Defense Production Act Title III Expansion of Domestic Production Capability and Capacity

The Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III Expansion of Domestic Production Capability and Capacity is a hybrid Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) released by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Materials and Manufacturing Directorate (AFRL/RX), on behalf of the Department of Defense (DoD). This initiative operates under the authority of Title III of the Defense Production Act of 1950 and seeks to strengthen national security by incentivizing domestic manufacturers to expand or restore the production of critical technology items and industrial resources. The FOA, operating under Announcement Number FA8650-19-S-5010, remains open until July 12, 2026, with periodic amendments, the most recent being Amendment 5 issued on July 1, 2025. This FOA operates under two distinct submission pathways: (1) Open FOA and (2) FOA with Calls. The Open FOA follows a two-step process where applicants submit white papers and, upon favorable review, may be invited to submit a full proposal. FOA with Calls uses a one-step process where specific project opportunities, known as Calls, are issued and proposals are directly submitted in response. At present, the government has suspended white paper submissions under the Open FOA pathway until further notice. Interested parties must monitor the official U.S. government awards site (https://SAM.gov) for updates and Call announcements. The primary objective of this grant is to address industrial base shortfalls by funding projects that fall into three major topic areas: Sustainment of Critical Production, Commercialization of Research and Development Investments, and Scaling of Emerging Technologies. Projects must provide evidence that the item or resource is essential to national defense, that U.S. industry alone cannot meet demand in a timely manner, and that Title III support is the most efficient and effective solution. A 50% cost-sharing arrangement is required to the maximum extent practicable. Funding under this FOA may be allocated through Technology Investment Agreements (TIAs), though Cooperative Agreements may be considered in rare cases. The estimated total program funding is $9 billion, split evenly between government and recipient contributions. Individual project awards typically range from $10 million to $25 million, though deviations are possible based on mission needs. Multiple awards are anticipated, and projects may have periods of performance of up to ten years. Only domestic sources, as defined under the DPA, are eligible to apply. This includes business concerns based in the U.S., Canada, Australia, or the United Kingdom that perform the bulk of development and production work within those countries. Applicants must also comply with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and complete a NIST SP 800-171 Self-Assessment with a published score in the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS). All submissions must be unclassified and follow strict formatting requirements. White papers and proposals must include proof of domestic eligibility and address all Title III criteria. Submissions are processed through DoD SAFE and require prior invitation from the Contracting/Agreements Point of Contact. The evaluation process for proposals considers manufacturing capability, technical approach, business viability, merchant supplier orientation, and cost realism. Additional support documentation, including Summary Business Plans and Statements of Work, is required as part of the proposal package. Contact points for technical and contracting inquiries include Jeffrey T. Hubert (AFRL.DPA.TitleIandIII@us.af.mil) and contracting officers Melanie Kiplinger and Justin Hull (AFRL.RXKM.TitleIII@us.af.mil).

All submissions must be unclassified. Follow strict formatting rules. Ensure SAM registration is current. Only proposals from domestic sources will be reviewed.