Needipedia Broad Agency Announcement

The NEEDIPEDIA Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), issued under Solicitation ID HHM402-23-S-0001, is an open, continuous opportunity released by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) through the Virginia Contracting Activity. This BAA invites innovative solutions from a diverse array of contributors—ranging from traditional defense contractors to nontraditional entities such as small businesses, academic institutions, consortium participants, and independent researchers. The purpose of this BAA is to support DIA’s ongoing mission to maximize operational effectiveness and technological superiority across its national and international intelligence functions. The BAA serves as a mechanism for exploring groundbreaking ideas and technologies that address capability gaps or offer new methods for operational enhancement. Submissions may address any topic relevant to DIA’s broad mission, and applicants are encouraged to propose unique or disruptive innovations that could improve intelligence operations, information processing, data analytics, cybersecurity, communication systems, sensor integration, or strategic decision support, among others. This opportunity is not limited to any specific technical domain. Instead, it allows the agency to receive white papers covering the full scope of research and development, including physical, engineering, life sciences, and administrative technology enhancements. Projects should demonstrate a clear alignment with DIA’s operational needs and show measurable potential for enhancing intelligence capabilities. The submission process begins with the submission of a white paper, including a completed NEEDIPEDIA White Paper Cover Sheet, which has recently been updated. The white paper should outline the proposed concept, its relevance to DIA mission areas, and a rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost. Offerors whose concepts are deemed of interest may be invited to submit full proposals. The BAA allows for proposals to be received and reviewed at any point until the published close date of December 26, 2028. Offerors are typically notified of selection decisions within 60–90 days of submission. While the BAA is broad and open, participation is subject to standard federal security and acquisition requirements, including System for Award Management (SAM) registration. Applicants must also comply with relevant classification, facility clearance, and export control requirements when applicable. White papers and proposals may be evaluated by government officials or external experts bound by confidentiality agreements. Primary inquiries may be directed to Stephen E. Lee at stephen.lee@dodiis.mil, with general questions sent to ideas2action@dodiis.mil. Interested offerors are encouraged to consult the full solicitation package, including submission instructions and example white paper formats, to ensure compliance and improve the likelihood of selection. This BAA represents a key channel for innovators to engage with the intelligence community and potentially contribute solutions to support national security objectives.

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