Science & Technology Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (LRBAA 24-01) – Department of Homeland Security
Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).
Executive Summary:
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is funding scientific and technical research projects that significantly improve or increase capabilities across the Homeland Security Enterprise. This Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (LRBAA 24-01) supports near-term operational needs, foundational science, and future/emerging threat research through contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs). Apply before funds are fully utilized.
How much funding would I receive?
Est. $500K to $5 million. The LRBAA does not specify minimum or maximum award sizes. Funding amounts depend on the technical merit of the proposal, relevance to DHS mission needs, and availability of funds. DHS may fund all, some, or none of the proposals received, and multiple awards are anticipated
What could I use the funding for?
Funding under this LRBAA may be used for research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) activities aligned with DHS Science & Technology Directorate mission needs. DHS is currently seeking projects across the following priority research topic areas. See full topic descriptions here.
Counter Terrorism and Homeland Security Threats (CTHOM)
DHS S&T works to identify individuals or groups that intend to conduct terrorist attacks and/or illicitly move weapons, dangerous goods, and contraband. It also provides assessments of high-consequence attack methods such as CBE threats that terrorists may use to attack the United States.
CTHOM 01: Development of Tools for Test and Evaluation of Machine Learning Algorithms
DHS S&T seeks development of cost-effective methodologies and tools for training and testing of Machine Learning-based (ML-based) algorithms for detecting explosives and contraband in Computed Tomography (CT) and Millimeter Wave (MMW) images. This includes methods to synthesize training and testing data, methods to perturb empirical data in order to explore and explain algorithm performance characteristics, and tools to assess the completeness and diversity of training and test data sets.
CTHOM 03: Novel Approaches and Locations for Explosive Performance Characterization and Testing
Enabling research for the characterization and testing of explosives poses a unique challenge for threat characterization. Innovative tools and methods are needed to provide improvements in evaluating legacy approaches to characterization, adapting state-of-the-art technologies in related disciplines, and integrating emerging innovations.
Secure U.S. Borders and Approaches (BORAP)
DHS secures U.S. borders, territorial waters, ports, terminals, waterways, and air, land, and sea transportation systems. DHS S&T invests in border security research and development for technologies and solutions to prevent illicit movement and the illegal entry or exit of people, weapons, dangerous goods, and contraband.
BORAP 01: Screening at Speed
Screening at Speed seeks to mature transformative technologies that increase aviation security effectiveness from curb-to-gate while dramatically reducing wait times and improving passenger experiences.
BORAP 04: Countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems
The primary objective of this LRBAA is to develop enhanced technologies and methods that allow for the detection, tracking, identification, and mitigation of unmanned aircraft systems under varied terrains and environmental conditions such as dense urban environments, mass gatherings, critical infrastructure, mobile platforms, and remote terrain.
BORAP 07: Detection Canine Technologies
Detection Canine development interests are focused on canine research and development structure and function, development and testing of canine training aids, and independent operational test and evaluation to advance detection canine performance in operational environments.
Secure Cyberspace and Critical Infrastructure (CYBCI)
Protecting individuals and organizations from cyber attacks requires RDT&E, test and evaluation, and the technology transition of advanced cybersecurity and information assurance solutions to secure current and future critical cyber infrastructure.
CYBCI 02: Shared Cyber Resilience
The research and development of improved models of resilience across networked hardware and software systems and organizations, including automated cyber attack mitigation, resilient machine learning approaches, privacy preservation techniques, secure multi-party computing, and human-machine teaming for cybersecurity.
CYBCI 03: Software and Hardware Supply Chain Assurance
The research and development of tools and techniques to ensure the resilience of the data, software, and hardware used to execute homeland security mission functions, including post-quantum cryptography, secure-by-design architectures, microelectronics, IoT, cloud and edge computing, and DevSecOps supply-chain assurance techniques.
CYBCI 04: Trustworthy and Responsible Artificial Intelligence
Research and development to enable DHS to effectively assess AI/ML systems against technical and mission metrics, provide operators an appropriate level of trust and confidence, and inspire trust in the general public toward AI/ML systems deployed by DHS.
CYBCI 05: Advanced and Emerging Data Computation and Analytics
This topic focuses on novel computational and analytic methods and capabilities for large-scale data sets for DHS missions, including real-time analytics, privacy-enhancing technologies, high-performance computing, digital twins, synthetic data, and advanced analytics to improve mission effectiveness and efficiency.
Are there any additional benefits I would receive?
Beyond the direct funding, LRBAA awards provide several indirect advantages:
Government Validation and Credibility: Selection signals strong technical merit and alignment with DHS mission priorities.
Pathway to Transition and Deployment: Projects are designed to support operational relevance and transition to DHS components.
Access to DHS Test and Evaluation Infrastructure: DHS may provide access to government laboratories and operational test facilities where appropriate.
Stronger Long-Term Commercial and Contracting Potential: DHS-funded R&D can increase credibility with future government customers and partners.
What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?
This LRBAA is open through May 31, 2029 at 11:59 PM ET. Companies should apply as soon as possible while funds are available. Submissions follow a three-step process:
Industry Engagement Submission (initial research concept)
Virtual Pitch (by invitation only)
Written Proposal (by invitation only)
Typical DHS response timelines (subject to change):
Industry Engagement feedback: ~10 business days
Virtual Pitch evaluation: ~21 business days
Written Proposal evaluation: ~21 business days
Award timing depends on evaluation outcomes and funding availability.
Where does this funding come from?
Funding is provided by the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) through the Office of Procurement Operations.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include:
U.S. small businesses and large businesses
Academic institutions
Government laboratories and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs)
Nonprofits and research organizations
Foreign or foreign-owned entities may participate but are subject to export control, foreign disclosure, and other federal review requirements. There are no set-asides, but DHS strongly encourages small business participation.
What companies and projects are likely to win?
Proposals are evaluated based on:
Alignment with DHS mission needs and topic relevance
Scientific and technical merit of the proposed approach
Degree of innovation and potential capability improvement
Operational relevance and transition potential
Reasonableness of cost and feasibility of execution
Are there any restrictions I should know about?
Key restrictions include:
Proposal preparation costs are not reimbursable
Only unclassified materials may be submitted
Mature commercial products and support services are not eligible
Participation in later proposal stages is invitation-only
Export control, IP, and data rights requirements apply
How long will it take me to prepare an application?
Without BW&CO’s assistance the Industry Engagement submission would typically take 35-50 hours.
How can BW&CO help?
Our team specializes in complex federal R&D proposals and can:
Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development
Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations
Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth under Federal & State R&D Initiatives.
How much would BW&CO Charge?
Our full service support is available for a flat fee of $4,000 for the Industry Engagement Submission.
Fractional support is $300 per hour.
For startups, we offer a discounted rate of $250 per hour to make top-tier grant consulting more accessible while maintaining the same level of strategic guidance and proposal quality.
Additional Resources
Review the solicitation here.