Promethean Clay

SOL #: DARPA-PS-26-16Solicitation

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; Applied Research (AC12)

Set Aside

No set aside specified

Timeline

1
Posted
Feb 18, 2026
2
Last Updated
Mar 5, 2026
3
Submission Deadline
May 6, 2026, 1:00 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

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting proposals for Promethean Clay, a program focused on developing revolutionary energy storage systems. The goal is to rethink energy storage through a mechanical co-design framework, eliminating the need for rigid, heavy exoskeletons to achieve generational improvements in performance, thermal resilience, safety, and domestic sourcing. This is an Other Transaction for Prototype Agreement (10 U.S.C. § 4022).

Full proposals are due by May 6, 2026.

Scope of Work

Proposals should investigate approaches that enable significant advances in energy storage at scales relevant for system integration. Key objectives include:

  • Mechanical Co-design: Develop systems where packaging materials act as hermetic interfaces rather than rigid structures, enabling free-form designs.
  • Performance Improvement: Achieve generational improvements by reducing packaging fraction and overcoming the inclusion of inactive rigid materials.
  • Safety & Resilience: Incorporate thermal resilience and safety, maintaining or surpassing current operational performance standards.
  • Domestic Sourcing: Establish pathways for domestic sourcing of materials and manufacturing.

Excluded research includes evolutionary improvements, focus on individual components without system context, or new battery/fuel cell chemistries without addressing the rigid material challenge. The program is structured into three phases over 48 months, with an optional 3-month Phase 0 for security preparation.

Contract & Timeline

  • Type: Other Transaction for Prototype Agreements (OT).
  • Period of Performance: Estimated start August 1, 2026.
  • Awards: Multiple awards are anticipated.
  • Set-Aside: None. Non-U.S. organizations cannot participate.
  • Proposal Due: May 6, 2026.
  • Published: March 5, 2026.
  • Key Dates: Abstract submission, Question & Answer deadline, Letter of Intent to Propose, and Anticipated Oral Presentation dates were adjusted by Amendment 01. Proposers should refer to the full solicitation for the latest schedule.

Submission & Evaluation

An abstract submission is a required initial screening step. Full proposals require a Volume I (Technical and Management Proposal) and Volume II (Price Proposal), adhering to strict page limits and formatting. Mandatory oral presentations will be held via Microsoft Teams. Evaluation criteria include Overall Scientific and Technical Merit, Potential Contribution and Relevance to the DARPA Mission, and Budget and Price. Compliance with NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2 (SPRS score 88+) for handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) is a critical prerequisite for award, especially for Phase 0.

Additional Notes

A recording of the Proposers Day is available. Numerous attachments provide detailed instructions, templates for proposals (technical, pricing, abstract), certifications, and a model OT agreement. The NAICS Code is 541715.

Contact: Promethean_Clay@darpa.mil

People

Points of Contact

PS CoordinatorPRIMARY

Files

Files

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Versions

Version 5
Solicitation
Posted: Mar 5, 2026
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Version 4Viewing
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Posted: Mar 5, 2026
Version 3
Solicitation
Posted: Mar 2, 2026
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Version 2
Solicitation
Posted: Feb 27, 2026
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Version 1
Solicitation
Posted: Feb 18, 2026
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