Information Innovation Office (I2O) Office-Wide

The Information Innovation Office Office-Wide Broad Agency Announcement is issued by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency within the U.S. Department of Defense. DARPA’s mission is to make pivotal investments in breakthrough technologies for national security, and its Information Innovation Office focuses specifically on advancing information science, artificial intelligence, cyber systems, and related computing technologies. This broad agency announcement serves as a standing mechanism to solicit innovative research proposals that align with the office’s evolving strategic priorities. It operates under federal acquisition regulations and is designed to support high-risk, high-reward research that may not yet have a defined program structure. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to invite a wide range of performers, including academic institutions, private industry, nonprofits, and other research entities, to propose novel ideas that address emerging challenges in information innovation. Rather than focusing on a single narrowly defined topic, this office-wide announcement allows DARPA to continuously engage with the research community and identify promising concepts across multiple domains. Awards resulting from this announcement may take the form of procurement contracts or other funding instruments, and negotiations will follow federal procurement laws and pricing procedures. Funding under this announcement is intended to support exploratory and applied research efforts that contribute to national defense capabilities. Allowable uses of funds typically include personnel, equipment, materials, and other direct and indirect costs necessary to execute proposed research projects. However, specific funding levels, cost structures, and performance periods are not predefined in this announcement and are instead determined during negotiations for each selected proposal. There is no explicit cost-sharing or matching requirement stated in the available amendment documentation. Eligibility for participation is broad and inclusive, reflecting DARPA’s goal of engaging diverse performers capable of delivering innovative solutions. Entities such as universities, small and large businesses, nonprofit organizations, and other qualified institutions are generally eligible to submit proposals. The announcement does not impose geographic restrictions, implying nationwide eligibility across the United States, and potentially allowing participation from international partners depending on compliance with federal requirements. Specific eligibility conditions and restrictions would typically be clarified in the full BAA documentation or subsequent program-specific calls. The submission process under this BAA typically involves an initial abstract submission, followed by an invitation to submit a full proposal if the concept aligns with DARPA’s interests. However, according to Amendment 01 dated May 21, 2026, the announcement is temporarily paused. As stated on page 2 of the amendment document, the government will not accept any new abstract submissions during this pause period. Abstracts submitted prior to the pause remain under review, and proposers who have already received explicit written encouragement may continue to submit full proposals. This temporary pause is due to internal organizational changes, including updates to the office name and a realignment of strategic priorities. The timeline for this funding opportunity is currently disrupted by the pause, which became effective on May 21, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET and is estimated to last approximately three weeks, with a tentative end date around June 8, 2026. During this period, DARPA is refining the announcement requirements to better reflect its updated priorities. A future amendment will be published to formally announce the resumption of submissions. Because this is a broad agency announcement, it is expected to be recurring or continuously available once reopened, with rolling opportunities for engagement rather than a single fixed deadline cycle.