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Atomically Precise Molecules (APM) — R&D- Defense System: Aircraft (Applied Research/Exploratory Development)

Issued by DEPT OF DEFENSE · DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY (DARPA) · DEF ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGCY · via SAM.gov — US federal contract opportunities

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Published
27 Oct 2026
Closes
18 Dec 2026, 13:00 UTC
Reference
DARPA-PS-26-141
Location
United States
Sector
Research, Studies & Evaluation

This notice was amended 2 times

Details changed after publication. Re-check the official notice before bidding.

  • Submission deadline changed from 18 Dec 2026, 18:00 UTC to 18 Dec 2026, 13:00 UTC
    First seen by FreeTender on 27 Oct 2026 — most portals don’t publish when a corrigendum was issued.
  • Submission deadline changed from 18 Dec 2026, 13:00 UTC to 18 Dec 2026, 18:00 UTC
    First seen by FreeTender on 9 Oct 2026 — most portals don’t publish when a corrigendum was issued.

At a glance

DEPT OF DEFENSE · DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY (DARPA) · DEF ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGCY in United States has published a tender in research, studies & evaluation: “Atomically Precise Molecules (APM) — R&D- Defense System: Aircraft (Applied Research/Exploratory Development)”. Submissions close on 18 December 2026, 38 days from today. Quote reference DARPA-PS-26-141 in any correspondence with the buyer. FreeTender has recorded 20 notices from this buyer since 2026, 14 of them currently open. There are 79 open research, studies & evaluation notices in United States on FreeTender. Bids are submitted to the buyer through SAM.gov — US federal contract opportunities, not through FreeTender.

Key requirements

Taken from the notice by FreeTender. The tender document on the official portal is binding — check it, and any corrigendum, before you bid.

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Details

DEPT OF DEFENSE · DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY (DARPA) · DEF ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGCY is soliciting Atomically Precise Molecules (APM) — R&D- Defense System: Aircraft (Applied Research/Exploratory Development). Solicitation number DARPA-PS-26-141. Classified under NAICS 541715 — Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology). Product/service code AC12 — R&D- DEFENSE SYSTEM: AIRCRAFT (APPLIED RESEARCH/EXPLORATORY DEVELOPMENT). Responses are due by 18 December 2026 13:00 UTC. Posted on SAM.gov, the US federal contract opportunities system; registration is required to bid.

Amendment 01: The purpose of this amendment is to extend the required abstract deadline.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative proposals in the areas of new synthesis techniques for polymeric materials and nonlinear optical (NLO) materials. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in material synthesis with the ability to scale to quantities relevant for application integration, culminating in the development of a prototype demonstration of a revolutionary NLO material integrated into a functional government-provided electro-optic modulator. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice, or research that pivots on exceptional claims that cannot be technically justified in the proposal. This includes:

  • Proposals aiming to employ solely inorganic materials without a polymeric component
  • Proposals aiming to modify/repurpose existing NLO materials resulting in incremental improvements to the state-of-the-art (SoA)

Context for bidders

We hold 20 notices from DEPT OF DEFENSE · DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY (DARPA) · DEF ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGCY, going back to August 2026 — 14 of them still open. There are 79 open Research, Studies & Evaluation tenders in United States. This one closes in 38 days.

Before you bid on this tender

A quick checklist to help you decide whether to bid and prepare a compliant submission for this research, studies & evaluation opportunity. Always verify the details on the official source.

  • Confirm the exact closing date and time (and time zone) on the official portal — deadlines are strict and can be revised by a corrigendum.
  • Read the full notice and every attached document, including the scope, specifications and any bill of quantities or terms of reference.
  • Check the eligibility criteria — prior similar experience, annual turnover, certifications and registrations — and make sure you qualify before investing effort.
  • Prepare any earnest-money deposit (EMD) or bid security and the required formats early; missing or wrongly-formatted documents are a common cause of rejection.
  • Note how bids must be submitted (online or physical), in what format, and whether a digital signature or portal registration is required.
  • Watch for corrigenda and clarifications right up to the deadline — requirements and dates can change.
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