Precision Inertial Navigation Positioning On an Integrated Tesseract (PINPOINT)

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, through its Defense Sciences Office, is soliciting proposals under the Precision Inertial Navigation and Positioning On an Integrated Tesseract program, funding opportunity HR001126S0016. This Broad Agency Announcement seeks innovative research in the physics and nonlinear control of inertial measurement units appropriate for tactical and unmanned missions. The program is intended to overcome the performance plateau of micro-electro-mechanical systems inertial measurement units by developing revolutionary sensor architectures operating in highly nonlinear regimes. Potential approaches include electromagnetically levitated proof masses, nonlinear resonators, high-velocity tethered microsystems, and other technically justified concepts. Research primarily producing evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice is specifically excluded. The program objective is to develop new physics and nonlinear control methodologies capable of producing proof-of-concept six-degree-of-freedom inertial measurement units that meet defense-relevant mission requirements. Performers will also develop validated physical simulation models, design rules, explored parameter spaces, a comprehensive Design Guide, and a Prototype Design Kit. Proposals may address precision strike munitions, persistent autonomy for unmanned systems, or another defense-relevant inertial sensor application such as space operations, radiation-hard environments, intermediate-duration navigation missions, ultra-low-power sensor networks, or hypersonic trajectories. Each proposal must focus on one target application and specify quantitative system-level objectives supported by modeling, simulation, available experimental evidence, measurable end-of-phase milestones, estimated size, weight, and power characteristics, and a fabrication plan. Multiple proposals are permitted if each submission addresses only one specific use case. This BAA solicits Phase I, which has a 24-month period of performance. Phase I begins with mathematical modeling, simulation, control-system development, and laboratory evaluation of foundational sensor and inertial measurement unit performance. By month 12, performers must demonstrate all individual sensing components, including three acceleration and three rotation sensors, with specified laboratory measurements. By month 21, performers must demonstrate sensors meeting Phase I metrics and deliver at least three functional packaged prototypes for independent verification and validation. By month 24, performers must deliver a total of five hardware inertial measurement unit samples, the Prototype Design Kit, and a final report. Performers must enter into an Associate Contractor Agreement governing sharing of critical program-generated data while establishing protections for proprietary intellectual property. Proposals must also budget for two-day principal investigator meetings approximately every six months, quarterly Government teleconferences, and at least one DARPA Program Manager site visit per phase. A potential 24-month Phase II is described for planning purposes only and is not being solicited through this BAA. DARPA anticipates multiple awards and may use procurement contracts, cooperative agreements, or Other Transaction Agreements for Prototype. The announcement does not state an overall program funding amount or a minimum or maximum base award amount. Certain award instrument types may have specific cost-sharing requirements, but this announcement does not establish a single cost-share requirement applicable to every proposer. An optional Defense Sciences Office Industry Immersion Program task is available to industry proposers that include university teams as subcontractors. The option may support one eligible U.S. citizen graduate student or postdoctoral researcher from each university partner for a nine-to-twelve-month industry immersion period, with Government funding of up to 160000 dollars per student for labor, travel, and per diem. Funding of an Industry Immersion Program option is independent of the base award decision and depends on available funds and the merits of the proposed option. All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government's needs, including U.S. and non-U.S. sources, may submit proposals for consideration. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Small Businesses, Small Disadvantaged Businesses, and Minority Institutions are specifically encouraged to participate, although no portion of the announcement is set aside for these organizations. Non-U.S. organizations and individuals may participate subject to applicable nondisclosure agreements, security regulations, export controls, and other governing statutes. Special conditions apply to University-Affiliated Research Centers, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, Government Entities, and National Laboratories. Procurement Contract and Other Transaction proposers must also meet the applicable CMMC Level 1 requirements described in the solicitation, including required status and affirmation requirements in the Supplier Performance Risk System. Submission follows a mandatory abstract-first process. A conforming abstract must be submitted before a full proposal can be submitted, and abstracts for all instrument types must be submitted through the Broad Agency Announcement Tool. The abstract deadline is August 27, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. DARPA will advise whether it is interested in the abstracted idea, but a proposer with a conforming abstract may submit a full proposal regardless of DARPA's recommendation. A non-conforming abstract prevents submission of a conforming full proposal. Full proposals are due September 25, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Procurement Contract and Other Transaction proposals are submitted through the Broad Agency Announcement Tool, while Cooperative Agreement proposals are submitted through Grants.gov. Required attachments vary by requested instrument and include abstract templates, proposal summary slides, technical and management proposal materials, cost materials, and instrument-specific forms. Questions must be emailed to PINPOINT@darpa.mil, and question submission closes September 15, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Conforming full proposals will be evaluated, in descending order of importance, on Overall Scientific and Technical Merit, Potential Contribution and Relevance to the DARPA Mission, Cost and Schedule Realism, and Proposer's Capabilities or Related Experience. DARPA will examine innovation, feasibility, technical rationale, sequencing of tasks and deliverables, technical risks and mitigation, relevance to national security, intellectual property restrictions affecting transition, realism and substantiation of proposed costs, schedule realism, and the team's experience and ability to execute the work. A favorable abstract response does not guarantee selection of the subsequent full proposal. The solicitation was posted August 6, 2026, Amendment 1 was issued August 19, 2026, and no recurring annual or other repeating application cycle is stated. The BAA Coordinator can be contacted at PINPOINT@darpa.mil.

Propose a revolutionary rather than evolutionary technical advance; provide rigorous evidence that the approach can achieve program goals and metrics; focus each proposal on one target application; define quantitative measurable milestones and deliverables; identify major technical and schedule risks with feasible mitigation; substantiate labor material equipment fabrication and travel costs; demonstrate relevance to DARPA's national security mission; explain team capabilities and related experience; ensure the abstract and full proposal contain sufficient information to establish alignment feasibility and conformity.