAR, and foreign national participation must be disclosed and may be restricted.

When is the deadline?

The topic opens October 28, 2026 and closes November 25, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET in DSIP.