TTO Office Wide (OW) BAA 2025

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), through its Tactical Technology Office (TTO), has released an amended Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for its Office-Wide 2025 funding opportunity. This BAA is designed to solicit innovative ideas and technical solutions from a broad community of researchers and developers. DARPA, a component of the U.S. Department of Defense, is tasked with making pivotal early investments in breakthrough technologies for national security. The Tactical Technology Office, one of DARPA's technical offices, focuses on the development of advanced systems and platforms that provide decisive operational advantages for U.S. military forces. The TTO Office-Wide BAA 2025 seeks proposals in four specific focus areas: Design/Build/Buy, Surge and Sustain, Long Range Effects, and Disruptive Innovation. Each of these thematic areas addresses critical defense needs ranging from agile system design and manufacturing to the development of novel systems capable of operating in denied environments or creating disruptive effects on the battlefield. For instance, the Design/Build/Buy area emphasizes faster and more efficient approaches to system design and manufacturing. Surge and Sustain focuses on supply chain resilience and the ability to mass-produce systems as needed. Long Range Effects targets technologies that can operate effectively in anti-access/area-denial environments, and Disruptive Innovation explores unconventional or asymmetric technological advantages. DARPA anticipates making multiple awards under this BAA using a variety of funding mechanisms, including procurement contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and other transactions. The agency is interested in revolutionary, not evolutionary, advances and will evaluate proposals primarily based on scientific and technical merit, relevance to DARPA’s mission, and cost realism. The BAA explicitly notes that cost-sharing is not mandatory, but may be a positive factor for proposals with commercial application potential. Submissions should avoid low-risk strategies designed to reduce apparent costs at the expense of innovation. Proposals will undergo DARPA’s standard scientific review process. The submission process includes an Executive Summary stage and a Full Proposal stage. Executive Summaries are strongly encouraged before a Full Proposal and may receive a letter of encouragement or discouragement from DARPA. Importantly, Full Proposals will only be reviewed if accompanied by a signed “Encourage Full Proposal” letter. This process ensures efficient use of both proposer and agency time and resources. Proposals must be submitted through DARPA’s Broad Agency Announcement Tool (BAAT) following detailed instructions in Attachments A through D. There are also options for Pitch Days and workshop-specific submissions via Special Notices. The key application deadlines are as follows: Executive Summaries are due by April 17, 2026, and Full Proposals are due by June 22, 2026, both at 4:00 PM ET. Questions must also be submitted by April 17, 2026. A Proposers Day will be held October 1–2, 2025, with an anticipated Special Notice released by August 4, 2025. All submissions must comply with DARPA’s strict requirements for data integrity and accuracy, particularly regarding the use of AI tools to generate or enhance data. Non-compliant or duplicate submissions may be rejected without review. This solicitation is open to all responsible sources including U.S. and non-U.S. entities. While Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), small and disadvantaged businesses, and minority institutions are encouraged to apply, no part of this opportunity is set aside specifically for them due to the nature of the research. Additionally, University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) are discouraged from applying unless granted a waiver. Depending on the nature of the research proposed, projects may be classified as fundamental or non-fundamental research, and award language will reflect this determination.

Avoid duplicate or AI-enhanced data; proposals must reflect actual work; emphasize technical merit and cost realism.