DON26BZ05-NV076 — Open, Layered, Yielding Modular Platform for Unified Systems (OLYMPUS)
Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).
Quick Answer
DON26BZ05-NV076 is a Navy Phase I SBIR topic sponsored by NAVAIR. It funds OLYMPUS, a modular, open architecture system for below-deck ship infrastructure under PMA-213's larger Zeus system-of-systems effort, aimed at fusing data, streamlining decision-making, and cutting long-term hardware and sustainment costs across the fleet. Maximum Phase I award across Base and Option is $315,000. Proposals are due September 23, 2026.
Executive Summary
The Navy's current shipboard systems portfolio developed piecemeal over time, and that history now creates a real cost and readiness problem: multiple disparate systems doing similar jobs, a bloated logistics tail, redundant documentation and training, and a lack of commonality that makes it hard to integrate new capabilities like AI or digital engineering without touching every system individually. PMA-213 is addressing this at the portfolio level through Zeus, a modular, open system-of-systems architecture. This topic funds OLYMPUS, the sub-project focused specifically on below-deck ship infrastructure within that larger Zeus framework.
OLYMPUS is meant to improve situational awareness, decision-making, and fleet-wide interoperability through data fusion, real-time analytics, and secure communication networks, using AI, machine learning, and digital engineering. The cost argument is concrete and worth noting for pricing conversations: NAVAIR's own example is standardizing hardware so the Navy buys 25 identical computers to serve five systems, rather than five different computer types for five systems. This will apply across CVNs, L-Class ships, and DDGs.
Government ownership of the majority of data rights for this portfolio is explicitly part of the story here. That ownership is what allows the resulting technology to be fielded gradually through Engineering Change Proposals as part of routine sustainment and technology refresh, rather than through a disruptive one-time system replacement. Companies proposing on this topic should understand that data rights posture going in, since it shapes how their solution gets transitioned.
Phase I is a feasibility study: scope definition, high-level system design and architecture for the modular framework and data fusion capabilities, proof-of-concept demonstrations for critical components, a comprehensive risk assessment, and a feasibility report with a Phase II roadmap. Phase II builds and tests a prototype integrating sensors, processing units, interfaces, and communication networks, with both lab and field testing.
This topic is ITAR-restricted. It does not carry the standard classification notice seen in several other NAVAIR topics in this release, though the platform touches sensitive shipboard systems. Phase III and dual-use potential extend to infrastructure monitoring, industrial operations, transportation systems, and emergency response, anywhere that needs integrated sensing, real-time data fusion, and resilient communications.
Funding
Phase I Base: up to $200,000
Phase I Option: up to $115,000
Maximum Phase I total (Base plus Option): $315,000
Award types: Firm Fixed Price, Basic Ordering Agreement, or Prototype Other Transaction
Phase I period: exactly 6 months Base, exactly 6 months Option
Phase II maximum: up to $2,000,000
Discretionary TABA available: up to $6,500 in Phase I, in addition to the award amount
Timeline
Proposal deadline: September 23, 2026
Submission portal: DoW SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP)
Notifications sent approximately one week after BAA close
Phase I payments: 50% at 15 days, 35% at 90 days, 15% at 180 days, for both Base and Option
Key Requirements
Technical Volume limited to 10 pages
Minimum two-thirds of Phase I work performed by the proposing small business, in both Base and Option
No cost sharing accepted
CMMC Level 2 (Self) projected requirement
ITAR-restricted, with mandatory foreign national disclosures
Solution must fit within the government-owned data rights and ECP-based transition model
Point of Contact
Kristi DePriest, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)
navair-sbir@us.navy.mil
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Zeus and how does OLYMPUS relate to it?
Zeus is PMA-213's broader portfolio-wide modular, open architecture system-of-systems effort. OLYMPUS is the sub-project within Zeus specifically focused on below-deck ship infrastructure.
What problem is this solving?
Decades of piecemeal system development have created a fragmented, costly logistics tail with redundant documentation, training, and hardware across systems that do similar jobs, limiting the Navy's ability to integrate new AI and digital engineering capabilities.
What is the cost-savings example NAVAIR gives?
Standardizing hardware procurement so 25 identical computers serve five systems, instead of five different computer types for five separate systems.
Why does government data rights ownership matter for this topic?
Because government ownership of the majority of data rights allows the resulting OLYMPUS technology to be fielded gradually through Engineering Change Proposals during routine sustainment, rather than requiring a disruptive full system replacement.
Which platforms will this affect?
Air-capable fleet platforms including CVNs, L-Class ships, and DDGs.
Does this topic require a security clearance?
The topic is ITAR-restricted, but it does not carry the explicit classification notice seen in several other NAVAIR topics in this release.
Is there a commercial application for this technology?
Yes. NAVAIR points to infrastructure monitoring, industrial operations, transportation systems, and emergency response as sectors needing the same integrated sensing and resilient communication approach.
How much funding is available in Phase I?
Up to $200,000 for the Base and up to $115,000 for the Option, for a combined maximum of $315,000.
What is the proposal deadline?
September 23, 2026, submitted through the DoW SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP).
