SDA Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) - Systems, Technologies, and Emerging Capabilities (STEC) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)

Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)

This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the Space Development Agency (SDA) solicits proposals for novel architecture concepts, systems, technologies, and capabilities to enable leap-ahead improvements for future Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) tranches, capability layers, or new capability layers addressing emerging warfighter needs. The SDA aims to accelerate the development and fielding of military space capabilities to ensure U.S. technological and military advantage in space.

The BAA focuses on four key areas:

• Resilient Beyond Line-of-Sight Tactical Communications (RF, Optical): Seeking advancements in optical terminal designs, dual-use commercial architectures (e.g., 5G), low SWaP-C payload components, and advanced tactical data links.

• Advanced Target Custody, Warning, Tracking, and Defeat: Focuses on novel solutions for detecting, tracking, and targeting adversary systems, including advanced IR missile warning/tracking, novel sensing for expanded missions, advanced data fusion, and sensor/satellite resilience technologies.

• Advanced/Alternate Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT): Aims for capabilities enabling GPS-denied operations, including resilient GPS-agnostic space networking and PNT solutions.

• Global Battle Management: Seeking advancements in network defense, secure enclave operations, dynamic tasking and networking, distributed command and control, radiation-hardened processors, advanced cryptographic solutions, and enterprise digital engineering for mission analysis, test, and training.

• Anticipated Awards: Multiple awards are anticipated.

• Instrument Types: Procurement contracts (FAR-based) or Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs).

• Cost Sharing: May be required for OT for Prototype or OT for Research Agreements.

• Encouraged Submissions: Executive Summaries and Proposal Abstracts are strongly encouraged prior to full proposal submission.

• Submission Deadlines: Executive Summaries and Abstracts due by 12:00 AM Eastern Time, February 3, 2027. Full proposals due by 12:00 AM Eastern Time, March 3, 2027.

• Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated based on Overall Operational and Technical Merit, Potential Contribution and Relevance to the SDA Mission, Cost Realism, Realism of Proposed Schedule, and Proposer's Capabilities and/or Related Experience.

• Eligible Applicants: Responsible sources, including Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs), Government Entities, Non-U.S. Organizations/Individuals (subject to regulations), and commercial entities.

• Special Considerations: FFRDCs/UARCs and Government Entities must demonstrate work is not available from the private sector and meet specific eligibility criteria.

• Classified Information: Proposals may involve classified information, requiring specific security plans and adherence to strict submission protocols.

• Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI): Proposers must disclose potential OCIs and provide mitigation plans.

• Cost Sharing: Not required, but encouraged for efforts with potential commercial application.

• Submission Format: Detailed instructions are provided for Executive Summaries, Abstracts, and Full Proposals, including page limits and required content for technical and cost volumes.

Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)

This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the Space Development Agency (SDA) solicits proposals for novel architecture concepts, systems, technologies, and capabilities to enable leap-ahead improvements for future Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) tranches, capability layers, or new layers to address emerging warfighter needs. The SDA aims to accelerate the development and fielding of military space capabilities to ensure U.S. technological and military advantage in space.

The BAA seeks concepts, systems, technologies, and capabilities that:

• Enable capability improvements for future tranches of currently planned proliferated architecture capability layers.
• Enable new capability layers to address other emerging or evolving warfighter needs.

SDA is soliciting Executive Summaries, invited White Papers, proposal Abstracts, and invited Proposals in the following focus areas:

• Resilient Beyond Line-of-Sight Tactical Communications (RF, Optical): Focuses on global access to low-latency communications and space data transport, including advanced optical terminals, dual-use commercial architectures (e.g., 5G), low SWaP-C payload components, and multi-beam/multi-user tactical data links.

• Advanced Target Custody, Warning, Tracking, and Defeat: Aims for novel solutions for detection, tracking, targeting, and battle damage assessment of adversary systems, including advanced missile threats and time-critical targets. This includes advanced IR missile warning/tracking, novel sensing, advanced data fusion, and sensor/satellite resilience technologies.

• Advanced/Alternate Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT): Focuses on capabilities for GPS-denied environments, including resilient GPS-agnostic space networking, GPS-agnostic Alt-PNT solutions, and GPS Situational Awareness.

• Global Battle Management: Involves algorithms, frameworks, and hardware for advanced processing, command and control, and interoperability, including network defense, secure enclave operations, dynamic tasking, distributed command and control, radiation-hardened processors, advanced cryptographic solutions, and enterprise system of systems digital engineering.

• Anticipated Awards: Multiple awards are anticipated.

• Instrument Types: Procurement (FAR-based) contracts or Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs).

• Cost Sharing: May be required for OT for Prototype or OT for Research Agreements.

• Encouraged Submissions: Executive Summaries and Proposal Abstracts are strongly encouraged in advance of full proposals.

• Submission Deadlines: Executive summaries and proposal abstracts due by 4:00 PM Eastern Time, 15 December 2026. Full proposals due by 12:00 AM Eastern Time, 14 January 2026.

• Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated based on Overall Operational and Technical Merit, Potential Contribution and Relevance to the SDA Mission, Cost Realism, Realism of Proposed Schedule, and Proposer's Capabilities and/or Related Experience.

• Eligible Applicants: All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government's needs, including Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs), Government Entities, Non-U.S. Organizations and/or Individuals.

• Set-Aside: Not specified as a set-aside opportunity.

• Proposals may be submitted as unclassified or classified.

• Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI) must be disclosed and mitigated.

• SDA reserves the right to select for negotiation all, some, one, or none of the proposals received.

Other / Unclassified

This document is an "Other Transaction for Prototype Agreement" between the Space Development Agency (SDA) and a Performer. It outlines the terms and conditions for a research and development program. Key aspects include:

• Scope: Research and development program for the "INSERT PROGRAM NAME".
• Agreement Type: Other Transaction (OT) under 10 U.S.C. § 4022, not a procurement contract.
• Performer's Role: Responsible for technical and program management, work set forth in the Statement of Work (Attachment 1a).
• Payment: Fixed payments for completed milestones, detailed in Attachment 1c.
• Government Involvement: Continuous involvement, with rights to access program results and patents.
• Modifications: Changes to the SOW or Schedule of Milestones and Payments require documentation and approval.
• Key Personnel: Designated roles for the Performer and its suppliers.
• Data Rights: Government receives Government Purpose Rights for technical data and computer software, with specific exceptions.
• Foreign Access: Restrictions on technology transfer to foreign entities.
• Security: Requirements for safeguarding covered defense information and cyber incident reporting.
• Cloud Usage: Authorized use of Intelligence Community (IC) Commercial Cloud Enterprise (C2E) environments.

This document establishes the foundational agreement for a prototype project. Potential bidders should review it to understand the contractual framework, including payment terms, data rights, security requirements, and the overall structure for research and development activities. It clarifies that this is an "Other Transaction" agreement, not a standard procurement contract, and thus FAR/DFARS may not apply unless explicitly included.