STATE OF THE ART (SOTA) MICROELECTRONICS (ME) ADOPTION BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA) FULL TEXT GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENT

STATE OF THE ART (SOTA) MICROELECTRONICS (ME) ADOPTION BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT (BAA) GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENT BAA NUMBER: 26-S-1358 June 2026 This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) solicitation is issued in accordance with the Revolutionary Federal Acquisition Regulation Overhaul (RFO) subpart 35.102. GENERAL INFORMATION FEDERAL AGENCY: SAF/AQC BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT TITLE: SOTA Microelectronics Adoption PRODUCT SERVICE CODE: AC62 R&D Defense System: Electronics/Communication Equipment (Applied Research/Exploratory Development) NAICS: 541713 Nanotechnology research and development laboratories or services, all fields of science ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: General Announcement. This BAA is a general announcement of SAF/AQC s research interest, including criteria for selection of proposals and soliciting the participation of all Offerors capable of supporting research, in the application of SOTA microelectronics technologies. No White Papers or proposals should be submitted against this BAA General Announcement. Instead, requests for White Papers and/or proposals will be transmitted via separate Topic Calls that are published via https://sam.gov (hereinafter SAM.gov ) under this BAA at various times during the open period of this BAA. For Classified Topic Calls, interested parties must have an account to log into the Classified IC-ARC to see the notice and all associated Topic Call documents. The Topic Calls will further define the U.S. Government (USG) needs and request abstracts or full proposals. Topic Calls may consist of Closed Topic Calls and/or Open Topic Calls, and Topic Calls may be either one-step or two-step as described in the Applications and Submission Information section of this general announcement. Each Topic Call may result in the award of a procurement contract or an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA). Topic Calls may be issued by any Department of War (DOW) organization or non-DOW federal agency. Topic Calls may include user stories and relevant mission areas defined by the organizations issuing the Topic Calls. Each Topic Call can be designed to meet the needs of the USG organization or non-DOW federal agency issuing the Topic Call. Topic Calls will include (at a minimum): Instructions to interested parties including the agency s interest either for an individual program requirement or for broadly defined user stories and mission areas covering a full range of the agency s requirements; Projected Period of Performance (PoP) as well as expectations for White Papers/Proposal submissions; Specific selection criteria, their relative importance, and the method of evaluation for each Topic Call; and Data rights being sought to meet minimum needs (if any) Interested parties are responsible for maintaining awareness of these Topic Calls and any associated timelines for submissions. Interested parties should periodically check SAM.gov and the Classified IC-ARC for updates. Topic Calls may be issued within one year from the publication date of this BAA general announcement (i.e., the Open Period of this BAA), which may be extended annually at the sole discretion of SAF/AQC. Interested DOW organizations and non-DOW federal agencies who wish to issue a Topic Call off this general announcement shall contact SAF/AQC through the following organizational email box: saf.jcd.all@us.af.mil. SAF/AQC must issue a BAA Topic Call number to the requesting Government office before the Topic Call is issued. BAA NUMBER: 26-S-1358 PROPOSAL DUE DATE AND TIME: No proposals or White Papers shall be submitted against this BAA general announcement. Proposal or White Paper due dates and times will be specified in each individual Topic Call. Proposals or White Papers received after the due date and time specified in the Topic Call shall be governed by the provisions of RFO 52.215-1(c)(3). PROGRAM DESCRIPTION A. SCOPE: The USG is seeking sources capable of supporting the program s research in the application of SOTA microelectronics technologies. This BAA seeks to leverage cutting-edge domestic manufacturing capabilities which accelerate the adoption of SOTA trusted and assured microelectronics, including Intel 18A and advanced packaging through Secure Enclave. By fostering a robust, accessible, and sustainable domestic ecosystem, this BAA will empower USG programs to develop, field, and maintain affordable, mission-specific microelectronics. The ultimate objective is to deliver decisive technological advantages across the full spectrum of government missions, ensuring enduring national security and technological leadership for the United States. Mission areas below are constructed to guide both call posters and respondents, but mission areas below are not exhaustive. Any call related to furthering the missions of Secure Enclave, Intel 18A, SOTA microelectronics may be posted under this umbrella BAA. Sources that implement common mission architecture and enable future operational systems to meet performance, reliability, maintainability, supportability, and affordability goals, or which enhance performance or significantly reduce cost, schedule, or risk of existing technologies, are of particular interest. The USG reserves the right to update the mission areas, and other interest areas for this BAA. B. MISSION AREAS: The SOTA ME Adoption Program includes, but is not limited to, the following five (5) mission areas which may be used in any combination per Topic Call throughout the open period of this BAA. These mission areas are as follows: 1. Advanced & Secure Microelectronics Design and production This area seeks innovations in the digital and analog design of microelectronics. Proposals should focus on creating resilient, high-performance, and secure components for DoW applications. Topics of Interest may include, but are not limited to: Novel architectures for artificial intelligence (AI) and/or machine learning (ML), signal processing, and other functions at the tactical edge. Development of secure design methodologies and Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools that prevent the insertion of malicious hardware. Radiation-hardened by design (RHBD) techniques for space and strategic applications. Exploration of chiplet-based and System-in-Package (SiP) designs for rapid and modular system development. 2. Next-Generation Assembly, Packaging, and Test This area seeks to advance the state of post-fabrication processes. Innovations are needed to handle the complexity, security, and performance demands of modern DOW systems. Topics of Interest may include, but are not limited to: Advanced packaging techniques, including 2D, 2.5D/3D heterogeneous integration, for combining different technologies (e.g., logic, memory, RF) into a single, compact system. Automated and secure test methodologies for complex SoCs and SiPs to identify defects and hidden logic. Methods for non-destructively verifying the integrity and security of packaged components. Thermal management solutions for high-power and densely packaged microelectronics. 3. Novel Microelectronics for Disruptive USG Capabilities This area is application-focused, seeking proposals that leverage state-of-the-art microelectronics to enable new or significantly enhanced warfighting capabilities. Topics of Interest may include, but are not limited to: Low-power, high-performance edge computing for systems, and on-platform sensor fusion. Next-generation RF and mixed-signal electronics for advanced communications, electronic warfare (EW), and C5ISR. Hardware accelerators for real-time data analysis, cryptography, and secure computation. Microelectronics for resilient positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT). 4. Advanced Test, Validation, and Mission Qualification This area seeks innovative methodologies and technologies to comprehensively test and validate the performance, security, and reliability of SOTA microelectronics, including those fabricated on the Intel 18A process node. The objective is to build trust in these components and create a clear pathway for their qualification for insertion into critical USG systems. Topics of Interest may include, but are not limited to: High-throughput security verification techniques Development of test environments that emulate mission-specific conditions (e.g., radiation, extreme temperatures, vibration). Standardized benchmarking processes and "test vehicles" for objectively comparing SOTA process nodes. 5. Accessible & Affordable Microelectronics Ecosystem This area focuses on strategic and technical approaches to make SOTA microelectronics more accessible, affordable, and sustainable for the entire USG. Proposals should address demand aggregation, the use of common interfaces, and the development of mission-specific architectures that can be reused across multiple programs and services. Topics of Interest may include, but are not limited to: Establishment of a USG-curated chiplet library based on open standards (e.g., UCIe) to enable rapid, modular system design…