DME26BZ05-NV001: Additive Manufacturing for Flexible Electronics

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Quick Answer

The Defense Microelectronics Activity is offering a Phase I SBIR award of up to $200,000 for companies developing additive manufacturing processes that can build radio frequency electronics modules on 3D printed or flexible substrates, as a lower-cost alternative to traditional advanced packaging. This is topic DME26BZ05-NV001 under the DoW FY26 SBIR BAA Release 5. Proposals are due September 23, 2026 through DSIP.

What This Solicitation Is

This is a standard Phase I SBIR topic issued by DMEA rather than a service branch. It falls under the Contested Logistics Technologies critical technology area and Microelectronics component priority area. It carries a projected CMMC Level 1 requirement, notably lower than the CMMC Level 2 (Self) requirement seen on most other topics in this release cycle. Only unclassified proposals will be accepted.

One DMEA-specific detail worth flagging: the Company Commercialization Report, which is typically not considered in evaluations under other components' topics, WILL be considered by DMEA during proposal evaluations for this release. That is a meaningful difference for any client used to CCR being a formality.

What DAF Is Looking For

Nearly every DoW system with electronics needs printed circuit board manufacturing, and today's commercial substrate manufacturing and advanced packaging techniques are expensive with long lead times, which makes them a poor fit for the high mix, low volume production DoW actually needs. DMEA wants to validate additive manufacturing of electronics, essentially 3D printing applied to electronics packaging, as a viable, reliable alternative.

The specific ask is a feasibility study and design of a radio frequency system built using additive manufacturing techniques such as multi-material 3D printing or Flexible Hybrid Electronics interconnect processes. The RF module needs to integrate a variety of surface mount components, including QFN and BGA packages, along with passive resistors, inductors, and capacitors, all built onto an additively fabricated substrate. Once assembled, the module needs to go through reliability testing and demonstrate performance comparable to standard manufacturing processes or sufficient to meet DoW mission needs.

The topic lays out eleven specific target specifications applicants need to design toward: interconnect trace width and pitch width of 5 mil or better, the ability to integrate a 12x12 BGA with 0.5mm ball pitch, printed passive component tolerance of 0.1 percent or better, resistor range from 1 ohm to 10 megohm, capacitor range from 1 picofarad to 1 microfarad, inductor range from 1 picohenry to 100 nanohenry, and thermal survivability at 150°C for 10 hours continuous operation plus storage survivability at 125°C for up to 4 weeks.

DMEA explicitly welcomes multiple incremental feasibility studies rather than requiring one company to solve everything at once, and lists four acceptable goal areas a proposal can target: hybrid electronic manufacturing as an alternative to standard packaging and soldering, additive manufacturing for fine pitch RF tuned circuitry on flexible substrates, printing passive components directly onto flexible substrates, or hybrid circuit design and layout that replicates existing RF module functionality on a flexible substrate. A proposal can focus on just one of these and still be a strong fit, provided the report explains how it could combine with other incremental work toward a holistic manufacturing solution later.

The Phase I deliverable is a feasibility report, not a working prototype. It needs to document the proposed manufacturing process flow with diagrams, bulk material specifications, a cost breakdown compared against existing commercial and research alternatives including any bulk discount price points, and the characterization methodology used to validate the approach. If any of the eleven target specifications can't be fully addressed, the report needs to explain why, and if addressing them is technically possible but not financially practical, that needs to be justified too.

Phase II moves to building, testing, and delivering an actual functional RF system meeting the Phase I specifications, with attention to manufacturing yield and reliability demonstrated across multiple production lots, not just a single best-case sample.

Funding and Timeline

Phase I award maximum is $200,000 with a maximum period of performance of 6 months. The technical volume page limit is 20 pages, and proposals exceeding that will be deemed non-compliant and will not be evaluated.

Phase II, available only to Phase I awardees, has an award maximum of $1,340,000 with a maximum period of performance of 24 months, and a technical volume limit of 40 pages. Phase I awardees can submit a Phase II proposal without invitation up to 60 calendar days after the Phase I contract ends. A Phase II contractor may also receive one sequential Phase II award, though that must be initiated by the government technical point of contact and approved in advance by the DMEA SBIR/STTR Program Manager. DMEA notes that Phase II awards are subject to available funding regardless of proposal quality, and proposals must remain valid for 180 days after submission.

Technical and Business Assistance funding is available at up to $6,500 per Phase I project and up to $50,000 per Phase II project.

Proposals are due September 23, 2026 through DSIP. Firms will be notified of Phase I selection status within 90 days of the topic closing date.

Who Should Apply

This topic fits companies with existing additive manufacturing or 3D printing experience applied to electronics, particularly aerosol jet printing, multi-material printing, or Flexible Hybrid Electronics work, combined with RF or microelectronics packaging knowledge. Companies that have already worked with conductive nanoparticle inks, printed passive components, or ceramic interposer fabrication have a strong head start given how specific the target performance envelope is. Because DMEA explicitly allows incremental, narrowly scoped proposals, this is also approachable for a company strong in just one piece, such as printed passives or fine-pitch interconnects, rather than requiring end-to-end RF module capability out of the gate.

Eligibility and Compliance Notes

Percentage of Work requirements follow the standard DoW solicitation calculation, and DMEA does not permit deviations from those requirements. Subcontractor, consultant, and facility lease costs combined may not exceed one third of the total contract price or cost unless separately approved in writing by the Contracting Officer.

Cost sharing is permitted but not required and will not be used as an evaluation factor.

Only unclassified proposals will be accepted under this topic.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the proposal deadline?
September 23, 2026, submitted electronically through DSIP.

How much funding is available for Phase I?
Up to $200,000 with a maximum period of performance of 6 months, plus up to $6,500 in Technical and Business Assistance funding.

How much funding is available for Phase II?
Up to $1,340,000 with a maximum period of performance of 24 months, plus up to $50,000 in Technical and Business Assistance funding.

Does a proposal need to address all eleven target specifications?
Not necessarily in full working form for Phase I, but the feasibility report must address each one, either demonstrating a path to meeting it or providing justification for why it is not applicable or not financially feasible.

Can multiple companies propose different pieces of this challenge?
Yes. DMEA explicitly states multiple feasibility studies may be appropriate if they address the goals incrementally and could later combine into a holistic manufacturing solution.

What is the CMMC requirement for this topic?
Level 1, which is lower than the Level 2 (Self) requirement seen on most other topics in this release cycle.

Is the Company Commercialization Report considered in evaluation?
Yes, notably. Unlike most other DoW component topics, DMEA states the CCR will be considered during proposal evaluations.

What is the technical volume page limit?
20 pages for Phase I, 40 pages for Phase II.

What happens in Phase III?
The technology could be applied to other DoW and commercial applications wherever additive manufacturing offers a cost, schedule, or performance advantage over traditional methods.