Neuromorphic Hardware - SBIR Topic MDA26BZ04-NV006

Funding Amount:

Phase I - $314,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

ITAR:

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

Objective:

Realize next-generation neuromorphic technology to enable continuous adaptation and self-optimization to maintain overmatch in Electronic Warfare (EW) and cyber-contested domains.

Description:

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) seeks to leverage neuromorphic technology to maximize performance and efficiency for terrestrial and space applications.

Neuromorphic processing supports multiple applications that advance the Missile Defense System, including distributed sensing and real-time learning for arbitrary waveform generation.

In highly contested environments, autonomously adaptive arbitrary waveform generation supports superiority in the radio frequency domain.

The communication throughput and edge processing required for distributed sensing would be realized with the low latency and high throughput inherent to neuromorphic technology.

PHASE I:

Demonstrate a pathway to a product that provides solutions to the challenges of neuromorphic hardware.

Phase I proposals would be evaluated to the degree to which they are applicable to the Missile Defense System, its sensing needs, and the ability to perform real-time learning.

Phase I Deliverables should include:

• Assessment of the challenges to performance, packaging, and survivability.

• A roadmap to develop a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 product.

• Identify hardware, software, and material required in Phase II.

• Development, Test, and Evaluation Plan of a TRL 6 Prototype.

PHASE II:

Demonstrate autonomously adaptive arbitrary waveform generation using neuromorphic processing.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the degree to which they demonstrate:

• Incorporation of Neuromorphic technology.

• Operation in a radio frequency-contested environment.

• Operation in a space environment.

• High throughput.

• Efficient processing.

• Real-time latency.

Performance categories of interest:

• Latency.

• Plasticity.

• Complexity of mathematical computations.

• Computations per second per watt.

• Throughput.

• Power utilization.

• Machine speed (action/reaction).

Proposals applying neuromorphic semi-conductor chips (with bio-inspired learning and parallel processing) to address these problem sets will be prioritized.

Solutions could range from individual systems-on-a-chip (SoC) to complete circuit card assemblies (CCAs).

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

Production, test, and evaluation in a realistic environment with a system level testbed.

Technology shall be ready for demonstration in relevant operational environment.

This environment could include placement on airborne or space low size, weight, and power (SWaP) platforms.

All technical parameters for the technology given will be verified.

Autonomously adaptive arbitrary waveform generation using neuromorphic processing shall be demonstrated.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

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