DIU - Sensors and Seekers For Fire Control

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

Act now — Responses due February 13, 2026 at 23:59:59 US/Eastern for Deorbit as a Service, a high-priority Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) to solve a strategic orbital debris and space sustainability challenge. This solicitation funds scalable autonomous technologies that can deorbit unprepared satellites safely and reliably, reducing orbital congestion and enabling future space operations. This is a rare fast-paced opportunity to partner with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) using flexible Other Transaction Authority with potential follow-on production contracts without further competition — massive market potential.

You’ll submit a Solution Brief that directly addresses specific detection, tracking, and discrimination capabilities using commercial sensing technologies. If selected, DIU can award a Prototype Other Transaction (OT) agreement and potentially a follow-on production contract if the prototype is successful.

How much funding would I receive?

DIU does not publicly list a fixed award size on this solicitation page. Funding amounts for DIU prototype OT agreements vary based on technical scope and negotiated project budgets with selected vendors.

What could I use the funding for?

Funding may be used to develop and demonstrate prototypes that meet the Government’s technical needs, including:

A. Sensor System Development

• LIDAR/LADAR, EO/IR, RF, or combined modalities that enable high-fidelity detection, tracking, and discrimination under extreme conditions.

B. Fire Control Enablement

• Systems capable of providing real-time, fire-control-quality tracking data (range, angular resolution, update rates) for engagements against ICBMs or hypersonic glide vehicles.

C. Prototyping & Demonstrations

• Bench-top or lab demonstrations within ~6–9 months.

• On-orbit demonstrations as a hosted payload within ~12–24 months (if applicable).

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Yes. Commercial companies participating through DIU can gain:

• Access to DoD customers and mission partners who care about real outcomes.

• A potential follow-on production contract without a new competition after satisfactory prototype completion (per 10 U.S.C. §4022(f)).

• Exposure to broader government adoption via Success Memos that other DoD entities can use.

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

• Application Deadline:
  🔹 February 17, 2026 at 23:59:59 US/Eastern Time

  Typical DIU CSO timeline:

  • Solution Brief submission → evaluation

  • ~30 days to get invited to pitch if selected

  • Contracts negotiated and awarded typically within ~60–90 days after selection (varies).

  Prototype execution milestones generally include lab demos within 6–9 months and potential on-orbit demos within 12–24 months, as outlined by this project.

Where does this funding come from?

The funding is provided through the Department of Defense (DoD) via the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) using its Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) process under Other Transaction (OT) Authority (10 U.S.C. 4022).

Who is eligible to apply?

U.S. and international vendors with relevant sensor and seeker technologies.

• Companies must satisfy OT authority requirements per 10 U.S.C. 4022(d) (e.g., participation of nontraditional firms, small business involvement, or non-government funding share).

No specific size, revenue, or TRL ceiling is listed, but solutions must be technically relevant and commercially viable.

What companies and projects are likely to win?

Winners will propose solutions that demonstrate:

• High-performance sensing and discrimination across threat scenarios.

• Commercially scalable designs (design for manufacturability and low unit cost).

• Plan for integration into aerospace or space platforms.

• Capacity to meet aggressive prototyping timelines.

Companies offering modular, commercially producible systems that leverage dual-use technology trends have a competitive edge

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

Must comply with 10 USC 4022 OT authority requirements for award eligibility.

• All submissions must certify no Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) unless expressly allowed.

• Awarded agreements will include compliance language for Section 889 of the 2019 NDAA.

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

Most DIU Solution Briefs are 5 pages or ~15 slides and should specifically address the challenge and key solution attributes. Preparation time depends on your level of readiness but planning 2–6 weeks to align technical, programmatic, and compliance content is reasonable.

How can BW&CO help?

BW&CO can support you to:

• Translate DIU requirements into a winning Solution Brief that aligns with your tech and DoD’s need.

• Craft compelling narrative for detection, tracking, and fire-control relevance.

• Map technical milestones and prototyping costs for rapid award.

• Prepare compliant attachments (e.g., SAM/SAM.gov, CAGE, IP/Section 889 compliance).

How much would BW&CO Charge?

Fractional support is $300 per hour.

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

Additional Resources

Review the solicitation here.

ARPA-H - BIOGAMI: Biomolecular Grammar for Protein Aggregation Modulation and Intervention

Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in resources section).

Executive Summary:

ARPA-H’s BIOGAMI program is funding teams to predict, detect, and control protein misfolding before disease begins. The program targets intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and regions (IDRs), which are implicated in neurodegeneration, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases and are largely considered “undruggable.”

Solution Summary Due: March 4, 2026 (12:00 PM ET)

Funding & Structure

1. Awards: Multiple OT awards anticipated

2. Program Length: Up to 48 months

3. Phases:

   • Phase 1 (0–24 months): Model IDR behavior and demonstrate early modulation and sensing

   • Phase 2 (25–48 months): Translate to preventative therapeutics and early detection tools

4. Down-selection occurs after Phase 1 based on quantitative technical metrics.

What ARPA-H Is Trying to Build

BIOGAMI aims to create a generalizable, reusable platform that can:

• Predict IDR structure, dynamics, aggregation, and interactions from sequence

• Modulate protein folding to prevent or reverse aggregation

• Identify early indicators of misfolding—before symptoms appear

• Enable new therapeutic classes for currently undruggable targets

The program emphasizes root-cause intervention, not symptomatic treatment.

Technical Scope (Both Required)

Technical Area 1 (TA1): Molecular Grammar of IDRs

TA1 teams must establish foundational models that explain how IDR sequences and environments drive protein behavior.

Key requirements include:

• Integrated AI/ML + experimental approaches

• High-throughput in vitro, cell-based, and in vivo systems

• Prediction of structure, aggregation, condensate formation, and interactomes

• Validation across diverse sequences, conditions, and post-translational modifications

• Open-source sharing of TA1 models and datasets

By Phase 2, models must predict and validate IDR properties within 60 days of receiving a sequence.

Technical Area 2 (TA2): Modulate IDPs to Detect and Control Folding

TA2 focuses on therapeutic and diagnostic translation.

Teams must:

• Prevent or reverse aggregation and restore protein function

• Develop early, clinically translatable indicators of misfolding

• Target two diseases:

  • One rare disease (<1 in 100,000)

  • One non-rare disease
    (across neurodegenerative and non-neurodegenerative categories)

By Phase 2, teams must:

• Demonstrate in vivo efficacy

• Preserve or restore >90% of critical protein function

• Validate ≥1 novel biomarker and prepare for FDA Biomarker Qualification engagement

Eligible Applicants

• Startups and large companies

• Universities and nonprofits

• Multi-party teams required (not prime/sub)

• Not eligible:

• FFRDCs and government entities as performers

• Entities from covered foreign countries or foreign entities of concern

• Work is prioritized to be performed in the United States.

Evaluation Criteria (In Order)

Scientific and technical merit

1. Team capability and experience

2. Relevance to ARPA-H mission and health impact

3. Cost realism and value

Commercialization Expectations

1. 5-year and 10-year commercialization plans required

2. Translation Advisory Board required

3. Active or planned commercial partnerships strongly encouraged

4. TA2 outputs expected to be positioned for pre-clinical development

How can BW&CO help?

BW&CO helps biotech and deep-tech teams quickly determine whether BIOGAMI is the right opportunity and, if so, how to pursue it with a credible, ARPA-H–ready strategy by translating dense solicitation language into clear founder-level guidance, pressure-testing technical and team fit against TA1/TA2 requirements and metrics, shaping a compelling program narrative that aligns AI, biology, and validation, designing compliant multi-party teaming structures, aligning commercialization and open-source expectations, and proactively flagging proposal risks—so teams can move confidently toward a competitive submission or make an informed decision to walk away.

How much would BW&CO Charge?

With a flat rate of $4000, you’d work with our grant writing team to put the solution summary together and submit before the March 4th deadline.

Additional Resources

Review the solicitation here.