EconDefense
ACQ-09 / Research, innovation and experimentation

Accelerate commercialization through the Rapid Innovation Program

Use competitive contracts, cooperative agreements and OTs to transition innovative small-business/laboratory/prototype technologies into defense acquisition programs.

Action briefPDF dossier · original 168Download record
Authority / instrument · ACQ-09

Transition & scaling

Research, innovation and experimentation

Statute & instrument
Authority holder

Secretary of Defense

What this does not authorize / hard limit

Normally 2 years of program funding; added year requires approval.

Recorded executor

DARPA Contracts Management Office or Service contracting/grants/agreements office; Performing laboratory or external research performer

Continue to actor →

Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.

Legal basisSources linkedLegal sources and instrument limits are recorded.
RequirementsGates recordedRead the requirements for this instrument; applicability depends on the proposed action.
Public fundingRules recordedRDT&E appropriations subject to availability; express transfers to Service/Defense Agency/USSOCOM RDT&E accounts for qualifying proposals. Office budget figures are separate institutional context, not an allocation to this instrument.
Assigned rolesRoles recordedPublic sources describe institutional authority. The instrument identifies approval and execution roles; a specific signature remains transaction-dependent.
EngagementUse documentedThe official program is now branded RISE. Legacy RIF solicitations and current statutory ceilings do not establish an open call. Program check: 2026-10-04; see each route for intake status.

Public evidence describes the institution and instrument; it is not approval of an individual transaction.

At a glance

Possible toolACQ-09 · Other statutory tools
Legal basis10 U.S.C. §4061

Authority holder: Secretary of Defense

Other statutory tools

Mechanism tags describe the source text; they do not expand the authority.

Availability and verification

Express statutory pathway; award-specific appropriations, available balances, delegations, implementation and approvals not independently verified.

Program process and intake

Checked 2026-10-04 · program documented. Program evidence is separate from legal authority, available funds and transaction approval.

The official program is now branded RISE. Legacy RIF solicitations and current statutory ceilings do not establish an open call.

Rapid Integrated Scalable Enterprise (formerly RIF)

Who this route serves
Small businesses with technology ready for defense-program insertion
Administering office / routing lead
USD(A&S) Office of Industrial Base Growth
Documented use

Official program continuity is explicit: RIF is now RISE and has been administered by this office since FY 2023. This documents the program route, not a current award under section 4061.

What this evidence label means
Program documented; new intake not verified

Current overview links January 2025 guidance and historical solicitations/award lists; an open FY 2026/27 solicitation was not verified.

Status reference date: 2026-10-04 · research checked 2026-10-04

Office of Industrial Base Growth: RIF-RISE · Program overview; Resources; RISE presentation updated January 2025official program guidance · Evidence record

Program eligibility

Steps and preparation

Funding, limits and authority relationship

Funding and financial terms

  • President budget request · FY2025

    $10.020 million is theFY2025 request for project775, not a verified appropriation or available balance.

    OSD FY2025 RDT&E justification · PE0604775D8Z, project775, Defense Rapid Innovation Program / RISEofficial budget request · published 2024-03 · Evidence record

Exclusions and limits

  • TheFY2019 BAA used a$3 million/two-year structure; that historical limit must not replace the current record statutory ceiling.

    FY2019 Rapid Innovation Fund BAA · HQ0034-19-BAA-RIF-0001; historical eligibility and transition processhistorical official solicitation · Evidence record

Authority relationship source

Office of Industrial Base Growth: RIF-RISE · Program overview; Resources; RISE presentation updated January 2025official program guidance · Evidence record

RISE program resources →

published guidance: Public program information; no current application window independently verified.

Research scope and sources checked

Searched RIF/RISE branding, current official program resources, January 2025 presentation, historical BAA and budget exhibits; separated proposed funding from appropriations and historical award rules from current law.

What remains unverified

  • Current implementation plan, solicitation, obligated funds and new awards remain unverified. Official page/PDF direct access returned403; indexed official text and budget exhibit were available.

A dated source check is not continuing monitoring. Recheck the linked official notice before preparing a submission. Browse program research →

Requirements and limits

Eligibility & prerequisites

  • Merit-based selection and small-business preference; proposals reviewed with military-department Offices of Small Business Programs.

Limits & exclusions

  • Normally 2 years of program funding; added year requires approval.
  • Statute has a $6m project provision alongside aggregate restriction on awards over $6m; read the actual program guidance/appropriation rather than assuming unlimited awards.

Funding conditions

  • RDT&E appropriations subject to availability; express transfers to Service/Defense Agency/USSOCOM RDT&E accounts for qualifying proposals.

Read the funding and execution guide

Who contributes what

Need & planning

  • USD(R&E) and Service science-and-technology executives
    Office profile
  • DARPA or Service laboratory/program manager

Resources

  • Sponsoring component RDT&E budget owner; component comptroller
    Office profile

Approval

  • Secretary of Defense or military-department Secretary; valid delegate must be confirmed
    Office profile

Execution

  • DARPA Contracts Management Office or Service contracting/grants/agreements office
    Office profile
  • Performing laboratory or external research performer

Partners & review

  • Operational customer / acquiring program
  • Security, export-control, counsel and fiscal officials as applicable

Office links are editorial matches to the original role text, not verified delegations. Composite labels and unmatched actors are preserved.

Coordination pathway

Acquisition customer identifies insertion → component small-business/research office → selection and funded transition plan → receiving program.

Actor and execution-role sources

Legal basis

What this research establishes

Legal basisSources linkedLegal sources and instrument limits are recorded.
RequirementsGates recordedRead the requirements for this instrument; applicability depends on the proposed action.
Public fundingRules recordedRDT&E appropriations subject to availability; express transfers to Service/Defense Agency/USSOCOM RDT&E accounts for qualifying proposals. Office budget figures are separate institutional context, not an allocation to this instrument.
Assigned rolesRoles recordedPublic sources describe institutional authority. The instrument identifies approval and execution roles; a specific signature remains transaction-dependent.
EngagementUse documentedThe official program is now branded RISE. Legacy RIF solicitations and current statutory ceilings do not establish an open call. Program check: 2026-10-04; see each route for intake status.

Confidence: High on express authority and cited conditions; execution assignment is illustrative unless statute expressly names it.

Currentness: GovInfo 2024 Code (includes FY2025 NDAA, P.L. 118-159) read in full for cited provision; targeted FY2026 NDAA P.L. 119-60 amendment/repeal sweep. No claim of complete legislative currency through 2026-10-02; remaining 2026 delta needs counsel validation.

Review scope: Original research target October 2, 2026; no record-specific last-review date supplied. Publication is not legal-currentness certification.

Related tools in this family