# SBIR / STTR #DON27TZ02-NV005

Navy research and development for autonomous ocean-vehicle wave-energy systems

**Buyer:** ONR
**Posted:** November 04, 2026
**Respond By:** January 06, 2027
**Identifier:** DON27TZ02-NV005
**NAICS:** 541715

The Department of the Navy is seeking research and development proposals for a wave-energy system to recharge autonomous ocean-going vehicles.
- **Government buyer:** Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research (ONR); the broader release identifies the Navy SBIR/STTR Program Management Office.
- **Topic:** DON27TZ02-NV005, Self-Sustaining Wave Energy Capture for Persistent Autonomous Ocean-Going Systems.
- **OEMs and vendors:** No commercial OEMs, vendors, or named manufacturers are identified in the materials.
- **Requested products:**
  - Wave Energy Capture Device (WECD): human-portable and autonomously deployable; generate at least 20 kWh/day, operate reliably through Sea State 6, survive Sea State 8, and function in water as shallow as 100 meters without seafloor anchoring. Low visibility and acoustic signature are required.
  - Deployment Device (DD): deploy an assembled WECD from a medium or large autonomous surface vessel and operate reliably through Sea State 4.
  - No part numbers or fixed purchase quantities are specified; prototypes and low-rate production units are sought across project phases.
- **Requested services:** Phase I concept development and feasibility evaluation; Phase II prototype design, fabrication, verification, and testing, including at least one end-to-end sea test; and Phase III low-rate production and Navy evaluation, including delivery of at least one WECD/DD set for extended testing.
- **Notable requirements:** The system is intended for persistent autonomous ocean operations. Testing and evaluation include modeling and simulation supplemented by in-water and sea testing. Phase I funding caps in the broader release are $200,000 for the base effort and $115,000 for the option, with up to $6,500 for TABA.

### Description

This Department of the Navy STTR topic concerns self-sustaining wave energy capture for persistent autonomous ocean-going systems. It is listed under the 2027 DoW STTR BAA, Release 2, and is in pre-release status. Proposals are due January 6, 2027. Navy Phase I technical volumes are limited to 10 pages, and proposals must be submitted through DSIP.

[View original listing](https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/)