ACQ-02 · Research financial assistanceProvide assistance for defense-relevant research; use a cooperative agreement when substantial federal involvement is expected, and a grant when it is not.
What this is not / limit: Not a general-purpose economic-development grant power.
Executing role: DARPA Contracts Management Office or Service contracting/grants/agreements office; Performing laboratory or external research performer
Grants & cooperative agreementsCooperation & exchanges
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Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.
Purchase or modify purchases, domestically or abroad, of experimental/test demonstrations, prototypes, products, supplies, parts, auxiliary services and design for defense development.
What this is not / limit: Not unlimited serial-production authority.
Executing role: DARPA Contracts Management Office or Service contracting/grants/agreements office; Performing laboratory or external research performer
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Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.
Competitively reward research, technology, prototypes and transition-improving management practices; accept outside funds or nonmonetary prize contributions.
What this is not / limit: No special consideration for private donors; award above $20m as contract/agreement triggers 15-day post-award congressional notice.
Executing role: DARPA Contracts Management Office or Service contracting/grants/agreements office; Performing laboratory or external research performer
Contracts & purchasesPrizes
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Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.
Use competitive contracts, cooperative agreements and OTs to transition innovative small-business/laboratory/prototype technologies into defense acquisition programs.
What this is not / limit: Normally 2 years of program funding; added year requires approval.
Executing role: DARPA Contracts Management Office or Service contracting/grants/agreements office; Performing laboratory or external research performer
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Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.
DIU can support joint research/innovation partnerships with funding, resources, participation and technical advice, and allocate its available funds to selected Service innovation projects.
What this is not / limit: Liaison to investors or support for commercialization is not itself blanket stock-purchase or lending authority.
Executing role: DIU and selected Service innovation organization
Cooperation & exchanges
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Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.
Use research contracts and long-term sponsored research institutions; work placed with FFRDCs must remain within sponsoring agreement purpose, mission and scope unless statutory exception applies.
What this is not / limit: Not a means to obtain any arbitrary work from a favored center; applied scientific laboratory research has an express scope exception.
Executing role: DARPA Contracts Management Office or Service contracting/grants/agreements office; Performing laboratory or external research performer
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Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.
STRL partnership centers can permit private use of underused capabilities, perform cooperative work, leverage private recapitalization and credit receipts to cost-bearing funds.
What this is not / limit: No authorization for otherwise-prohibited conversion of government work to contractors.
Executing role: Laboratory ORTA, counsel and authorized agreement official
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Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.
Directors may use statutory 2–4% mechanisms for research, transition, workforce development and qualifying infrastructure; fixed customer surcharge up to 4% may support these purposes.
What this is not / limit: A flexible internal investment mechanism, not unlimited new MILCON authority or off-budget money.
Executing role: Laboratory/test organization and supporting fiscal/contracting staff
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Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.
Set aside qualifying extramural R&D funding for phased competitive small-business innovation awards, including permitted direct-to-Phase II routes.
What this is not / limit: Direct-to-Phase II requires qualifying feasibility showing and agency implementation; do not confuse stale 2025 expiry with current extension.
Executing role: Service or Defense Agency SBIR-STTR office and award officer
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Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.
Fund cooperative R&D between an eligible small business and research institution, with phased transition toward commercialization.
What this is not / limit: Partner eligibility is distinct from SBIR; military research/educational institution participation is a specific pilot, not universal eligibility.
Executing role: Service or Defense Agency SBIR-STTR office and award officer
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Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.
Make milestone-linked SBIR strategic breakthrough awards up to $30m per small business including affiliates across up to 48 months, with matching resources and acquisition commitment.
What this is not / limit: No federal equity acquisition created; this is a funding agreement.
Executing role: Service or Defense Agency SBIR-STTR office and award officer
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Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.
Authorize SBIR/STTR recipients to purchase assistance or use staff/training to improve commercialization and screen foreign involvement; qualifyingI-Corps participation can be supported.
What this is not / limit: Recipient selection/staff-use option does not make program a general consultancy grant for non-awardees.
Executing role: Service or Defense Agency SBIR-STTR office and award officer
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Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.
A covered contract may acquire, construct or furnish necessary specialized research, development or test facilities and equipment. The FY2026 amendment also permits jointly funded projects spanning DoD components, other federal agencies and eligible nonfederal entities, subject to written agreements and statutory safeguards.
What this is not / limit: Explicitly does not authorize new construction or improvements with general utility.
Executing role: Contracting office and contractor
Loans & guaranteesProperty & leases
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Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.
Contract with commercial entities for commercial test/evaluation activity at a designated Major Range and Test Facility Installation, recovering costs.
What this is not / limit: Must allow immediate termination/prohibition/suspension for public health/safety, property, national-security or foreign-policy detriment.
Executing role: Range contracting office and test workforce
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Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.
Each combatant commander can conduct experimentation, prototyping and technology demonstrations addressing command operational needs and support acquisition with written operational-need findings.
What this is not / limit: Completion determination may fulfill listed justification/capability-need requirements; not waiver of all §3204 approvals or fiscal conditions.
Executing role: Command experiment team with supporting contracting/research organizations
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Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.
For covered programs, integrate developmental/operational testing around unified objectives and ongoing data while preserving independent DOT&E evaluation.
What this is not / limit: Specified master-plan/milestone-event exemptions do not mean no evaluation.
Executing role: Service developmental/operational test activities
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Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.
Treat qualifying independent research and development as allowable indirect expense under defense contracts while preserving statutory contractor independence in technology selection.
What this is not / limit: Not a stand-alone R&D grant, reimbursement entitlement for every expense, or authority to direct all private research.
Executing role: Warranted contracting officer and program manager
Contracts & purchasesFunds & shared services
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Recorded executing role; this record-specific route is not an additional institutional office.
Experiment with, prototype, test and validate government or commercial analytical tools, processes and tradecraft to improve DoD due diligence and investment analysis, including use of relevant delegated authorities vested in other components.
What this is not / limit: The reference to delegated authorities does not establish a blanket OT power or prove that another component's power has been delegated to OEC.
Executing role: Office of Expanded Competition Director
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Institutional routing from the recorded executing role. See the office profile for its published responsibilities and engagement routes.