Decentralized Artificial Intelligence through Controlled Emergence (DICE) Proposers Day

SOL #: DARPA-SN-26-72Special Notice

Overview

Buyer

DEPT OF DEFENSE
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa)
DEF ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGCY
ARLINGTON, VA, 222032114, United States

Place of Performance

Place of performance not available

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical (541715)

PSC

National Defense R&D Services; Department Of Defense Military; Basic Research (AC11)

Set Aside

No set aside specified

Timeline

1
Posted
Apr 28, 2026
2
Last Updated
Apr 29, 2026
3
Action Date
May 19, 2026, 9:00 PM

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

DARPA's Information Innovation Office (I2O) is hosting a Proposers Day for the anticipated "Decentralized Artificial Intelligence through Controlled Emergence (DICE)" program. This event aims to inform potential proposers about the program's technical goals and challenges. The Proposers Day is a hybrid event on May 29, 2026, and registration is required by May 19, 2026.

Program Background

The DICE program seeks to develop theory and algorithms for decentralized coordination and local inference control. The goal is to enable scalable, adaptive, and resilient collectives of heterogeneous AI agents to autonomously execute sustained long-time-horizon missions in contested environments, while maintaining human control. This approach aims to harness self-organizing systems' scalability and adaptability, minimizing risks and ensuring predictable, aligned collective behavior. Research will be conducted in simulation environments.

Proposers Day Details

The event will be held on May 29, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM ET. It is a hybrid event, with in-person attendance at the Executive Conference Center, 4075 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, Virginia. The format includes presentations by the DARPA Program Manager, a Q&A session, and optional 10-minute sidebar sessions for in-person attendees.

Registration & Deadlines

Registration is mandatory by May 19, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET via https://events.sa-meetings.com/website/94863/. There is no fee. Non-U.S. citizens must submit specific forms (DARPA Form 60 or Official Visit Request) by the same deadline. Attendance is limited to a maximum of three representatives per organizational unit and five per overall organization.

Teaming Opportunities

The registration website allows potential proposers to authorize sharing their contact information for networking and informal teaming discussions.

Contract & Timeline

  • Type: Special Notice (Proposers Day)
  • Published: April 29, 2026
  • Registration Due: May 19, 2026
  • Event Date: May 29, 2026

Set-Aside

None specified (informational notice).

Important Note

This is for informational and planning purposes only and does not constitute a formal solicitation. DARPA will not accept submissions against this notice, and it does not obligate DARPA to issue a solicitation.

People

Points of Contact

Solicitation CoordinatorPRIMARY

Files

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Special Notice
Posted: Apr 29, 2026
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