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Topic DON27BZ02-NV017 from the DoW SBIR 2027 BAA, Release 2. Pre-release now; proposals due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET.
Quick answer
DON27BZ02-NV017 is a Department of the Navy SBIR topic seeking simple water quality test kits or electronic sensors that let small expeditionary units certify purified water as potable under TB-MED 577 without liquid reagents or lab support. It follows a standard Phase I feasibility, Phase II prototype structure. Proposals are due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET.
Solicitation at a glance
- Topic number: DON27BZ02-NV017
- Official title: Expeditionary Water Quality Sensors
- Agency: Department of the Navy
- Program: SBIR (DoW SBIR 2027 BAA, Release 2)
- Award type: Phase I (see topic text for Phase II)
- Award amount: Phase I base up to $200,000 plus an option up to $115,000. Source: Navy Release 2 instructions in DSIP.
- CMMC level: Level 2 (Self)
- ITAR: No
- Technology areas: None
- Pre-release (direct TPOC contact allowed): November 4 to December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET
- Opens in DSIP: December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET
- Proposals due: January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET
- Official source: DSIP Topics app (search DON27BZ02-NV017)
BW&CO's take
What the Department of the Navy wants
Small distributed Marine units now purify water at the tactical edge, but current approved test kits need chemical reagents, significant training, and sometimes lab shipments that take 4 to 6 weeks. The Navy wants new sensors or methods that improve field kits on size, weight, speed, simplicity, cost, and elimination of liquid reagents. Proposals can target one or more TB-MED 577 parameters, from physical and chemical properties to microbes, chemical warfare agents, or radiological. The stated end state is rapid, automated water quality testing in under 15 minutes (threshold) or 5 minutes (objective), and/or detection of all microbial threats in under 1 hour (threshold) or 15 minutes (objective) without incubation or liquid reagents. Phase II delivers a ruggedized prototype tested in lab and field.
Who is a good fit
- Reagent-free sensing for water contaminants such as heavy metals, organic chemicals, salinity, turbidity, or pathogens
- Rapid microbial detection that avoids incubation
- Experience packaging sensors into rugged, portable, low-training devices for field users
- Working knowledge of TB-MED 577 short-term potability standards and benchtop validation against them
Watch-outs
- The new sensors should not require liquid chemical reagents, which the topic calls problematic due to short shelf life and customs clearance.
- Solutions must be integratable into future modernized water testing kits for squad (~13 Marines) and platoon (40-50 Marines) use.
- Phase I must deliver a SWaP-C breakdown, performance projections, and a defensible preliminary design referenced to TB-MED 577.
- The topic metadata lists CMMC Level 2 (Self). It is not marked as ITAR-restricted in the topic metadata.
Think your company fits DON27BZ02-NV017? Talk with BW&CO before the January 6 deadline.
Plan Your DON27BZ02-NV017 Submission
Official topic text (verbatim from DSIP)
The text in this section is copied word for word from the official DSIP topic as published on November 4, 2026. DSIP is the official source and topics can be amended. Always confirm the current version at dodsbirsttr.mil before you submit. Our commentary above is BW&CO's interpretation, not Government guidance.
Title
Expeditionary Water Quality Sensors
Objective
Develop simple-to-use water quality test kits or electronic sensors that require minimal training to enable personnel in the field to rapidly meet Technical Bulletin Medical 577 (TB-MED 577) requirements to certify potable water without liquid reagents.
Description
Expeditionary forces need updated water testing capabilities to support operations in austere, contested environments. Without proper water testing, water purified in the field are not certified potable for consumption. This creates an unacceptable logistics burden to transport water, or a health risks when consuming untested water; hindering the self-sufficiency, readiness, and lethality required for operations against a pacing challenge. Current approved state-of-the-art water quality testing kits are accurate but cumbersome, and overly complex, requiring chemical reagents, significant operator training, and for some parameters shipping to a certified lab. Present water quality testing methods are not practical for the small, distributed Stand-in Forces operating in expeditionary conditions.
In the event of detection of certain pathogens and contaminants, confirmation through certified laboratories may be required, necessitating sample transportation to CONUS, host-nation, or ally facilities—a process that can take 4-6 weeks. Delays of this magnitude are operationally unacceptable for forces in contested environments that need immediate assurance of water safety at the point of use. In addition, many critical parameters that impact water safety—including heavy metals, organic chemicals, and other contaminants—are not reliably tested with currently fielded sensors.
Force Design 2030 compels distributed forces to reduce their reliance on centralized logistics convoys; therefore, small units are increasingly required to produce and consume water at the tactical edge and at the point of need. Without a reliable and practical method to verify water quality in the field, these units face an alarming tradeoff between logistics supply certainty and warfighter health.
Therefore, the Navy needs simple, field-ready solutions to certify that expeditionary purified water conforms to TB-MED 577 short term potability military field water standards (STW MFWS) without external laboratory support. This SBIR topic seeks the development of new sensors and/or methodologies that will significantly improve existing water testing field kits. Improvements sought include but are not limited to: size and weight, more rapid testing results, simpler procedures requiring minimal training, elimination of liquid chemical reagents, and cost. Proposals can address one or more targeted improvements and can target one or more of the water parameters listed in the STP MFWS, such as physical properties, chemical properties, microbial contamination, chemical warfare agents, or radiological. Resulting improved sensors or methodologies must be integratable into future modernized water testing kits to allow squad- and platoon-level forces to verify compliance with TB MED 577 water safety standards in the field, reducing risk to personnel and decreasing reliance on vulnerable resupply chains. The expected end state of this effort is a fully developed, ruggedized, integratable sensor or set of sensors that enable rapid, automated testing of water quality in expeditionary environments in under 15 minutes (Threshold) / under 5 minutes (Objective), and/or detect all microbial threats in under 1 hour (Threshold) / under 15 minutes (Objective) without incubation or liquid reagents. Modular systems targeting specific critical parameters are equally encouraged and will be evaluated on technical merit.
Phase I
Establish the technical feasibility of a preliminary conceptual design(s) of a new sensor or series of sensors, capable of rapidly verifying water quality in austere environments without requiring external laboratory support. Define and develop candidate concepts and sensor technologies. Conduct research that will assess the integration potential of the solution(s) into a portable kit for squad- (~13 Marines) and platoon- (40-50 Marines) level operations. Include approaches that may include modeling, simulation, and benchtop testing to evaluate detection accuracy, operational ruggedness, and ease of operation, all while referencing water safety requirements outlined in TB-MED 577. Deliver a final report documenting the technical progress; results of feasibility analyses; a breakdown of size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) improvements and/or trade-offs; performance projections of candidate concepts and sensor technologies; and a defensible preliminary design concept. Ensure that the new sensor(s) should not require liquid chemical reagents, which are problematic due to a short shelf life and customs clearance. Identify anticipated technical risks, mitigation strategies, and a clear development path for Phase II prototype, fabrication, and validation in the final Phase I report.
Phase II
Design, develop, fabricate, and test a prototype sensor or series of sensors capable of rapidly verifying water quality in simulated expeditionary environments. Ensure that the prototype integrates selected sensor technologies into a ruggedized, portable form factor appropriate for use at the squad and platoon level. Develop hardware and software interfaces, refine user interaction for minimal training burden, and ensure the sensor(s) functions across a range of environmental conditions. Demonstrate and validate the prototype through laboratory and field testing against relevant key water quality parameters such as microbial contamination, heavy metals, salinity, turbidity, and chemical pollutants. Conduct testing that should confirm performance relative to defined metrics including accuracy, test time, ease of use, and environmental durability. Provide the following required Phase II deliverables: prototype hardware, technical data documenting performance results, field evaluation in coordination with a military exercise if practicable, and a detailed plan for Phase III transition opportunities within military and commercial application.
Phase III Dual Use Applications
Support transition to the Program Manager Engineer Systems (PM ES) at Marine Corps Systems Command for integration into the USMC family of water systems and direct use by small units during distributed operations.
Beyond military use, the technology has strong dual-use potential. Civilian applications include humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, rapid deployment by first responders in areas with compromised infrastructure, commercial water treatment facilities, and consumer safety monitoring in developing regions. The commercial pathway may include partnerships with outdoor equipment providers, municipal water authorities, and NGOs focused on clean water access.
References
“Technology Assessment of Water Treatment Devices for Small-Scale Production.” https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/trecms/pdf/AD1214090.pdf
“Technical Bulletin Medical 577 (TBMED 577).” https://quartermaster.army.mil/pwd/Publications/Water/TB_Med_577_15_Dec_2005.pdf
Keywords
Water Quality; Purification; Sensors; Contaminates; Expeditionary; Health; Desalination; Reverse Osmosis; Detection
Frequently asked questions
What is DON27BZ02-NV017?
It is a Department of the Navy SBIR topic to develop simple water quality test kits or electronic sensors that let field personnel rapidly certify potable water to TB-MED 577 requirements without liquid reagents.
When is DON27BZ02-NV017 due?
Proposals are due January 6, 2027, 12:00 PM ET. DSIP pre-release began November 4, 2026, and direct contact with the topic authors is allowed only until the topic opens on December 2, 2026, 8:00 AM ET.
Is this a Phase I or Direct-to-Phase II topic?
The topic describes a standard Phase I to establish feasibility of a preliminary sensor design, followed by Phase II prototype design, fabrication, and lab and field testing. It does not state that it is Direct-to-Phase II.
Do I have to cover every water quality parameter?
No. Proposals can address one or more targeted improvements and one or more parameters listed in the standard, and modular systems targeting specific critical parameters are equally encouraged and evaluated on technical merit.