The Department of Defense has issued an open announcement to solicit white papers on proposed research ideas that could be developed into prototypes as part of a push to accelerate the delivery of critical capabilities to warfighters.
DOD said Tuesday the open announcement released through the Defense Industrial Base Consortium’s other transaction authority is open to companies from the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the U.K.
The white papers should fall within one or more of the critical sectors and areas of interest and will be evaluated to be considered for Defense Production Act Title III and Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment funding.
The critical sectors listed in the announcement are kinetic capabilities, energy storage and batteries, castings and forgings, strategic and critical materials, microelectronics and workforce development.
Additional areas of interest are small unmanned aerial systems, submarine industrial base, space industrial base and emerging manufacturing technology.
“This Open Announcement will solicit new ideas for research or prototype project solutions that will benefit our industrial base,” said Laura Taylor-Kale, assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy at DOD.
“Expanding sources of supply is a key element of the vision articulated in the National Defense Industrial Strategy to help build resilient supply chains,” added Taylor-Kale.
White papers are due Sept. 30.
