The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) often selects its research efforts through the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) process. This publication constitutes a BAA as contemplated in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.102(d)(2) and 35.016 and 2 CFR § 200.203. Any resultant award negotiations will follow all pertinent law and regulation, and any negotiations and/or awards for procurement contracts will use procedures under FAR 15.4, Contract Pricing, as specified in the BAA. The following information is for those wishing to respond to the BAA.
Current warfighting systems are largely based on Concepts of Operations involving large, expensive, legacy platforms. These platforms are costly and time-consuming to develop. Although they provide unmatched capability, the significant investment they represent means that they must stay in service for decades, much longer than the evolution of the threat environment. In a dynamic high-end competition, these platforms are difficult to update with new technologies or modify in light of responsive threats. Moreover, these high-value systems are increasingly targeted by adversaries, and require significant investment for self-protection at the expense of force application. In addition, exquisite systems designed for high-end adversaries may be unaffordable in sufficient number for defending the homeland and an expensive overmatch for stabilization efforts. TTO seeks to identify, develop, and demonstrate systems that break the warfighter’s dependence on these increasingly outdated or vulnerable platforms, through approaches such as disaggregation, increased refresh opportunities, life cycle cost savings, leveraging of commercial technology, and similar approaches that provide the above benefits while retaining or increasing operational utility across a broader spectrum of strategic needs.
TTO also seeks to develop technologies to inflict doubt on our adversaries, to create strategic delays and create space and time for a U.S. response. In order to transform the battlespace, TTO seeks to reimagine the order of battle via a prism of disaggregation, diversification, dispersion, disruption and doubt. DARPA is built on a foundation of pivotal investments in high-risk technologies for national security; the Office-wide BAA represents a critical portal for innovation and initial investment towards developing the DARPA portfolio. TTO views the Office-wide BAA as an opportunity to gain knowledge or understanding necessary to determine the means by which a specific need may be met. Submissions should describe how an investment would provide the unique insight into the problem TTO is trying to solve, and quantifiably substantiate those assertions. These insights may include proof-of-concept prototypes, system analyses, or any other work product that identifies the path to a new demonstration concept. TTO encourages approaches that prove (or disprove) this unique insight as fast as possible – TTO is interested in quickly identifying promising technologies and moving them to the next phase of development.
TTO will seek innovative ways to develop, demonstrate, and employ breakthrough
technologies to generate surprise and leap-ahead military capability while adhering to the
DARPA Imperatives: defend the homeland against existential threats, deter and prevail
against high end adversary, and effectively prosecute stabilization efforts. TTO currently
has a strong portfolio supporting the deter and prevail against high end adversary imperative and will continue system demonstrations in this area. Specific emphasis will be placed on effectively prosecuting stabilization efforts. TTO will continue to work novel approaches and demonstrations supporting ground, air, space and maritime domains. To defend the homeland against existential threats, TTO will investigate novel ways to counter known and emerging threats. As such, TTO is explicitly not interested in approaches or technologies that offer incremental or evolutionary advancements beyond state-of-the-art. To see what DARPA/TTO is already investing in, please visit us online.
TTO recommends submitting an executive summary prior to a proposal abstract or a full
proposal submission to have your concept reviewed by TTO personnel to gauge interest.
