Solicitation
Defense Sciences Office (DSO) Office-wide BAA
Dept of Defense · Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) · Sol. HR001126S0015
Due in 321 days
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DARPA's Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is running a long-running open call for revolutionary basic and applied research ideas for national security that are not covered by its other programs. You first send a short executive summary or abstract, then a full proposal. DARPA may award procurement contracts, cooperative agreements, or Other Transaction agreements, and expects to make multiple awards. Everything is due on a rolling basis by 4:00 PM Eastern on August 27, 2027.
Watch out for
- Basic research, not a normal service contract. DARPA wants revolutionary science and technology ideas, so this suits research-heavy firms and teams, not routine contractors.
DSO is explicitly not interested in approaches or
- Two-step process before the full proposal. You must send an executive summary or abstract first and wait for DARPA's reply, which can take 30 to 60 days, so start well before the August 2027 close.
Prior to submitting a full proposal, proposers MUST first submit an executive
- CMMC status needed in SPRS. A small company needs its CMMC Level 1 status and annual affirmation posted in SPRS before award, and possibly Level 2 if CUI is involved.
with the prime proposer must reflect a current CMMC status (representing either Final or
- Heavy cost paperwork for procurement contracts. A contract award can require certified cost or pricing data and an approved cost accounting system (SF 1408), which many small firms lack.
certified cost or pricing data shall be required if the proposer is seeking a procurement contract award per the referenced threshold
- No accounting system review means extra forms. If you want a cost-type contract and have no DCAA-reviewed accounting system, you must complete and file SF 1408 with your proposal.
Proposers that do not have a Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) compliant cost accounting system that has been reviewed/approved by DCAA
- Only one submission at a time. Extra submissions sent before DARPA replies may be rejected, so you cannot test several ideas at once.
Proposing PIs may only submit one (1) submission of any type at a time to this
- Possible publication restrictions. The model contracts say the work is expected not to be fundamental research, which would require DARPA approval before publishing results.
DARPA expects the work performed under this contract will NOT be fundamental
Read from the notice and 12 attachments. 5 not read in full.
- HR001126S0015.pdf
- Attachment_H_Classified_Submission_Requirements_Instructions_and_Procedures.docx
- Attachment_F_Proposal_Instructions_and_Volume_II_Template__Cost.docx
- Attachment_E_Proposal_Instructions_and_Volume_I_Template_Technical_and_Management.docx
- Attachment_C_Abstract_Instructions_and_Template.docx
- Attachment_P_Model_Cooperative_Agreement.docx
- Attachment_O_DSO_General_Controlled_Unclassified_Information_Guide_CUIG_signed.pdf
- Attachment_N_Accelerated_Contract_Award_Option_Model_OT_Agreement_for_Research.docx
- Attachment_M_Accelerated_Contract_Award_Option_Model_OT_Agreement_for_Prototype.docx
- Attachment_L_Accelerated_Contract_Award_Option_Baseline_Model_Contract_Addendum_Additional_Circumstance-Driven_Clauses.docx
- Attachment_K_Accelerated_Contract_Award_Option_Model_Contract__Small_Business_.pdf
- Attachment_J_Accelerated_Contract_Award_Option_Model_Contract__Large_Business_.pdf
- Attachment_G_DARPA_Cost_Proposal_Spreadsheet.xlsx: spreadsheet: not read yet
- Attachment_D_Proposal_Summary_Slides_Template.pptx: .pptx files aren't read yet
- Attachment_B_Abstract_Summary_Side_Template.pptx: .pptx files aren't read yet
- Attachment_A_Executive_Summary_Template.docx: over the file limit for one brief
- Attachment_I_Accelerated_Award_Option_Election_and_Attestation_Form.docx: over the file limit for one brief
Full brief
What they want
- Thrust 1: Materials, manufacturing and energy systems (new materials, manufacturing flexibility, propulsion, energy availability)
- Thrust 2: Sensing, measuring and affecting (orders-of-magnitude gains in awareness, communications and control)
- Thrust 3: Math, computation and processing (quantum computing and rethinking classical computing)
- Thrust 4: Complex, dynamic and intelligent systems (from materials to human-AI ecosystems)
- Novel ideas in areas DSO has not considered are also welcome
- Not wanted: evolutionary improvements to what exists, or manufacturing scale-up
- Contract type
- Open to Procurement Contracts, Cooperative Agreements, Other Transaction for Research and Other Transaction for Prototype; multiple awards anticipated. Model contracts for the accelerated award option are cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF).
- Contract vehicle
- DARPA Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) HR001126S0015, DSO Office-wide, under FAR 6.102(d)(2) and 35.016
- How they'll choose
- Scientific review of proposals against three criteria listed in descending order of importance. Executive summaries and abstracts are screened only for fit and conformity.
- Offers due
- Rolling until 4:00 PM Eastern on August 27, 2027 for executive summaries, abstracts and proposals. Questions are due by 4:00 PM on August 6, 2027.
- How to submit
- Executive summaries and abstracts go through DARPA's Broad Agency Announcement Tool (BAAT) at https://baa.darpa.mil. Questions and contact: HR001126S0015@darpa.mil. Cooperative agreement proposals also use Grants.gov for the SF 424 (R&R) budget. The full proposal upload steps are in the part of the BAA that was not included in the text provided.
- Page limits
- Abstract: 5 pages. Volume I (technical and management): 20 pages. Cost volume (Volume II): no page limit.
What they'll judge offers on
- Overall scientific and technical merit
- Potential contribution and relevance to the DARPA mission
- Cost and schedule realism
What to include when you submit
- Step 1 (mandatory): submit an executive summary (Attachment A template) or an abstract (Attachments B slide template and C), then wait for DARPA's response before sending another preproposal
- Include DARPA's response letter as Attachment Q with a follow-on abstract or full proposal
- Full proposal Volume I (Attachment E) needs a transmittal letter, summary, goals and impact, technical plan, capabilities, statement of work, schedule and milestones, management plan, personnel, conflict-of-interest disclosure, representations and certifications, and intellectual property sections
- Procurement contract or OT proposals also need a Volume II cost proposal (Attachment F) and the DARPA cost spreadsheet (Attachment G)
- Cooperative agreement proposals skip Attachment F and instead file the SF 424 (R&R) budget through Grants.gov
- Use 12-point font (11-point in the cost volume) and 1-inch margins; proposal validity period of at least 120 days
- Mark proprietary data clearly and state whether each task is fundamental research or CUI
- Classified material must not go through BAAT or Grants.gov; send an unclassified email to the BAA mailbox and follow Attachment H
You must have
- Must submit an executive summary or abstract before a full proposal
Prior to submitting a full proposal, proposers MUST first submit an executive
- CMMC Level 1 self-assessment at minimum for procurement contracts and OTs, met at the time of full proposal submission (Level 2 may be required if the work involves CUI; cooperative agreements are exempt for now)
CMMC Level 1 (Self-Assessment) compliant at the time of full proposal submission at a
- Current CMMC status and an annual affirmation must be posted in SPRS, linked to your entity, to be eligible for award
with the prime proposer must reflect a current CMMC status (representing either Final or
- Federally funded labs, university-affiliated research centers and government entities cannot propose
Research Centers (UARCs), and Government Entities to include National Laboratories are
- Completed representations and certifications for your award type must be submitted with the proposal
All proposers must download, complete, and submit the Representations and Certifications within this volume.
- SAM.gov Unique Entity ID (UEI), tax ID and CAGE code are listed on the proposal cover sheet
SAM.gov Unique Entity ID (UEI)
Not in the notice text
- Total funding available and typical award sizes (none stated)
- Period of performance for awards
- Full proposal upload method and the Accelerated Award Option rules, which sit in a part of the BAA that was cut from the text provided
- Which organizations beyond FFRDCs, UARCs and government laboratories may propose, if any further limits exist in the missing section
- Cost spreadsheet, slide templates and the Attachment A and I forms were not read
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Key facts
- Response due
- Aug 27, 2027, 8:00 PM UTC
- Posted
- Aug 28, 2026
- Notice type
- Solicitation
- Solicitation
- HR001126S0015
- Agency
- Dept of Defense · Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
- Office
- Def Advanced Research Projects Agcy
- NAICS
- 541715
- Product/service code
- AC11
- Business type
- Engineering, architecture & research
- Contracting contact
- BAA CoordinatorHR001126S0015@darpa.mil
What similar contracts paid
185 contracts at this agency for the same NAICS and product/service codes had activity in the last 5 years, according to USAspending.gov. Small businesses won 15% of the dollars in this market over the last 3 fiscal years.
Typical contract$2.1MMiddle half: $872K to $4.3M
Typical per year$981KValue divided by years of performance
Before you respond
Full notice text from SAM.gov
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is soliciting proposals which investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems for national security applications. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice.
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