Atomically Precise Molecules (APM)

Updated Oct 28, 2026

Solicitation from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Due Dec 18, 2026, 51 days left.

Bid documents (18)

• Bid document 418 KB
• APM Attachment A Abstract 62 KB
• APM Attachment B Proposal Summary Slide 426 KB
• APM Attachment C Proposal Instructions and Volume I Template Technical 65 KB
• APM Attachment D Proposal Instructions and Volume II Template Price 51 KB
• APM Attachment E Price Detail Spreadsheet 81 KB
• APM Attachment F Other Transaction Certifications 43 KB
• APM Attachment G Task Description Document TDD Template 37 KB
• APM Attachment H Schedule of Milestones and Payments 42 KB
• APM Attachment I Model Other Transaction for Prototype 133 KB
• APM Attachment J APM CUI Guide 264 KB
• APM Enclosure 1 DARPA BAAT Submission Portal Guide 642 KB
• APM Enclosure 2 Proposer Checklist 30 KB
• APM Proposers Day Recording
• APM Proposers Day Combined Slides 3.3 MB
• APM FAQ V1 88 KB
• APM FAQ V2 168 KB
• Amendment 1 420 KB

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Description

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)

Contracting contact

• APM PS Coordinator · [email protected]

As published on the official notice. Ask questions in writing and before any questions deadline the notice sets.

Is your business small enough?

For NAICS 541715, a business counts as small if it has no more than 11 employees (SBA size standard, with exceptions in the notes). This notice is not set aside, but the size decides your small business status on it. SBA table, current as of Oct 15, 2026.

Notice history

• Oct 20, 2026: Solicitation Due Dec 18, 2026, 1:00 PM (UTC-5)
• Oct 9, 2026: Solicitation Due Dec 18, 2026, 1:00 PM (UTC-5)
• Oct 8, 2026: Solicitation Due Dec 18, 2026, 1:00 PM (UTC-5)
• Sep 25, 2026: Solicitation Due Dec 18, 2026

Companies that win this kind of work

Federal contractors paid for research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences work, who also hold DARPA contracts (last 12 months): possible competitors, or partners to team with.

• The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC $1.9 billion in this trade
• Raytheon Company $1.7 billion in this trade
• The Pennsylvania State University $483.0 million in this trade
• Leidos, Inc. $420.8 million in this trade
• Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation $420.0 million in this trade

About the buyer

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded $1.2 billion in contracts in the last 12 months; its biggest suppliers were Lockheed Martin Corporation, Securigence LLC and The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC. See what DARPA is buying now.

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences contracts right now

There are 266 open government contract opportunities in this trade (NAICS 541715), 38 posted in the last 7 days; 32% are set aside for small businesses. The agencies buying the most are Department of the Air Force, Department of the Army and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Most of the work with a stated place is in Maryland, District of Columbia and New Mexico. A notice in this trade gives a median of 67 days from posting to deadline; this one gives 52 days.

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