Status: Open. 3-page white papers accepted continuously through ERDCWERX; the federal contracting site (SAM) lists October 30, 2028.
Executive Summary
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) builds and maintains infrastructure for the Army and the nation, from military bases to dams and waterways. Its Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, Mississippi, is its research arm. On October 28, 2026, ERDC posted Broad Other Transaction Authority Announcement (BOTAA) 27-01, a standing call for prototype ideas in two of its core areas: Military Engineering and Engineered Resilient Systems. It replaces BOTAA 25-01 from October 2024.
Awards are prototype Other Transaction (OT) agreements, a flexible award type outside standard federal contracting rules, paid against firm-fixed-price milestones. A successful prototype can lead to a follow-on production award without a new competition. The first step is a 3-page white paper, accepted at any time.
Solicitation at a Glance
- Agency: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)
- Opportunity: Broad Other Transaction Authority Announcement (BOTAA) 27-01, a standing open call for prototype projects
- Notice: W912HZ27BOTAA (posted October 28, 2026)
- Award Vehicle: Prototype Other Transactions under 10 U.S.C. 4022, firm-fixed-price milestone payments; follow-on production OT possible
- Funding: No program total or award size published; availability of funds may limit awards in some areas
- Focus Areas: 17 (10 Military Engineering, 7 Engineered Resilient Systems)
- First Step: 3-page white paper with a rough order of magnitude (ROM) price
- Due Date: Continuously open; SAM lists October 30, 2028
Think your company fits one of the 17 focus areas? Talk with BW&CO before you write the white paper.
What Is ERDC BOTAA 27-01?
It is a standing announcement that lets companies propose prototype projects to ERDC at any time, instead of waiting for a topic-specific solicitation. ERDC reviews white papers as they arrive. Selected ideas can move to a solution pitch, a demonstration or a Request for Prototype Proposal (RFPP).
What Problem Is ERDC Trying to Solve?
ERDC supports the Army and other Department of War customers with engineering research: protecting forces and infrastructure, moving vehicles and equipment through hard terrain, repairing airfields, ports and bridges quickly, and using high performance computing (HPC) to design, test and maintain systems. BOTAA 27-01 asks industry for prototypes that move those capabilities forward.
Focus Areas: What ERDC Is Looking For
Military Engineering (ME):
- Protective Structures and Systems: fighting positions, outposts and base camps; perimeter, port and border security; surveillance and warning
- Protection and Survivability: hardening key infrastructure, camouflage, detectability and recoverability
- Geophysical Sensors and Data Fusion: monitoring threats and critical infrastructure in urban, subterranean and complex terrain
- Vulnerability Assessment, Detection and Analytics: force protection, mission assurance and disruption from combat, disaster or disease
- Geoscience, Environmental, Geospatial and Material Modeling and Simulation: materials by design, sensor clutter, weapons effects on structures
- Enhance and Assess Mobility of Manned and Unmanned Systems: ground vehicles and watercraft in hard terrain, gap crossing, obstacle breaching, mobility prediction
- Engineering and Engineering Enabling Technologies: combat engineering, materials, manufacturing, virtual prototyping, operational energy, autonomous systems, prime power
- Global Access Engineering: assessing soils, ice and snow, pavements, airfields, ports, bathymetry, roads, rail and bridges
- Infrastructure Maintenance, Repair and Reconstruction Technologies: rapid assessment, repair and construction of pavements, bridges, railways, ports and airfields
- Engineering Analysis Tools and Decision Aid Prototype Software
Engineered Resilient Systems (ERS):
- Cybersecurity for critical infrastructure and manufacturing control systems: industrial control systems (ICS), SCADA and PLCs
- HPC Enabled Advanced Manufacturing: including 3D printing and parts over one meter long
- High Performance Data Analytics
- System Engineering Techniques: including design trade space and condition-based maintenance
- HPC Enabled Development of Surrogate Models and Data Analytics: including physics-informed machine learning
- Leveraging HPC Capabilities for On-the-Edge Computing: electro-optical, infrared, radar and acoustic sensor processing, terrain mapping, sensor fusion
- Computational Material Testing and Validation: additively manufactured parts
Award Terms and Funding
- Award type: prototype OTs paid against firm-fixed-price milestones.
- Award conditions: the project needs a nontraditional defense contractor (most startups qualify) or nonprofit research institution participating to a significant extent; or all significant participants are small businesses or nontraditional defense contractors; or at least one-third of the cost paid by non-federal sources (cost share).
- Follow-on: a noncompetitive follow-on production OT may follow a successfully completed prototype.
- Funding: ERDC publishes no total or award size, and funding may limit awards in some areas.
- Export rules: work is subject to ITAR and EAR. Do not include classified information.
Eligibility
- Who can submit: nontraditional defense contractors (most startups and small businesses), traditional defense contractors and nonprofit research institutions.
- Registration: active registration in the federal System for Award Management (SAM) is required before award.
- Teaming: traditional contractors need significant nontraditional or nonprofit participation, or one-third cost share.
How to Submit
- Pick the focus area: choose the Military Engineering or Engineered Resilient Systems area that fits.
- Write the white paper: no more than 3 pages (the portal-generated cover page does not count). Cover background and benefits, a technical approach with a clearly defined prototype, data rights assertions, and a ROM price including any cost share.
- Format: 12-point Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, PDF under 20 MB.
- Submit: through the ERDCWERX white paper portal for ME or ERS.
What Happens After You Submit?
- Response: ERDC usually replies within 60 to 90 days.
- Next step if selected: a solution pitch, a demonstration or a Request for Prototype Proposal (RFPP).
- Unfunded but selected: ERDC can keep the white paper in an electronic library for up to three years until funding is available.
Is This Opportunity a Good Fit for Your Company?
It fits construction tech and infrastructure inspection companies, sensor and geospatial analytics firms, uncrewed vehicle and boat makers, materials and protective structures startups, industrial control system cybersecurity firms, HPC, simulation and AI software teams, and additive manufacturing companies. Companies without a defined prototype, or whose work depends on classified information, should wait or team with a partner.
How BW&CO Can Help
BW&CO has helped deep-tech and dual-use founders secure more than $350M in non-dilutive funding. For standing calls like ERDC BOTAA 27-01, we help you:
- Pick the focus area: match your technology to the ME or ERS area ERDC is most likely to fund.
- Define the prototype: turn a capability into a clearly scoped prototype with milestones.
- Write the white paper: fit the approach, data rights and ROM price into 3 pages.
- Meet the OT conditions: plan nontraditional participation, teaming or cost share.
- Prepare for the next step: get ready for a pitch, demonstration or RFPP.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is ERDC BOTAA 27-01 due?
It is continuously open. SAM lists October 30, 2028.
How long is the white paper?
Three pages, not counting the portal-generated cover page.
How much funding is available?
ERDC publishes no total or award size, and funding may limit awards in some areas.
What award type is used?
Prototype Other Transactions with firm-fixed-price milestone payments.
Do I need a partner?
Not if your company is a nontraditional defense contractor or small business playing a significant role. Otherwise the project needs significant nontraditional or nonprofit participation, or one-third cost share.
Can a startup with no government contracts submit?
Yes. Most startups count as nontraditional defense contractors. You need SAM registration before award, not before submitting.
What happens if ERDC likes my idea but has no money yet?
ERDC can keep a selected white paper in its electronic library for up to three years until funding is available.
Is this the same as the ERDC Navigation Survey Rodeo?
No. The Rodeo is a separate ERDCWERX prize challenge.
Can BW&CO help with an ERDC BOTAA 27-01 white paper?
Yes. BW&CO helps companies pick the right focus area, write the 3-page white paper with a clear prototype and rough price, and plan the team or cost share an OT award needs. Book a call with our team.
Source: SAM: W912HZ27BOTAA; ERDCWERX: BOTAA 27-01