Blue Tide 2026
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
BlueTIDE 2026 is an annual, high-impact technology demonstration event hosted by Polaris Tech Bridge in collaboration with the U.S. Navy and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Newport (NUWCNPT). This event, held in Newport, Rhode Island, serves as a premier platform for showcasing cutting-edge maritime and dual-use technologies through live, mission-driven demonstrations.
Event Overview
BlueTIDE 2026 is a two-day experience:
- August 26, 2026 (Day One): Mission Driven Experimentation (Closed Event) at NUWCDIVNPT Narragansett Bay Test Facility, featuring a unique, mission-focused, in-water experiment for a limited audience.
- August 27, 2026 (Day Two): Live Demonstration & Collaboration (Open Event) at Sail Newport, Newport, RI, where innovators, operators, decision-makers, and investors will convene for real-world demonstrations, collaboration, and discovery.
The event includes a Collaborative Integration Opportunity, comprising four preliminary virtual qualifying demonstrations leading to a culminating in-water event on August 27, 2026. This provides companies a rare chance to demonstrate capabilities and technology integration within a developed maritime mission scenario, gaining invaluable feedback and visibility from defense, Navy, and industry stakeholders.
Technical Focus Areas
Technologies of interest include:
- Multi-Domain Autonomous Systems (UxS)
- Counter UxS and Defensive Autonomous Capabilities
- Maritime and Undersea Domain Awareness Technologies
- Modeling, Simulation, and Digital Mission Environments
Participation & Benefits
Companies can participate in three ways:
- Demonstrate (Collaborative Integration Opportunity): Selected companies will showcase their maritime or undersea technology in a collaborative integration scenario. Participants may be eligible for funding support.
- Exhibit (Showcase Alley): Present technology through static displays or shoreside demonstrations. Collaborative Integration Opportunity applicants receive priority for showcase and hands-on testing opportunities.
- Attend: Network with DoD officials, industry leaders, investors, and academic researchers, and discover dual-use technologies.
Benefits include access to key decision-makers, evaluation feedback, networking, data collection and analysis, and potential capital funding or grants.
Key Dates & Contacts
- Application Deadline for Collaborative Integration Opportunity: May 28, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
- Published Date: May 12, 2026.
- Set-Aside: None specified.
- Primary Contact: Julie Kallfelz, julie.a.kallfelz.civ@us.navy.mil, 401-832-8306.
- For Technology Applicability Discussions: Linda Larsen, llarsen@polaristeam.org.