Request for Information Rfi on Biologicallyderived Tender - 139853025

Procurement Summary

Country: USA

Summary: Request for Information Rfi on Biologicallyderived Materials for Transient Propulsion Systems

Deadline: 15 May 2026

Posting Date: 21 Apr 2026

Other Information

Notice Type: Tender

TOT Ref.No.: 139853025

Document Ref. No.: IARPA-RFI-26-01

Competition: ICB

Financier: Self Financed

Purchaser Ownership: Public

Tender Value: Refer Document

Purchaser's Detail

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Tender Details

The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) seeks information regarding the current state of the art (SOTA) in biologically-derived materials suitable for controlled transience in propulsion systems for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). IARPA is interested in understanding how controlled material degradation can be extended beyond structural components to include turbines, engines, motors, and associated propulsion elements. Of particular interest are approaches that move beyond ultraviolet (UV)-initiated or water (H2O)-initiated transience mechanisms and subsequently enable more diverse triggering modalities that are stable in a range of environmental conditions. This RFI is issued for planning purposes only and does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals or suggest the procurement of any materials, components, or systems.
The proliferation of UAV operations across military, intelligence, and civilian domains has raised growing concerns about the environmental footprint of aerospace materials, particularly in scenarios where systems may be lost. Conventional propulsion components, and their controls, fabricated from persistent materials—metal alloys, engineering plastics, and advanced composites—can remain in ecosystems for decades or centuries. DARPA's ICARUS (Inbound, Controlled, Air-Releasable, Unrecoverable Systems) program pioneered a solution for airframe structures by demonstrating transient materials that maintain operational performance before undergoing controlled degradation, thereby minimizing persistent environmental residue. The ICARUS approach employed primarily UV-triggered photopolymers that undergo programmable degradation of structural components, establishing proof-of-concept. However, extending these achievements beyond airframes to propulsion systems and their controls reveals critical limitations: propulsion components operate under extreme thermal, mechanical, and chemical stresses; contain a mixture of materi...
Notice ID: iarpa-rfi-26-01

Department/Ind. Agency: office of the director of national intelligence

Sub-tier: intelligence advanced research projects activity

Product Service Code: aj12 - general science and technology r&d services; general science and technology; applied research

NAICS Code: 541715 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)

Inactive Dates: jul 15, 2026

Inactive Policy: manual

Documents

 Tender Notice

Documents.zip