Strategic Technology Office - Innovation Solutions Opening

Strategic Technology Office - Innovation Solutions Opening is sponsored by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. DARPA-PS-26-09 seeks revolutionary research ideas for topics not addressed by ongoing STO programs, including areas relevant to secure computing and formal methods.

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* **Contract Opportunity Type:** Solicitation (Updated) * **Updated Published Date:** Dec 19, 2025 02:11 pm EST * **Original Published Date:**Dec 19, 2025 02:07 pm EST * **Updated Date Offers Due:** Dec 18, 2026 11:59 pm EST * **Original Date Offers Due:**Dec 18, 2026 11:59 pm EST * **Inactive Policy:**Manual * **Updated Inactive Date:** Jan 17, 2027 * **Original Inactive Date:**Jan 17, 2027 * **Original Set Aside:** * **Product Service Code:** AC13 - NATIONAL DEFENSE R&D SERVICES; DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE - MILITARY; EXPERIMENTAL DEVELOPMENT * 541715 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) * **Place of Performance:** The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) anticipates funding a limited number of proposals under this solicitation.

Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems. The Strategic Technology Office (STO) at DARPA regularly publishes solicitations requesting responses to specific program topics.

This announcement seeks revolutionary research ideas for topics not addressed by ongoing STO programs or other published DARPA solicitations. To avoid proposals that duplicate existing activities or are responsive to other published STO solicitations, potential proposers are highly encouraged to review current STO programs and solicitations, respectively listed at http://www. darpa.

mil/about-us/offices/sto and http://www. darpa. mil/work-with-us/opportunities.

Contacting STO program managers to discuss their research interests is also encouraged. A current list of program managers is available at http://www. darpa.

mil/about-us/people. This Innovation Solutions Opening solicits under the procurement authorities of 10 U.S. Code § 4001, 10 U.S.C. § 4021, 10 U.S.C.

§ 4022, and 10 U.S.C. § 4023, that allow procurement activities authority to enter into agreements with industry, academia, and other organizations to fund research and development through cooperative agreements, Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) for research, OTAs for prototypes, and procurement for experimental purposes.

Proposals received as a result of this Innovation Solutions Opening will be evaluated by the Government in accordance with the evaluation criteria specified herein through a scientific review process. DARPA solicitations are posted on the SAM website under the Contract Opportunities link at https://sam. gov/.

The following information is for those wishing to respond to the Innovation Solutions Opening. 1. 1.

STO MISSION AND THRUST AREAS DARPA's STO is a systems warfare office that seeks innovative and disruptive technologies for existing and future battlespaces. STO programs deliver solutions at speed and scale for today's warfighters while developing the resilient "breakthrough" systems and technologies across all physical domains (Air, Space, Sea, and Land) and across the spectrum of competition.

STO does not focus on one area of responsibility or phenomenology. Instead, STO programs capture the strategic, logistical, and tactical complexity of today's national security environments. STO seeks to create new "proof-of-concept" mission systems.

1. 2.

TOPIC AREAS OF INTEREST Research areas of current interest to STO include, but are not limited to, the following topics: • Acoustic communication and sensing • Architecture and advanced systems engineering • Artificial intelligence • Autonomy and control algorithms • Command and control (C2) • Communications and networking, virtual and adaptive • Critical infrastructure defense • Decision aids and C2 technology • DevOps and novel software development and integration • Distributed autonomy and teaming (machine-machine, human-machine) • Effects chain functions (disaggregated find, fix, track, target, engage, assess) • Electro-optic/infrared sensors • Electromagnetic warfare (EW) • High-frequency (HF) communications and sensing • High voltage electric power systems and architecture • Human behavior modeling • Human-machine symbiosis • Integration and reliability technologies • Modeling and simulation • Microwave and millimeter wave communications and sensing • Non-kinetic effects (EW, DE, cyber) • Radio technologies (especially software-defined and novel waveforms and processing) • Radar and adaptive arrays • Seekers and other expendable sensors and processing • Space sensors, communications, autonomy, and architectures (especially supporting proliferated low earth orbit constellations) • Strategy analysis technology • Undersea and seabed technology • Tactics development technology • Testing and data collection • Very low earth orbit (VLEO) technology • Very low frequency (VLF) technology * 675 NORTH RANDOLPH STREET * ARLINGTON , VA 222032114 * **Dec 19, 2025 02:11 pm EST**Solicitation (Updated) * **Dec 19, 2025 02:07 pm EST**Solicitation (Original)