Drone Dominance Program (DDP) – One-Way Attack (OWA) sUAS Procurement

Executive Summary:

The Department of War’s Drone Dominance Program (DDP) will award up to $1 billion in fixed-price orders for companies that can design and manufacture low-cost, NDAA-compliant, One-Way-Attack sUAS at scale. Up to 25 vendors will be invited to Gauntlet I, with winners receiving production orders of at least 1,000 units. The RFS is expected December 17, 2025, and Gauntlet I begins February 2026.

How much funding would I receive?

Awards are fixed-price production orders—no development funding, no cost reimbursement, and no progress payments. Vendors are paid only for accepted units delivered. Planned procurement (page 1 table):

• 30,000 units in Phase I ($150M total)

• 60,000 units in Phase II ($300M total)

• 100,000 units in Phase III ($300M total)

• 150,000 units in Phase IV ($345M total)

Up to 12 vendors in Phase I will receive orders, with minimum buys of 1,000 units per vendor. Larger orders go to top performers.

What could I use the funding for?

Funding is strictly for production and delivery of compliant, mission-ready low-cost, NDAA-compliant, One-Way-Attack sUAS.

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Beyond the production revenue, awardees stand to gain substantial strategic advantages:

Government Validation & Competitive Differentiation
Being selected through Gauntlet scoring—publicly posted via leaderboard—serves as strong validation of performance, reliability, and manufacturing scale. This credibility improves trust with primes, integrators, and future government buyers.

Accelerated Market Visibility
Winners enter widely publicized Gauntlet announcements and procurement cycles. The DoW expects increasing visibility across phases as the program scales toward 200,000+ drones purchased by 2027.

Commercial & Dual-Use Positioning
A proven low-cost, high-reliability sUAS platform creates runway for commercial security, inspection, and tactical robotics markets.

Stronger Exit and Investment Potential
Demonstrating performance at scale via nondilutive production orders increases valuation, derisks manufacturing capability, and strengthens attractiveness for acquisition by defense primes, autonomy companies, and major drone manufacturers.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

• RFS Release: ~December 17, 2025

• Selections Notified: Week of January 26, 2026

• Gauntlet I: Begins February 17, 2026 (est.)

• Deliveries: Two tranches each phase, due 2.5 and 4.5 months after Gauntlet

Production payments occur upon delivery and acceptance of units.

Where does this funding come from?

The Department of War will issue orders using 10 U.S.C. 4022 Other Transaction Authority, executed through the S2MARTS OTA consortium. The program intends to place up to $1B in fixed-price orders over four phases.

Who is eligible to apply?

Per the program FAQ and RFI:

• Eligible: Companies from the United States and allied Five Eyes nations

• Strong Preference: U.S. companies manufacturing in the U.S. with American-made components and materials

• Systems must be NDAA-compliant (no covered foreign components).

What companies and projects are likely to win?

Winners will be companies that can deliver:

• Low-cost, attritable sUAS that meet OWA mission requirements

• 10 km strike range (open terrain) & 1 km (urban) with 2kg payload

• High reliability and ease of use, with only ~2 hours of operator training needed

• NDAA-compliant supply chains

• Production scaling capability into tens of thousands of units per phase

• Fast delivery under tight 2.5–4.5 month timelines

• Supply-chain secure manufacturing beyond minimum NDAA rules

Systems must withstand increasingly complex Counter-UAS environments in later phases.

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

Yes:

• No progress payments; no cost reimbursement—vendors carry all development risk

• No classified submissions

• NDAA compliance required

• Foreign components from covered countries are prohibited

• All submissions must be made through the NSTXL standardized form

• Vendors must meet requirements of 10 USC 4022(d)

• Vendors are limited to fixed-price production only—no R&D funding

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

For a first-time applicant, preparing a competitive proposal will likely take 50-100 hours in total.

How can BW&CO help?

Our team specializes in complex federal R&D proposals and can:

• Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

• Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

• Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth under Federal & State R&D Initiatives.

How much would BW&CO Charge?

Our full service support is available for a flat fee + success fee (Pricing available upon request).

Fractional support is $300 per hour, with most scout card projects requiring 10-12 hours of work.

For startups, we offer a discounted rate of $250 per hour to make top-tier grant consulting more accessible while maintaining the same level of strategic guidance and proposal quality.

Additional Resources

See RFI on Sam.Gov