Opportunity
SBIR / STTR #OSW26TZ06-NV008
Navy STTR Solicitation: Bio-inspired Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Teams R&D
Buyer
Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD)
Posted
September 02, 2026
Respond By
October 21, 2026
Identifier
OSW26TZ06-NV008
NAICS
541715, 541714, 336414
This opportunity is a Department of Defense STTR solicitation managed by the U.S. Navy for research and development of bio-inspired unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) teams. - Government Buyer: - U.S. Navy (Department of Defense) - OEMs and Vendors: - No specific OEMs or vendors are named; the solicitation is open to small businesses - Products/Services Requested: - Research and development of bio-inspired UUV teams - Focus on novel propulsion methods (excluding conventional propellers) - Optimization for range, endurance, speed (minimum 4 m/s, objective 6 m/s), and quietness - Key metrics: cost of transport, power transmission, sensing, control, manufacturability - Phase I: Feasibility demonstration (model-scale experiments, computation, component fabrication) - Phase II: Prototype fabrication and in-water testing (operability, speed, range/endurance, acoustic testing) - Phase III: Advanced prototype development and government testing support - Unique/Notable Requirements: - Compliance with Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 1 - Registration in System for Award Management (SAM) and SBA Company Registry - Emphasis on innovative, bio-inspired propulsion and team hydrodynamics - Testing must be conducted at a facility arranged by the small business - No conventional propellers allowed in propulsion design - No specific product part numbers or quantities are provided; the focus is on R&D and prototype development.
Description
This solicitation is part of the DoD STTR 2026 Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) and focuses on the development of bio-inspired underwater teams. It is a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program with phases including Phase 1 (I), Phase 2 (II), and Phase 2S (SPII). The solicitation is currently in pre-release status with a start date of March 21, 2024, and an end date of June 19, 2024. The topic managers are from the Navy, and the solicitation includes detailed instructions and a preface document for applicants.