Status: Open. White papers due November 23, 2026, 10:00 AM CT through ERDCWERX. Questions close November 9.
Executive Summary
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and its Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) launched the Navigation Survey Rodeo on October 22, 2026 to evaluate industry survey technologies for the roughly 25,000 miles of federal navigation channels USACE maintains. It covers autonomous and semi-autonomous survey vessels, and satellite-derived, crowd-sourced, and commercially or publicly available bathymetry.
Companies submit a white paper first. Selected teams present at a two-day workshop in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in December, then run field demonstrations in March or April 2027 in an inland river and a coastal inlet scenario. A prize purse of up to $300,000 is shared among the teams that complete Phase 3. Phases 1 and 2 are unfunded.
Solicitation at a Glance
- Agency: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Headquarters Navigation and the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), through ERDCWERX
- Opportunity: Navigation Survey Rodeo
- Type: Three-phase prize competition (white paper, workshop, field demonstration)
- Posted: October 22, 2026
- Funding: Aggregate prize purse not to exceed $300,000 for Phase 3, divided by the evaluation panel and proportional to the number of teams that complete Phase 3. Phases 1 and 2 are unfunded.
- Classification: Unclassified
- Due date: November 23, 2026, 10:00 AM CT
Think your company qualifies? Talk with BW&CO before the November 23 deadline.
What Is the Navigation Survey Rodeo?
The Rodeo is a structured, side-by-side test of commercial survey technology run by ERDCWERX, ERDC's partnership intermediary in Vicksburg. It moves from a scored white paper to a public workshop to field demonstrations, where vendor data is checked against data from crewed survey vessels.
What Problem Is USACE Trying to Solve?
USACE keeps about 25,000 miles of federal navigation channels open for commerce, and those channels have to be surveyed again and again to find shoaling and plan dredging. Today much of that work is done by crewed survey boats. USACE wants to know which autonomous platforms and remote bathymetry methods can do parts of that work accurately, safely and at lower cost.
Priority Technology Areas: What USACE Is Looking For
- Autonomous and semi-autonomous survey vessels (ASVs): integrated platforms with modular sensor packages, open interfaces, a safety architecture, and compatibility with multiple Army command-and-control platforms.
- Satellite-derived bathymetry (SDB), publicly and commercially available information (PAI/CAI), and crowd-sourced bathymetry (CSB): low-cost regional reconnaissance, early detection of shoaling, and open data interfaces with Army decision tools.
Phases and Schedule
- Phase 1, white papers: scored against a standard scorecard. Due November 23, 2026, 10:00 AM CT. Review runs November 23 to 30, with a virtual pitch if needed. Unfunded.
- December 1, 2026: downselected teams are notified of next steps.
- Phase 2, workshop: a two-day hybrid workshop at ERDCWERX in December 2026. Presentations are public, so do not share proprietary or sensitive details. Unfunded.
- Phase 3, field demonstrations: March or April 2027. Scenario A is an inland river and Scenario B is a coastal inlet, with locations to be decided. Vendor data is compared with crewed-vessel ground truth.
ERDCWERX calls the schedule notional, and the government may change it.
What the White Paper Covers
- Technical performance: system accuracy, processing latency, deployment footprint and regulatory compliance.
- Operational suitability: performance compared with crewed vessels across sea states, currents and turbidity.
- Technology readiness: your current TRL.
- Operational boundaries: limitations, dependencies and challenges.
Evaluation also considers business viability, expertise and organizational capacity.
Eligibility
ERDCWERX has not posted citizenship, foreign-entity or SAM.gov requirements for the Rodeo. Check the posted Q&A and ask through the ERDCWERX question form before November 9.
How to Submit
- Read the Q&A: ERDCWERX updates it periodically, and you are responsible for reviewing it before you submit.
- Use the template: download the white paper template from the ERDCWERX Rodeo page.
- Ask questions by November 9: use the ERDCWERX question form.
- Submit by November 23, 10:00 AM CT: complete the ERDCWERX online submission form.
What Happens After You Submit?
- November 23 to 30: white paper review, with a virtual pitch if needed.
- December 1: downselect notices.
- December: two-day hybrid workshop in Vicksburg.
- March or April 2027: field demonstrations, then prize decisions after Phase 3.
Is This Opportunity a Good Fit for Your Company?
It fits uncrewed surface vessel makers, hydrographic survey firms, multibeam sonar and lidar companies, satellite imagery and earth observation analytics companies, crowd-sourced depth data platforms, and geospatial AI teams. Companies without a field-ready system should weigh the cost of a spring 2027 demonstration against a prize purse that is shared among finishers.
How BW&CO Can Help
BW&CO has helped deep-tech and dual-use founders secure more than $350M in non-dilutive funding. For prize competitions like the Navigation Survey Rodeo, we help you:
- Check fit: match your system to the vessel or bathymetry track.
- Write to the scorecard: cover accuracy, latency, footprint, compliance and TRL with evidence.
- Protect your IP: plan a public workshop presentation that leaves proprietary details out.
- Plan the demonstrations: budget the time and cost of river and coastal field tests.
- Find the next step: connect the Rodeo to USACE and ERDC contract paths such as the ERDC BOTAA.
Plan Your Survey Rodeo White Paper
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there money for Phase 1?
No. Phases 1 and 2 are unfunded. The prize purse is for Phase 3.
How much can one team win?
The total purse is up to $300,000. Each award depends on how many teams complete Phase 3, as decided by the evaluation panel.
When are white papers due?
November 23, 2026, 10:00 AM CT, through the ERDCWERX submission form.
Do I need a vessel?
The vessel track does. The satellite and crowd-sourced bathymetry track appears to be data-based. Confirm in the Q&A.
Will my presentation be public?
Yes. Phase 2 workshop presentations are public, so do not include proprietary, sensitive or unpublicized information.
Who can enter?
ERDCWERX has not posted eligibility rules. Ask through the question form before November 9.
Where are the field demonstrations?
Locations are to be decided. Scenario A is an inland river and Scenario B is a coastal inlet.
Can BW&CO help with a Navigation Survey Rodeo white paper?
Yes. BW&CO can help you check fit for each technology area, shape the white paper around the scorecard, prepare a workshop presentation that protects proprietary details, and plan for the field demonstrations. Book a call with our team.
Source: ERDCWERX Navigation Survey Rodeo