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This Government Contract opportunity from Department Of Defense was posted on June 15, 2026. The submission period has ended. Browse the details below for market research, or find similar active opportunities.

Lightweight Universal Codec (LUC) Proposers Day

Closed
DARPA-SN-26-92Federal

Contract Overview

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AI Contract Overview

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The Lightweight Universal Codec (LUC) program, led by DARPA’s Information Processing Techniques Office, seeks to develop a revolutionary adaptive encoder-decoder system capable of dynamically selecting and switching between any known or future error correction codes without requiring new code generation. Built upon the foundational GRAND (Guessing Random Additive Noise Decoding) research, the codec will integrate a universal encoder with a GRAND-inspired decoder that continuously adapts its code selection based on real-time channel conditions, noise models, link budget requirements, and mission-specific objectives. The system is designed to enhance communication efficiency, security, throughput, and interoperability across heterogeneous networks through record-setting low-power decoding, with performance measured by code universality, measurable link budget improvement attributable solely to the codec, and operational effectiveness in complex, multi-domain environments. All development and integration efforts must remain strictly unclassified, limited to Controlled Unclassified Information, ensuring broad applicability across both military and commercial domains while enabling wide dissemination of the technology. Proposers are invited to select their own target communication systems for integration, with the goal of demonstrating the most significant and impactful performance gains through LUC implementation. The program is currently in a pre-solicitation phase, with a Proposers Day event scheduled for July 8, 2026, in Arlington, Virginia, and a registration deadline of July 1, 2026. Non-U.S. participants must submit DARPA Form 60 or an Official Visit Request by June 24, 2026, and all attendees are required to present a government-issued photo ID. No formal solicitation has been issued yet, and nothing in this notice obligates DARPA to issue a contract. Evaluation will focus on technical merit and innovation rather than cost, with performance metrics serving as the primary basis for selection. The program operates without requiring security clearances, does not specify a contract value or funding mechanism, and excludes formal contract clauses, payment instructions, or packaging requirements as these will be defined in the anticipated future solicitation published on SAM.gov.

General Info

DARPA's LUC program develops an adaptive universal codec for efficient, secure, and versatile communication.

Agency

Department Of Defense → Defense Advanced Research Projects AgcyView Agency

NAICS

541715 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)View NAICS

Place of Performance

VA

Set-Aside

NONE

Documents

(1)

DARPA Lightweight Universal Codec (LUC) Proposers Day Special Notice SN-26-92

PDFspecial-notice

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Timeline

PhaseClosed
Posted

special-notice

Response Deadline

Deadline has passed

Submission Closed

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Organization & Contact Information

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AgencyDepartment Of Defense → Defense Advanced Research Projects Agcy
Contacts1 person available
OfficeARLINGTON, VA, 222032114, USA
Organization / Agency
Department Of Defense → Defense Advanced Research Projects Agcy
View Agency Profile
Office AddressARLINGTON, VA, 222032114, USA
Contacts
BAA Coordinator

Full Description

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Under the LUC program, DARPA IPTO will aim to develop a universal encoder-decoder (codec) capable of sending and receiving information using any known communication error correction code and any developed in the future.

Leveraging the groundbreaking work of DARPA’s Guessing Random Additive Noise Decoding (GRAND) study, the LUC program will aim to create an adaptive error correction codec capable of multiple on-the-fly changes to error correction codes. The program will seek to achieve this by developing an encoder capable of utilizing a highly diverse suite of error correcting codes that are easily updatable. The encoder is expected to pair with a GRAND-implementing decoder and the resulting codec will be designed such that the encoder incorporates the decoder’s GRAND noise model as well as other operating factors into its code selection process for link budget and task/mission optimization.

Integration of these codecs into various existing communication technologies would demonstrate improved efficiency, security, throughput, and interoperability achieved by record-setting low-power decoding and adaptive, dynamic forward error correction.
The LUC program will evaluate the success of these codecs and integrated systems by measuring elements of code universality, link budget improvement solely through the implementation of the codec, and the communication systems’ performance in heterogeneous network environments.

To maximize benefits of the LUC program and proliferation of its resulting technologies into both the commercial and military domains, DARPA will execute the program at the unclassified level with performers’ target implementations/integrations not to exceed Controlled Unclassified Information. Performers will be allowed to select their own target communication system(s) for integration and are expected to identify candidates that will demonstrate the greatest and/or most impactful improvement(s) through LUC implementation.

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