Solicitation
Resilient
Department of Defense · Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
AI summaryDARPA's Defense Sciences Office wants research teams to build a portable machine that ages concrete samples more than 1,000 times faster than nature, plus a computer model that predicts how real concrete structures will fail. It is a two-phase research agreement (an Other Transaction, not a standard contract) worth at most $2,000,000 total over about 24 months. A short abstract had to be submitted first, and its deadline was September 9, 2026 (passed). More in the summary
A newer version of this notice was posted Sep 28, 2026. See the latest version.
This opportunity has closed (responses were due Oct 19, 2026)
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AI summary Beta
Summary of another version of this notice: check what changed on SAM.gov. This summary may miss requirements: 2 of 6 attachments weren't read (Resilient_Streamlined_Cost_Buildup_Workbook_Amendment_1.xlsx, Resilient_Data_Submission_Template.xlsx). Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
DARPA's Defense Sciences Office wants research teams to build a portable machine that ages concrete samples more than 1,000 times faster than nature, plus a computer model that predicts how real concrete structures will fail. It is a two-phase research agreement (an Other Transaction, not a standard contract) worth at most $2,000,000 total over about 24 months. A short abstract had to be submitted first, and its deadline was September 9, 2026 (passed).
Who can bid (5)
- A conforming abstract had to be submitted first to be allowed to submit a full proposal.
- CMMC Level 1 (Self-Assessment) status for the prime posted in SPRS, plus a current annual affirmation. Subcontractors handling federal contract information need Level 1; those handling controlled unclassified information need the level set by this solicitation.
- Agree in writing to have your historical data aggregated and shared with the other selected performers.
Show all 5Show fewer
- FFRDCs, UARCs, Government entities and National Laboratories cannot be the prime bidder and can only join as subcontractors under limited conditions.
- No set-aside applies; the notice lists the set-aside as none.
How to submit: DARPA BAA Portal at https://baa.darpa.mil, as one zip file (.zip or .zipx), 100 MB maximum, unclassified only. You must click Finalize for the upload to count. Email submissions are not accepted., due Proposal due October 19, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (questions close October 12, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. ET). What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (10)
From the version posted Sep 28, 2026.
- Serious: Date passed (Sep 9, 2026): Abstract deadline has already passed. A conforming abstract was required before a proposal, and it was due September 9, 2026, before this notice was posted on SAM.gov, so a new bidder may not be eligible.
- Serious: Very hard research problem with strict metrics. The goal is more than 1,000x faster concrete aging with failure time predicted within 10 percent, which needs deep materials-science and modeling capability and a $2M cap for everything.
- Serious: Weak proposals can be dropped without review. Proposals without calculations or evidence that they can reach the metrics may be thrown out, and unrequested information may not be evaluated.
Show all 10Show fewer
- Worth checking: Must share your data with competitors. Your historical degradation data goes into a master database shared with every other selected performer, which may be a problem for proprietary data.
- Worth checking: Machine must be transportable by pickup truck. The Phase 2 prototype must be light enough to move in a standard pickup, which limits hardware design.
- Worth checking: Phase 2 is not guaranteed. Half the award value is an option, and meeting Phase 1 metrics does not secure it.
- Worth checking: Agreement terms assumed accepted. Unless you mark up the sample OT agreement, DARPA treats its terms as accepted, and talks can end if terms are not agreed.
- Worth checking: Source code and hardware go to the Government. Milestones require delivering model source code, system design documents and possibly the machines themselves, so intellectual property terms need a close look.
- Minor: Tight award date. DARPA may stop negotiating if the agreement is not signed by December 18, 2026.
- Minor: Questions were due Oct 12, 2026. Check the amendments for the agency's answers.
Read from the notice and 4 attachments. 2 of 6 not read. Show which files.
- DARPA-PA-25-07-04-Amendment-01.pdf (read)
- DARPA-PA-25-07-04.pdf (read)
- Resilient_Amendment_1_Summary_of_Changes.docx (read)
- Abstract_Template_-_Resilient.docx (read)
- Resilient_Streamlined_Cost_Buildup_Workbook_Amendment_1.xlsx: not read (the AI doesn't read this file type yet): open it on SAM.gov
- Resilient_Data_Submission_Template.xlsx: not read (the AI doesn't read this file type yet): open it on SAM.gov
Full summary
What they want
- A Material Accelerator: a transportable test platform that ages many concrete samples at once under combined loads, chemicals and temperature cycling
- More than 1,000x acceleration of real-world concrete aging by the end of Phase 2 (more than 100x by the end of Phase 1)
- A physics-based Scalability Model that predicts large-structure failure from small sample data
- Historical concrete degradation data from your own research or public sources, loaded into a Government template and shared with other performers
- Testing on your own concrete mixes and at least two Government-defined mixes, in at least 2 test combinations in Phase 1 and 4 in Phase 2
- Benchtop prototype in Phase 1 and a prototype that fits a standard pickup truck in Phase 2
- 13 fixed milestones with reports, datasets, software source code and hardware, plus in-person meetings at months 6, 12 and 24
- Contract type
- Other Transaction for Prototype agreement with fixed payable milestones (13), issued as a DARPA Disruption Opportunity
- Period of performance
- Phase 1 base: 12 months. Phase 2 option: 12 months. Combined should not exceed 24 months. Planned program start: December 18, 2026.
- Estimated value
- Up to $2,000,000 total ($1,000,000 per phase), including Government funding and any cost share
- Contract vehicle
- DARPA Program Announcement for Disruptioneering, DARPA-PA-25-07 Amendment 1
- Offers due
- Proposal due October 19, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (questions close October 12, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. ET)
- How to submit
- DARPA BAA Portal at https://baa.darpa.mil, as one zip file (.zip or .zipx), 100 MB maximum, unclassified only. You must click Finalize for the upload to count. Email submissions are not accepted.
- Page limits
- Not stated in these files (proposal format is in Section 5 of the Program Announcement). The Data and Sourcing Narrative is limited to 2 pages.
What to include when you submit
- Use the templates attached to DARPA-PA-25-07 Amendment 1, including the Task Description Document template
- Volume 1 Technical Proposal: include a Data and Sourcing Narrative and a signed Data Sharing Agreement statement
- Volume 2 Price Volume: complete the 'Schedule of Milestones and Payments' tab of the Resilient Streamlined Cost Buildup Workbook Amendment 1
- Volume 3 covers data rights assertions
- Include a notional test and safety plan for both phases, and a field safety plan if using hazardous chemicals outside a lab
- Budget for PI meetings at months 6, 12 and 24 and one DARPA site visit per phase; leave out conference and publication costs
- Optionally send the DO OT Sample agreement with tracked-change edits; with no edits DARPA assumes you accept its terms
- Prime must attest that subcontractors meet the required CMMC level and describe how it will verify them
- Create a BAA Portal account early; account setup can take up to a month
- Questions go only to Resilient@darpa.mil
Not in the notice text
- How proposals are scored: evaluation criteria and weights are in Section 6 of DARPA-PA-25-07 Amendment 1, which was not read (it may be an attached file the AI skipped; check SAM.gov)
- Page limits and format for the technical and price volumes (Section 5 of the Program Announcement) are not in these files
- The Streamlined Cost Buildup Workbook and the Resilient Data Submission Template were not read, so milestone payment amounts and data fields are unknown
- Whether cost share is required is unclear; the notice says only 'if required or proposed'
- Place of performance and PI meeting locations are not stated
- Terms of the sample OT agreement and data rights are not in these files
- Whether a new bidder can still enter given the passed abstract deadline is not addressed
Notice details
- Posted
- Aug 20, 2026
- Notice type
- Solicitation
- Office
- Def Advanced Research Projects Agcy, Arlington, VA
- Product/service code
- AC12 · National Defense R&D Services; Department of Defense – Military; Applied Research
- Business type
- Engineering, architecture & research (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 541715)
- Versions
12 versions have been posted. The newest 8 are listed, newest first.
- Sep 28, 2026 · AmendmentDue Oct 19, 2026 (changed)
- Sep 25, 2026 · AmendmentDue Oct 30, 2026
- Sep 11, 2026 · AmendmentDue Oct 30, 2026 (changed)
- Sep 4, 2026 · AmendmentDue Oct 19, 2026
- Aug 21, 2026 · AmendmentDue Oct 19, 2026
- Aug 20, 2026 · Amendment 0001 (this version)Due Oct 19, 2026 (changed)
- Aug 19, 2026 · AmendmentDue Sep 29, 2026
- Sep 30, 2025 · SolicitationDue Sep 29, 2026
- Attachments
Full notice text from SAM.gov
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is issuing a Disruption Opportunity (DO), inviting submissions of innovative basic or applied research concepts in the technical domain of accelerated materials testing and prediction for concrete. This DO is issued under the Program Announcement for Disruptioneering, DARPA-PA-25-07 Amendment 1. All awards will be made in the form of an “Disruptioneering – Other Transaction for Prototype Agreement SAMPLE” (DO OT Sample) project. The total award value for the combined Phase 1 (base, not to exceed $1,000,000) and Phase 2 (option, not to exceed $1,000,000) is limited to $2,000,000. This total award value includes Government funding and performer cost share if required or proposed.