MXO Office-wide Innovative Solutions Opening

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Multi X Office (MXO) has issued solicitation DARPA-PS-26-115, a long-term open call for revolutionary research ideas that enable significant advances in science, devices, or systems. The program specifically targets high-risk, high-reward innovations and excludes evolutionary improvements to existing practices. Research efforts are categorized into three technical thrusts: beyond-CMOS foundational materials and components, indigenous development tools and supply chains to enhance industrial resilience, and new modalities for sensing, computing, and communicating. This solicitation is open to all responsible sources, including startups and National Laboratories, and utilizes Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) and Experimental Transaction Agreements (ETAs) under 10 U.S.C. sections 4021, 4022, and 4023. The submission process is conducted in two phases via the Broad Agency Announcement Tool (BAAT). Interested parties must first submit a maximum six-page abstract, including a Rough Order of Magnitude cost, by the rolling deadline. Only those reviewed and invited by the government may submit full proposals, with a final closing date of June 4, 2027. Evaluation is based on a scientific review of technical approach, feasibility, risk management, and the potential to bolster national security. Proposers must adhere to strict cybersecurity requirements, demonstrating CMMC Level 1 compliance for general proposals and up to Level 2 for those involving Controlled Unclassified Information. Additionally, all fundamental research awards are subject to a risk-based security review to identify and mitigate undue foreign influence.