Request for Information Trusted Partner Program

The U.S. Army Contracting Command – Aberdeen Proving Ground – Research Triangle Park (ACC-APG-RTP), in support of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory (DEVCOM ARL), has released a Request for Information (RFI) under the number DEVCOM-ARL-RFI-TPP. This RFI, posted on September 22, 2025, is intended solely for market research and planning purposes. It does not represent a formal solicitation, nor does it commit the U.S. Government to issue one in the future. Instead, the RFI seeks to identify academic institutions interested in forming trusted partnerships with ARL to advance basic and applied research across multiple technical domains. Responses are voluntary, and the government will not compensate for the preparation or submission of information. ARL is the Army’s premier basic research institution, dedicated to producing groundbreaking scientific discoveries, operationalizing those discoveries, and developing new Army capabilities. A key part of its mission is fostering collaboration with academia to expand access to expert knowledge and accelerate science-to-capability transitions. The Trusted Partner Program (TPP) described in this RFI aims to establish a cadre of external academic institutions and associated entities that can rapidly undertake research aligned with ARL’s needs. Through this structure, ARL intends to use Multiple Award Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contracts, where individual task orders will be competed among pre-vetted trusted partners to allow flexibility, speed, and agility in addressing scientific and technological requirements. The scope of the effort encompasses eleven technical research domains, including biological and biotechnology sciences, electromagnetic spectrum sciences, energy sciences, humans in complex systems, mechanical sciences, military information sciences, network and cyber sciences, photonics and quantum sciences, extreme materials, terminal effects, and weapon sciences. Additionally, interdisciplinary topics such as sensing and intelligence, UAS engineering, energetics, autonomy, protection technologies, and accurate modeling are highlighted as areas of potential collaboration. ARL expects partners to possess secure facilities and IT networks capable of handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) through Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI), and to maintain a workforce with the necessary security clearances. Participation in the TPP will require institutions to demonstrate research capacity, security infrastructure, and flexibility in supporting Army needs. While all technical areas may not be covered by one institution, the government anticipates building a network of partners who collectively provide full coverage. Institutions may also establish affiliated non-profit engineering institutes or rapid experimentation labs to facilitate cost-sharing, prototype development, and secure collaboration. Importantly, successful partnerships are expected to align with ARL’s mission values and its history of science-to-operations transitions. The RFI requests institutions provide detailed capability statements addressing interest in participation, proposal timelines, security clearances, IT infrastructure, research facilities, faculty expertise across the ARL focus areas, interdisciplinary research experience, technology transition track records, experience with government contracts, intellectual property policies, and suggestions for program improvements. Institutions are also asked to map their expertise to ARL’s technical domains and provide specific faculty contacts with experience in these fields. Collaboration history with DoD or other agencies is of particular interest. Responses to this RFI are due no later than 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on December 31, 2025. Submissions must be provided electronically in Microsoft Word or PDF format and sent to Meaghan L. Pimsler at meaghan.l.pimsler.civ@army.mil. All proprietary information will be fully protected, and interested institutions should note that responses may inform future solicitations, which will be announced separately through SAM.gov or Grants.gov.