Executive Summary
The FAA's UAS Integration Office pays up to 50% of the cost for companies to demonstrate drone technology at an FAA UAS Test Site, in areas like BVLOS operations, detect and avoid, command and control links and advanced air mobility. White papers are accepted any time through September 30, 2028.
Funding is released through Calls for White Papers, with one award expected per test site each fiscal year. Every project must partner with an FAA UAS Test Site and include a Letter of Attestation signed by the test site director.
Solicitation at a Glance
- Agency: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), UAS Integration Office (AUS), Research, Engineering & Analysis Division (AUS-300)
- Opportunity: UAS Broad Agency Announcement
- Solicitation number: 697DCK-25-R-00278
- Award vehicle: Cost-sharing, cost-reimbursement contract (no fee)
- Funding: $6,000,000 authorized per year for FY2025 to FY2028, divided evenly among the FAA UAS Test Sites; cumulative total under the BAA capped at $24,000,000
- Cost share: 1:1 minimum. The FAA pays no more than 50% of total project cost
- Technology maturity: Preference for systems demonstrated in an operational environment (past applied research)
- Due date: White papers accepted any time through September 30, 2028. Specific Calls set their own due dates
Think your company qualifies? Talk with BW&CO before your next test season.
What Is the FAA UAS BAA?
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 continued the UAS test range program through September 30, 2028 and set aside funds to match what commercial companies spend to demonstrate or validate technologies the FAA considers essential to safely integrating drones into the national airspace. This BAA is how the FAA awards that matching money. Companies propose a project, partner with one of the FAA's designated UAS Test Sites, and fly the demonstration there under an FAA-approved test plan.
What Problem Is the FAA Trying to Solve?
Drones are moving from line-of-sight flights to beyond-visual-line-of-sight delivery, cargo and passenger operations. The FAA needs real flight data, maturing technology and industry consensus standards to write performance-based rules for those operations. This program pays to generate that evidence at controlled test sites.
Priority Capability Areas: What the FAA Is Looking For
- UAS001 UAS Traffic Management (UTM): demonstration and validation of traffic management, flow and capacity services
- UAS002 BVLOS Operations: technology that supports a means of compliance for safe beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations
- UAS003 Industry Consensus Standards: work that supports standards from RTCA, ASTM, SAE and others (A2X, safety and certification, BVLOS, C2, DAA, electronic conspicuity, UTM, counter-UAS)
- UAS004 Electronic Conspicuity: devices that report a non-ADS-B aircraft's position in low-altitude airspace
- UAS005 Noise and Environmental Impacts: data on noise and other impacts that affect community acceptance
- UAS006 Command and Control (C2) Links: reliable control links over C-band, L-band, satellite and cellular
- UAS007 Detect and Avoid (DAA): collision avoidance technology aligned with ASTM and RTCA standards
- UAS008 UAS Collision Safety: collisions and near collisions involving UAS of various sizes and speeds
- UAS009 Autonomous Operations: systems that operate with minimal or no human intervention
- UAS010 Advanced Air Mobility (AAM): integrating highly automated aircraft, including VTOL, to move people and goods
Funding and Award Terms
- Contract type: Cost-sharing, cost-reimbursement contracts with no fee. The company must have an accounting system adequate for determining contract costs
- Cost share: 1:1 minimum. The company share can be cash, property, services or other in-kind contributions that meet federal cost principles and are not paid for under another federal award
- Award size: Annual funding is divided evenly among the designated test sites, and the FAA anticipates at least one award per test site. As an example of scale, Call 001A-2026 for the two newest test sites anticipated $2,666,666 in total
- Rounds: Funding for each round is set in each Call for White Papers and depends on appropriations
Eligibility
- Who can apply: Companies in the UAS industry and other entities that want to help the FAA integrate UAS into the national airspace
- Test site partner: Each project must partner with a designated FAA UAS Test Site and include a Letter of Attestation signed by the Test Site Director or an authorized representative. Letters signed by test site operators are not accepted
- Current test sites: Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (AK); Northern Plains UAS Test Site (ND); New Mexico State University UAS Test Site (NM); New York UAS Test Site (NY); State of Nevada UAS Test Site (NV); Texas A&M Corpus Christi Autonomy Research Institute (TX); Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (VA); Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Emerging Aviation Technology Center (OK); Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IN)
- FAA oversight: The FAA approves all test plans and may inspect test locations
How to Apply
- Pick one primary focus area: UAS001 to UAS010. Don't submit duplicate white papers for the same focus area
- Line up a test site partner: and get its Letter of Attestation
- Plan your cost share: with a rough order of magnitude budget showing the company share and the FAA share
- Submit a white paper: by email to the Contracting Officer, either in response to an open Call or at any time during the life of the BAA
- Watch SAM.gov: for new Calls, which set due dates and funding for each round
What Happens After You Submit?
- Evaluation: The FAA reviews white papers against the BAA's evaluation criteria
- Request for Proposal: Selected respondents receive an RFP for a full proposal
- Award: The FAA may award at any time during the BAA, and up to six months after it expires for white papers received before September 30, 2028
Is This Opportunity a Good Fit for Your Company?
It fits drone operators, aircraft makers and technology companies that have a working system ready to fly in the national airspace, a clear tie to one of the focus areas, and the ability to fund at least half of the project. It is strongest for companies whose business depends on FAA approvals, such as BVLOS, detect and avoid or advanced air mobility operations, because the work builds FAA-reviewed test data and a working relationship with the office shaping those rules.
How BW&CO Can Help
BW&CO has helped deep-tech and dual-use founders secure more than $350M in non-dilutive funding. For cost-share programs like the FAA UAS BAA, we help you:
- Choose the focus area that best matches your regulatory and business goals
- Find and approach the right FAA UAS Test Site partner
- Structure the cost share, including in-kind contributions from partners
- Write a white paper that ties your demonstration to what the FAA needs
- Prepare the full proposal and budget if the FAA requests one
Plan Your FAA UAS BAA Submission
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a deadline?
White papers are accepted any time through September 30, 2028. The FAA also issues specific Calls with their own due dates and funding.
How much does the FAA pay?
No more than 50% of the total project cost. The rest is your cost share, in cash or in-kind.
Do I have to fly at an FAA test site?
Yes. Every project must partner with a designated FAA UAS Test Site and include a Letter of Attestation from it.
Which test sites can I use?
Any of the nine designated sites listed above. Specific Calls can limit which sites are eligible. Call 001A-2026, for example, was limited to the two newest sites.
What technology maturity does the FAA want?
The BAA covers work past the applied research phase and prefers systems already demonstrated in an operational environment.
Does this give me an FAA certification or waiver?
No. The program funds demonstration and validation work at a test site. The data and relationships can support later approvals, but an award is not an approval.
What kind of contract is it?
A cost-sharing, cost-reimbursement contract with no fee.
Can partners contribute to the cost share?
Cost share can include in-kind contributions such as equipment, property or services, as long as they meet federal cost principles and are not funded under another federal award.
Can BW&CO help with an FAA UAS BAA submission?
Yes. We help you pick the focus area, secure a test site partner, plan the cost share and write the white paper. Book a call with our team.
Source: SAM.gov: UAS Broad Agency Announcement 697DCK-25-R-00278