DARPA Announces Disruptioneering Opportunities
The Defense Sciences Office (DSO) within the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) released a program announcement for the Disruptioneering program.
DSO, commonly referred to as “DARPA’s DARPA” given it’s high-risk, high-reward focus, is seeking performers who can “rapidly investigate new and nascent technologies.” Under this program announcement, DARPA will issue Distribution Opportunities (DO) through pre-soliticitation notices that will identify the specific technology domains that DARPA wants research conducted on with the goal of determining future investment and prototyping. Prototype projects could include, but are not limited to, “proofs of concept; pilots; novel applications of commercial technologies for defense purposes; creation, design, development, demonstration of technical or operational utility; or combinations of the foregoing, related to a prototype.”
Each DO will consist of two phases: Phase 1) Feasibility Study and Phase 2) Proof of Concept (if awarded). DARPA can award only Phase 1 or Phase 1 and 2 efforts, depending on the outcome of Phase 1 and funding availability. Funding awarded for a combined Phase 1 and 2 effort is limited to $2 million and a 24- month performance period. Depending on requirements of the DO, proposers are obligated to include a minimum one-third cost share per each Phase.
All responsible entities are eligible to apply, and multiple awards are anticipated to be granted. Details regarding DSO’s technical domains can be found here. The full program announcement as well as where DOs are anticipated to be posted is at https://sam.gov/opp/