ERDC Autonomous Surface Craft Prototype Opportunity: Executive Summary for Startups

Executive Summary

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), through its innovation hub ERDCWERX, is seeking prototype solutions for autonomous surface craft that can execute missions and navigate resiliently in contested nearshore environments. The effort will award up to $1,500,000 to one solution under a prototype Other Transaction (OT) agreement authorized by 10 U.S.C. 4022. White papers are due no later than 5:00 pm CT on October 8, 2026, and questions close on October 1, 2026.

This opportunity is a strong fit for small businesses and non-traditional defense contractors that already have a working autonomous vessel or autonomy stack with a record of testing or demonstration in a defense or national security setting. It is not an early-stage research grant. ERDC wants a mature, Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) platform that can be adapted to Army requirements and proven in live Department of War (DoW) exercises. A successful prototype can also lead to a noncompetitive follow-on production award, which makes this a potential path from a $1.5M prototype to much larger production dollars.

Solicitation at a Glance

• Opportunity: Autonomous Surface Craft Prototype Opportunity
• Agency: U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
• Program office: Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL), ERDC
• Administered by: ERDCWERX, an innovation hub of DEFENSEWERX
• Opportunity type: Competitive prototype project, evaluated like a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) or Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO)
• Award vehicle: Prototype Other Transaction under 10 U.S.C. 4022, with possible FAR-based agreements
• Maximum funding: Up to $1,500,000, fully funded at award
• Number of awards: One solution anticipated
• Performance window: FY27 through FY29
• Follow-on potential: Noncompetitive production OT or FAR-based contract if the prototype is successful
• Initial submission: Non-proprietary white paper
• Questions deadline: October 1, 2026
• Submission deadline: October 8, 2026 at 5:00 pm CT
• Security classification: Unclassified
• Registration required: Active SAM.gov registration

Only one company will win this award, and the window is about two weeks. If you have an autonomous vessel or maritime autonomy stack, book a free strategy call with our team to find out quickly whether your platform is competitive and what it will take to submit a winning white paper.

What Is ERDC?

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center is the research and development organization of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This project is managed by ERDC's Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL), which focuses on coastal, estuarine, riverine, and navigation science. ERDCWERX, a DEFENSEWERX innovation hub, runs the outreach and submission process on ERDC's behalf so that startups, non-traditional defense contractors, academia, and national labs can bring solutions to the Army quickly.

How This Opportunity Differs From SBIR and STTR

This is not an SBIR or STTR solicitation. It is a prototype Other Transaction opportunity, which means:

• There is no Phase I and Phase II structure. One prototype award of up to $1.5M funds the full effort.
• ERDC is looking for a mature COTS platform to adapt, not early-stage research.
• The first step is a short, non-proprietary white paper instead of a full proposal.
• A successful prototype can move directly into a follow-on production award without another competition.
• Small businesses are still well positioned, because an all-small-business team satisfies one of the OT eligibility conditions.

What Problem Is ERDC Trying to Solve?

The Department of War is moving toward more agile logistics and maneuver in contested littoral zones, bays, estuaries, and inland waterways, and it is increasingly relying on autonomous systems to operate there. These systems will often work in information-denied regions, meaning they cannot count on live data links, GPS, or communications once the mission is underway.

To succeed, an autonomous vessel needs rich environmental and operational knowledge before it launches and the ability to adapt once it is in the water. That includes tidal stage, ocean swell, littoral conditions, obstructions, optimum path determination, and logistical on-load and off-load information at the delivery location. ERDC wants autonomous routing capabilities that account for environmental conditions, operational constraints, and active threats so that vessels can move safely and efficiently through complex, contested water.

Project Objective

The objective is to evaluate solutions that provide resilient, automated mission execution and navigation in contested nearshore environments. The expected result is the development and evaluation of autonomous routing capabilities that support mission execution across littoral, estuarine, and inland waterway environments.

The Four Technical Requirements: What ERDC Is Looking For

ERDC has identified four core technical and operational requirements. A competitive white paper should address every one of them directly and with evidence.

Requirement 1: Dynamic In-Transit Re-Routing

The prototype craft must ingest, process, and execute external routing changes and operational directives in real time while underway. Inputs may come from authorized DoW command and control (C2) nodes or from offboard sensor networks. Offerors should explain how the system receives new directives, how it validates that they come from an authorized source, how quickly it replans, and how it behaves if communications degrade or drop entirely.

Requirement 2: Littoral and Inland Operational Capability

The platform must demonstrate full navigational and mission operability across a wide and difficult operating envelope, including:

• Complex littoral waters
• Shallow water
• Surf zones
• Inland riverine waterways
• Restricted-maneuver and high-hazard conditions

Strong responses will describe draft, maneuverability, sensing, and autonomy behaviors that allow the craft to handle currents, tides, narrow channels, debris, and changing bathymetry.

Requirement 3: Autonomous Demonstration in Operational Exercises

The selected prototype must take part in live DoW operational exercises. During these events it will need to demonstrate autonomous routing, obstacle avoidance, and dynamic mission adaptation using inputs and operational parameters supplied by DoW personnel. Offerors should show that their system can be operated alongside government users, accept government-provided mission data, and be deployed in the field on a realistic timeline.

Requirement 4: Demonstrated DoW Mission Utility

Offerors must provide documented evidence of prior operational demonstration, testing, or evaluation that verifies platform utility and baseline maturity in DoW or related national security contexts. This is a maturity gate. Past exercise participation, government test events, CRADAs, prior OTs or SBIR work, test reports, and customer letters are the kinds of evidence that make this requirement credible.

Not sure your testing history is strong enough for Requirement 4? This is where most applicants get screened out. Schedule a free call with our team and we will help you assess your evidence and identify the right teaming partners if you need them.

Funding Allowance: What Startups Should Expect

• The government may award up to $1,500,000 under this effort.
• The government anticipates fully funding the prototype project at award.
• One solution may be selected within this funding profile.
• The selected vendor will execute the modernization beginning in FY27 and concluding in FY29.
• If the prototype is determined successful, the government may award a follow-on production transaction or FAR-based contract without additional competition under 10 U.S.C. 4022(f).

The follow-on production pathway is one of the most valuable features of this opportunity. A successful $1.5M prototype can become a direct route to larger production dollars without a new competitive solicitation.

Period of Performance

The estimated period of performance is 36 months following field demonstration and evaluation. The final duration depends on how much modernization is needed to adapt the selected COTS system to Army operational requirements. ERDC describes this as a rapidly needed capability for field operations, so schedule matters. Offerors that can show a short, credible path from award to field-ready capability will stand out.

Timeline and Key Dates

• September 24, 2026: Project announced and submissions open
• October 1, 2026: Question period ends
• October 8, 2026, 5:00 pm CT: White paper submissions close
• October 2026: Evaluation period, with virtual pitches hosted if needed
• December 2026: Selected participants notified by ERDC and invited to submit a full proposal

Dates may shift to accommodate the project team and participants. The government may also accelerate the review timeline, which could require earlier delivery of full proposals. Companies should prepare pitch materials and full proposal content in parallel with the white paper.

The deadline is October 8, and questions close October 1. Strong white papers take time to position. Book your call now so our team can help you hit the deadline with a submission that is built to win.

How White Papers Are Evaluated

White papers are reviewed through an integrated assessment of four factors:

• Technical fit: How well the solution meets the stated requirements and objectives.
• Schedule: How well the proposed delivery schedule aligns with the government's period of performance.
• Data rights: The potential impact of the offeror's data rights assertions. Heavily restricted rights may weaken a submission, so offerors should be thoughtful and clear about what they assert.
• OT eligibility: Whether the white paper shows at least one of the conditions required for a prototype OT, described below.

Solutions are evaluated independently of one another, primarily on technical merit.

Prototype OT Eligibility Conditions

Under 10 U.S.C. 4022(d), your white paper must demonstrate at least one of the following:

• Significant participation by a non-traditional defense contractor (NDC) or a non-profit research institution
• All significant participants other than the federal government are small businesses
• At least one-third of the total prototype cost is paid by parties other than the federal government (cost share)

Most startups qualify through the first or second condition. State your eligibility explicitly so reviewers do not have to infer it.

How to Submit

• Review the complete solicitation on the ERDCWERX Autonomous Surface Craft project page.
• Review the posted FAQs. It is the offeror's responsibility to check them before submitting, and they are updated periodically.
• Submit technical and administrative questions through the ERDCWERX question form before October 1, 2026.
• Complete the ERDCWERX submission form and upload your white paper before 5:00 pm CT on October 8, 2026.

Registration Requirements

Applicants must be registered on SAM.gov. If your registration is inactive or not yet started, begin immediately, because SAM.gov registration and renewal can take longer than the submission window.

A Note on Sensitive Information

Submissions should not include confidential or proprietary details. White papers are reviewed by ERDC and government subject matter experts and may be shared with other ERDC parties as appropriate. The government may decline all submissions and does not plan to conduct formal FAR Part 15 debriefs, though it may provide feedback to unsuccessful offerors at its discretion.

Is This Opportunity a Good Fit for Your Startup?

This opportunity is likely a strong fit if you:

• Have an existing autonomous surface vessel, unmanned surface vehicle (USV), or maritime autonomy software stack
• Develop dual-use maritime autonomy, navigation, or routing technology as a non-traditional defense contractor
• Have prior DoW, Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Coast Guard, or national security testing experience
• Pair autonomy software with hydrographic, environmental, or coastal data such as tides, swell, bathymetry, and obstructions for mission planning
• Can team a platform provider with an autonomy or data partner, including academia or a national lab

It is likely a weaker fit if your technology is still at the research stage or if you have no operational demonstration in a defense or national security setting. In that case, teaming with a partner that has that record, or pursuing an SBIR or STTR pathway first, may be the smarter move.

Strategic Tips for Startup Applicants

• Map directly to all four requirements. Use the requirement names as section headings so reviewers can score you quickly.
• Lead with proof. Put your strongest evidence of prior DoW or national security testing up front.
• Show a fast path to the field. ERDC stresses that this is a rapidly needed capability. Present a realistic, milestone-based schedule.
• State your OT eligibility plainly. Say explicitly whether you qualify as a small business, a non-traditional defense contractor, or are offering cost share.
• Be clear and reasonable on data rights. Identify what is COTS, what will be developed with government funds, and what rights you are asserting.
• Keep it non-proprietary. Describe capability and evidence without disclosing sensitive details.
• Plan for the pitch. Prepare a short virtual pitch and draft full proposal content now in case the government accelerates the schedule.

Want a second set of eyes before you submit? Book a free strategy call and our team will walk through your fit, your OT eligibility, and your data rights position so your white paper is ready to compete.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ERDC Autonomous Surface Craft prototype opportunity?

It is a competitive prototype project from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, run through ERDCWERX, seeking autonomous surface craft that can navigate and execute missions resiliently in contested littoral, estuarine, and inland waterway environments.

How much funding is available?

Up to $1,500,000 may be awarded, and the government anticipates fully funding the prototype project at award.

How many awards will be made?

ERDC anticipates selecting one solution within the $1,500,000 funding profile.

When is the deadline?

White papers must be received no later than 5:00 pm CT on October 8, 2026. Questions must be submitted by October 1, 2026.

What type of award is this?

It is a prototype Other Transaction (OT) under 10 U.S.C. 4022. ERDC may also use FAR-based agreements for favorably evaluated solutions.

Is there a path to follow-on production funding?

Yes. If the prototype is determined successful, the government may award a follow-on production transaction or FAR-based contract without additional competition under 10 U.S.C. 4022(f).

What is the period of performance?

The estimated period of performance is 36 months following field demonstration and evaluation, with work starting in FY27 and concluding in FY29. The final duration depends on how much modernization the selected COTS system needs.

What are the core technical requirements?

The craft must support dynamic in-transit re-routing from authorized C2 nodes or offboard sensors, operate in littoral, shallow-water, surf zone, and inland riverine environments, participate in live DoW operational exercises, and show documented evidence of prior DoW or national security testing or demonstration.

Does my company need prior defense experience?

Yes, in practice. Offerors must provide documented evidence of prior operational demonstration, testing, or evaluation in DoW or related national security contexts to verify platform maturity.

Who is eligible to apply?

Industry, academia, and national lab partners registered on SAM.gov may apply. To qualify for a prototype OT, the submission must show significant non-traditional defense contractor or non-profit research participation, that all significant non-government participants are small businesses, or that at least one-third of the cost is paid by non-federal sources.

What should the first submission include?

The first submission is a non-proprietary white paper that addresses the technical requirements, proposed schedule, data rights assertions, and OT eligibility. Selected participants will be invited to submit a full proposal around December 2026.

Can I include proprietary information in my white paper?

No. Submissions should not include confidential or proprietary details, and they may be shared with other ERDC parties as appropriate.

Is this opportunity classified?

No. The project security classification is unclassified.

How will white papers be evaluated?

Reviewers use an integrated assessment of technical fit to the requirements, alignment of the delivery schedule with the period of performance, the impact of data rights assertions, and whether the submission meets prototype OT participation or cost share conditions.

Is this an SBIR or STTR opportunity?

No. This is a prototype Other Transaction opportunity, not an SBIR or STTR solicitation. Small businesses are still well positioned because all-small-business teams satisfy one of the OT eligibility conditions.

How can BW&CO help with this opportunity?

BW&CO helps startups assess fit, position their technology against the four requirements, structure OT eligibility and data rights, and write competitive white papers and full proposals. You can book a free strategy call with our team through our website.

Get Help With Your ERDC White Paper

BW&CO helps deep-tech, defense-adjacent, and dual-use startups evaluate fit for Army prototype opportunities, document their operational maturity, structure OT eligibility and data rights, and write white papers that map directly to what reviewers are scoring. With more than $350M in non-dilutive funding secured for our clients, we make innovation funding simple.

With only one award available and a deadline of October 8, 2026, every day counts. Book a free strategy call with our team today to find out if your platform is a fit and how to build a winning submission.