A--DOI-ETA-FY26-30

The Department of the Interior (DOI), in partnership with the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), issued the Emerging Technology Accelerator (ETA) Program Announcement (DOI-ETA-FY26-30). This announcement seeks proposals for multiple Prototype Other Transaction Agreements (OTs) from FY2026 through FY2030. The program aims to fund innovative research solutions through a full and open competition, with awards based on scientific review. Eligible applicants include all responsible sources meeting specific criteria, encouraging collaboration and teaming arrangements. Proposals undergo a two-phase submission process: an initial White Paper, followed by an invitation to submit a full Technical and, if requested, a Cost Proposal. White Papers are continuously accepted for “Active” programs listed in Attachment 1 – ETA Programs. Evaluation focuses on technical and funding availability factors, with specific technical criteria including scientific merit, relevance to IARPA's mission, and resource realism. Classified proposals are not anticipated, and funding restrictions prohibit facility construction or technology commercialization.

The document outlines five Emerging Technologies Accelerator (ETA) Programs: ARCADE, COSMIC, DECIPHER, LocUS, and MOVES, all active for FY26. ARCADE focuses on AI-driven electrical circuit design, creating an intelligent assistant for component selection. COSMIC aims to leverage commercial remote sensing and AI to generate pseudo-persistent geospatial data for intelligence analysis. DECIPHER seeks to develop capabilities for detecting and defining specialized language in multilingual text. LocUS focuses on multimodal geolocation of multimedia content using audio and visual information. MOVES aims to diagnose neurological movement disorders from challenging video inputs, extracting skeletal movement and ranking video clips by diagnostic significance. Each program details its objectives, scope, limitations, metrics, and deliverables, emphasizing software prototypes, containerization, and independent Test & Evaluation.

The document outlines the required templates for submitting proposals for the DOI-ETA-FY26-30 program, covering both technical and cost volumes. Appendix A details the technical proposal templates, including the cover sheet, academic institution acknowledgment, intellectual property rights, organizational conflicts of interest certification, a three-chart summary, and a research data management plan. Appendix B focuses on the cost proposal templates, providing a cover sheet, a detailed cost element sheet for various periods (base, phases, options), software and IP costs, travel costs, and a deliverables table. These templates ensure comprehensive and standardized submissions for this federal government RFP.

This government file, an amendment of solicitation/modification of contract (Standard Form 30), outlines procedures for acknowledging receipt of amendments to offers and modifications to contracts. It details methods for offerors to acknowledge amendments, including completing specific items, acknowledging on each offer copy, or via separate communication. Failure to acknowledge receipt by the specified time may result in the rejection of an offer. The document also provides fields for contract and amendment identification, effective dates, administrative details, and descriptions of changes. It clarifies that all other terms and conditions of the original document remain in full force and effect. The form includes spaces for signatures of both the contractor/offeror and the contracting officer, along with relevant dates and contact information for the issuing office.

This government file outlines the procedures for amending solicitations and modifying contracts using Standard Form 30. It details how offerors must acknowledge amendments, either by completing specific items on the form, acknowledging receipt on each offer copy, or via separate communication. Crucially, failure to acknowledge an amendment by the specified deadline may lead to the rejection of an offer. The document also provides instructions for submitting changes to an already submitted offer due to an amendment. The form itself covers various administrative details, including contract ID codes, amendment numbers, effective dates, and information about the issuing and administering offices. It distinguishes between amendments of solicitations (Item 11) and modifications of contracts/orders (Item 13), specifying the legal authorities for different types of changes. The document emphasizes that, unless otherwise stated, all original terms and conditions remain in full force and effect. Key signatories for both the contractor/offeror and the contracting officer are also identified. The specific amendment detailed in the form, 0002 for solicitation DOIDFBO260047, extends the offer receipt date to 05/08/2026.

This document, Amendment 0002 Q&A, addresses various questions regarding the Emerging Technologies Accelerator (ETA) Program, specifically focusing on the MOVES, COSMIC, LOCUS, ARCADE, and DECIPHER programs. Key points include clarification on data availability, anonymization, and expected video lengths for MOVES. For COSMIC, the document specifies acceptable software architectures, clarifies the scope of proposals regarding change detection algorithms, and discusses deliverables for commercial remote sensing data. LOCUS questions cover the use of biometric identification, speech recognition technologies, metadata, and the expected modalities for system testing. ARCADE addresses sprint requirements, component libraries, and the use of LLMs. DECIPHER focuses on language resources and the inclusion of transcription in evaluations. The amendment also provides guidance on white paper submissions, cost estimates, and intellectual property rights, confirming that academic institutions can qualify for OTs and that all submitted white papers will be evaluated.

The Emerging Technologies Accelerator (ETA) Program Amendment 0001 provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding new programs. Key information includes confirmation that these are new programs with no incumbent contracts, and no estimated ceiling values are available. The due date for White Papers is flexible, with the SAM.Gov date being superseded by the ETA Program Announcement. The window for White Paper submissions is guaranteed to remain open until May 27, 2026, with the Q&A window closing on May 13, 2026. The determination of "sufficient" White Papers will be made by the Government Program Manager. Specific details regarding the ARCADE program, an unclassified research initiative, include the availability of initial component libraries and technical documentation at Program Kick-Off, an estimated tens of thousands of datasheets for the corpus scale, and the inclusion of complex device datasheets. Proposers are encouraged to seek Unlimited Rights for IP, if possible, with Government Purpose Rights as an alternative, ensuring IP restrictions do not hinder technology transition.