Geospatial Intelligence Processing And Exploitation (Geopex)

The Department of the Air Force, through the Air Force Materiel Command and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at the Rome Research Site, has issued a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) titled Geospatial Intelligence Processing and Exploitation (GeoPEX), under announcement number FA8750-21-S-7006. This BAA is focused on advancing research, development, integration, testing, and evaluation of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) technologies. The AFRL seeks to enhance the Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community’s ability to analyze, process, and exploit geospatial data from a wide range of sources, including imagery, radar, hyperspectral, and other multi-sensor platforms, to ensure more accurate and timely intelligence support for planning, decision-making, and operational needs. The program builds on prior initiatives, such as the Knowledge Aided GEOINT Latency Reduction (KAGLR) effort, and is designed to expand the DoD and Intelligence Community’s GEOINT capabilities. Research areas include full-spectrum GEOINT, artificial intelligence and machine learning applications, cloud-based high-performance computing, photogrammetry, and 3D point cloud modeling. The AFRL emphasizes the importance of improving analytic workflows, developing faster and more precise data processing techniques, and reducing latency in intelligence delivery. The program calls for pioneering collection strategies and integration of new analytic tradecraft to address intelligence gaps, ensure cost efficiency, and enable flexible GEOINT solutions. The BAA is structured as a two-step open announcement, effective until September 30, 2026. Step one requires the submission of white papers, with full proposals accepted by invitation only. Suggested white paper submission dates correspond with fiscal year funding cycles, with deadlines of September 30 for each fiscal year through 2025. While submissions will be accepted until the final closing date, applicants are encouraged to align with the annual funding cycles to increase the likelihood of support. White papers should follow AFRL formatting guidelines, be 3–5 pages long, and include sections on objectives, technical summaries, and deliverables. The estimated total funding for this BAA is approximately $99.9 million, distributed across fiscal years 2022 through 2026. Individual awards are anticipated to range from $250,000 to $10 million, with most awards not exceeding 24 months in duration, though the program does allow for awards of longer duration or higher value as long as they do not exceed the overall BAA ceiling. Multiple awards are expected, and the types of funding instruments include procurement contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or other transactions, depending on the nature of the work proposed. Eligibility is open to all qualified applicants, but foreign participation is generally prohibited except under certain conditions for fundamental research or approved Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) mitigation plans. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and government entities may participate only if they meet specific statutory and regulatory conditions. Small businesses, academic institutions, nonprofits, and private sector organizations are encouraged to apply, particularly where partnerships with other entities strengthen technical solutions. Restrictions on non-U.S. citizens working on projects are also detailed, particularly regarding access to AFRL facilities and networks. Applications will be reviewed using criteria that include overall scientific and technical merit, related experience, maturity and assurance of solutions, and reasonableness of proposed costs. Evaluation follows a two-step process: white papers are first reviewed for potential interest, with successful applicants invited to submit full proposals. The Government reserves the right to select all, part, or none of the submissions, depending on funding and mission alignment. Administrative requirements, such as compliance with export control regulations, human subject protections (if applicable), and cybersecurity provisions, are also included. For submission and inquiries, technical questions and white paper submissions should be directed to the program’s Technical Point of Contact, Bernard J. Clarke, at Bernard.Clarke@us.af.mil or (315) 330-2106. Contractual and business-related questions should be addressed to Contracting Officer Amber Buckley at Amber.Buckley@us.af.mil. An Ombudsman is also available for conflict resolution. The final deadline for submission is September 30, 2026, though proposers are encouraged to submit in line with the fiscal year cycles to align with anticipated funding availability.

Follow AFRL formatting requirements, communicate with program officers, comply with export control and cybersecurity rules