Bringing Classified Innovation to Defense and Government Systems (BRIDGES) Presolicitation
DARPA seeks small business concerns and other nontraditional defense contractors without facility clearances to obtain clearances and perform classified work supporting classified DoD technical challenges.
RESTRICTED TO: SMALL BUSINESS SBIR STTR
⚑ Presolicitation notice; no deadline stated in the summary notice. · Intended for small business concerns and nontraditional defense contractors without facility clearances. · Classified work requires facility clearance; universities cannot lead under this solicitation as described.
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 70 strong | SBIR/STTR — core Hub pipeline (faculty founders + small-business partners); prototyping/demonstration stage; deep-tech content |
| IPPRA | 35 weak | portfolio topic: national_security_defense (primary); social/behavioral work is none; funds other — not a research fit; university can only partner, not lead |
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 35 weak | technical depth: substantial; funds other (capped) |
Description
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is looking for small business concerns and/or nontraditional defense contractors, that do not have facility clearances but are interested in performing classified work for the Department of Defense (DoD). The BRIDGES initiative seeks to assist small companies with disruptive ideas gain facility clearances so that they can bring innovation to the DoD, and help solve classified technical challenges. A virtual Q&A session will be held on October 24, 2022, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm eastern time. Registration for the Q&A session is required by October 19, 2022. Please see the attached document for more details.
Eligibility
Applicant restrictions (federal contract). Set-aside: . Notice type: Presolicitation. Organization: DEPT OF DEFENSE / DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY (DARPA) / DEF ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGCY.
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Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
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