A--DOI-ETA-FY26-30

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides responses to questions submitted by potential vendors regarding the Emerging Technologies Accelerator (ETA) Program, Amendment 0002.

• Publication Restrictions: Refer to ETA Program Announcement Section 6.B.5 for information on publication restrictions.
• Dataset Availability: Program datasets are anticipated to be available early in the program. Video lengths are expected to be in the minutes range, and videos will be unaltered with no biographical information provided.
• Architecture: Edge-orchestrated or distributed software solutions are acceptable, with the Government's goal being methodology prototypes.
• Proposals vs. White Papers: Currently, the Government is not expecting proposals. White paper submissions addressing specific approaches are acceptable.
• Data Sources: Publicly available and commercially licensed sources for non-image GEOINT inputs are acceptable if lawful acquisition and usage rights can be documented and the data can be distributed to the Government.
• Uncertainty in Neural Networks: For organizations developing methods for quantifying and controlling uncertainty in neural network models, the Government encourages submitting a White Paper to explain the approach.
• Cost and Schedule: For White Papers, assume a FY27 (October 1, 2026) performance start date for cost estimates.
• LOCUS Modalities: LOCUS systems may be applied to audio-only, image-only, or multimodal scenarios (audio, image, video).
• White Paper Submission: All submitted White Papers will be evaluated, regardless of submission timing relative to amendments.
• ARCADE Library: Performers may augment the Government-provided ARCADE library with publicly available manufacturer datasheets and documentation, provided lawful acquisition and use can be documented.
• Cost Reimbursement: A reasonable fee/profit is allowed for cost reimbursement proposals. Milestones/deliverables will have an agreed-upon fixed cost.

This Q&A document clarifies various aspects of the ETA Program, including data availability, acceptable technical approaches, submission requirements (emphasizing white papers over proposals at this stage), and cost estimation. Bidders should review these clarifications to ensure their submissions align with the Government's expectations and requirements.

Amendment / Modification

This document is Amendment 0002 to Solicitation DOIDFBO260047, originally dated 04/29/2026. It is issued to make changes to the solicitation.

• Item 11 indicates that this amendment applies only to amendments of solicitations and that the hour and date specified for receipt of offers is extended.

• The "Description of Amendment/Modification" section references a continuation page for details of the changes.

• The amendment extends the hour and date for receipt of offers.

• Offerors are instructed to acknowledge receipt of this amendment and may change their offers if desired, provided the changes are received prior to the new opening hour and date.

Amendment / Modification

This document is Amendment 0001 to Solicitation DOIDFBO260047, originally dated 04/29/2026.

• Item 11 indicates that this amendment applies only to amendments of solicitations and that the hour and date specified for receipt of offers is extended.

• The "continuation page" is referenced for the description of the amendment/modification, but the content of that page is not provided.

• The amendment extends the deadline for offer receipt. The original solicitation's offer due date was 04/29/2026, and this amendment is effective 05/05/2026, indicating a change in the submission deadline.

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides responses to vendor questions regarding the Emerging Technologies Accelerator (ETA) Program Announcement, Amendment 0001.

• New Requirement: The project is considered a new requirement, not an incumbent contract.

• Estimated Ceiling Value: No estimated ceiling values are available.

• White Paper Due Date: The SAM.gov "Due Dates in SAM are Flexible" note is superseded by the ETA Program Announcement. The Q&A window closes May 13, 2026, and the white paper submission window is guaranteed to stay open until May 27, 2026.

• "Sufficient" White Papers: Determination of "sufficient" white papers to trigger an amendment is at the discretion of the Government Program Manager.

• ARCADE - Initial Documentation: Initial component library and technical documentation will be available at Program Kick-Off. This includes data sheets, electrical specifications, and information on "context-aware queries."

• ARCADE - Corpus Scale: An estimate of "Tens of Thousands" for the initial Government-furnished component library is provided, with expected growth over 12 months.

• ARCADE - IP Rights: The Government has a preference for Unlimited Rights, but Government Purpose Rights will be considered if Unlimited Rights are not possible.

• The Q&A clarifies the flexibility of submission dates and the process for when an opportunity is marked "Not Active."

• Specific details regarding the ARCADE component library, corpus, and IP rights have been provided, which may influence proposal preparation.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document contains templates and instructions for various appendices required for proposal submission under the ETA Program Announcement DOI-ETA-FY26-30. It includes templates for technical proposals (Volume I), cost proposals (Volume II), and specific forms for acknowledgments, certifications, and data management plans.

Volume I: Technical Proposal Appendices

• Appendix A1: Cover Sheet Template: Requires details such as Program Announcement Number, Program Name, Lead Organization information (UEI, CAGE), business type, team members, proposal title, points of contact, page limit confirmation, IP rights, Research Data Management Plan (RDMP) inclusion, OCI waiver determination, academic institution involvement, and total funds requested.
• Appendix A2: Academic Institution Acknowledgment Letter: A template to be placed on official letterhead, acknowledging the contractual relationship and approval by an authorized official of the academic institution.
• Appendix A3: IP Rights: An optional template for representing ownership or licensing rights to Intellectual Property (IP) to be utilized, covering patents and non-commercial/commercial items. It requires details on intended use, offered rights, and costs for additional rights.
• Appendix A4: Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI) Certification Letter: A required template for certifying the absence of potential OCI, listing subcontractors and their roles.
• Appendix A5: Three Chart Summary of the Proposal: Required in PowerPoint format.
• Appendix A6: Research Data Management Plan (RDMP): A required template addressing data types, standards, public accessibility plans, repositories, retention periods, sharing/preservation policies, and protection of privacy/confidentiality/security/IP.

Volume II: Cost Proposal Appendices

• Appendix B1: Cover Sheet: Requires similar information to A1, plus contract type, period of performance, total proposed cost, DCMA/DCAA office information, proposal validity period, and business size.
• Appendix B2: Cost Proposal Template: A template (Excel format provided separately) for detailing costs by element (labor, fringe, overhead, subcontractors, materials, travel, G&A, etc.) for base and option periods.
• Appendix B3: Software and IP Costs: A template for listing software and IP costs.
• Appendix B4: Travel Costs and Trip Breakdown: Templates for detailing travel costs for base and option periods.
• Appendix B5: Deliverables Table: A table referencing Attachment 1 for deliverables.

These appendices provide the specific formats and required content for submitting technical and cost proposals. Bidders must carefully review and complete each relevant appendix to ensure their proposal meets all submission requirements for the DOI-ETA-FY26-30 opportunity.

Solicitation

This document announces the Emerging Technology Accelerator (ETA) Program, a solicitation for Prototype Other Transaction Agreements (OTs) issued by the Department of the Interior (DOI) in partnership with the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA). The program aims to invest in high-risk/high-payoff research to provide the U.S. with an intelligence advantage. Awards will be made through full and open competition.

• Proposals will be evaluated based on technical merit, relevance to IARPA's mission, and resource realism.

• Key elements of proposals include a detailed technical approach, innovative claims, description of deliverables, and cost estimates.

• Specific requirements include a White Paper submission prior to a full proposal, adherence to page limitations, and detailed information on Intellectual Property (IP) rights, Research Data Management Plans (RDMP), and Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI).

• Research involving human subjects requires documentation of a current Assurance of Compliance and IRB approval. Animal Subject Research (ASR) is not accepted.

• The program is anticipated to run from Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 through FY2030.

• Awards will be in the form of multiple Prototype Other Transaction Agreements (OTs).

• Funding availability will influence the number and scope of awards.

• White Papers are accepted continuously.

• Full proposals (Volume I: Technical and Management, and Volume II: Cost, if requested) will be by invitation only.

• Submissions must be made electronically via the IARPA IDEAS website.

• Proposals will undergo a scientific review process, with selection based on technical and funding availability factors.

• Negotiations will be conducted with selected Proposers.

• A research security risk assessment, based on National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 (NSPM-33), will be conducted for selectable proposals.

• Eligible applicants include Government Agencies, Federally Funded R&D Centers, University Affiliated Research Centers (UARC), Government-Owned, Contractor-Operated facilities, Government Military Academies, and other similar organizations with a special relationship with the Government are NOT eligible.

• Foreign entities and individuals may participate as part of a U.S. based team, with the prime Performer being a U.S. entity.

• Non-Traditional Defense Contractors (NDCs) and non-profit research institutions are encouraged.

• Questions regarding the announcement must be submitted by May 13, 2026.

• Q&A will be posted via Amendment.

• Facility construction costs and commercialization of technology are not allowable funding uses.

• Proposers are cautioned that failure to follow submission instructions may result in non-compliance and rejection.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document is an attachment to the ETA Program Announcement, specifically detailing the "ARCADE – ARTIFICIAL REASONING FOR CIRCUIT AUTOMATION AND DESIGN ENGINEERING (FY26) - ACTIVE" program. It outlines the program's objectives, scope, and technical requirements.

• Program Overview: ARCADE aims to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create an intelligent knowledge assistant for electrical circuit design, extracting information from technical documentation to enable faster and more accurate component selection.
• Objectives: Develop a fully functional software prototype capable of intelligent data ingestion, interpretation, knowledge base optimization, and an intelligent assistant for component selection.
• Key Tasks:
  • INGEST: Intelligent Data Ingestion and Interpretation - processing complex technical documents (PDFs) into a searchable knowledge platform.
  • DIGEST: Optimized Knowledge Base - transforming ingested data into an indexed format for efficient querying, potentially including an API.
  • SUGGEST: Intelligent Assistant for Component Selection - developing an intuitive interface for engineers to identify optimal components based on requirements.
• Program Scope and Limitations: Outlines specific approaches to be addressed, including intelligent data processing, scalable backends, research acceleration, and intuitive interfaces. It also specifies out-of-scope research areas.
• Program Specific Terms/Definitions: Defines terms like "Datasheet."
• Government Furnished Equipment/Information: The Government will provide an initial component library and technical documentation.
• Program Metrics: Details performance metrics such as Data Interpretation Accuracy, Data Interpolation Error, Semantic Constraint Accuracy, Normalized Response Time, and Recommendation Accuracy.
• Program Waypoints, Milestones, Deliverables: Provides a 12-month timeline with two 6-month phases, outlining key milestones and deliverables like read-ahead packages, technical review meetings, site visits, software deliverables, and final reports.
• Software Deliverable Formatting: Specifies requirements for software deliverables, including containerization and the need for a Lead System Integrator (LSI).
• Place of Performance: To be conducted at the Performers' recommended sites with Government concurrence.
• Test & Evaluation: Describes the T&E process, including independent evaluation and sharing of results.
• Technical Exchange Meetings/Workshops/Site Visits/Travel Requirements: Outlines expectations for meetings, workshops, and site visits.

This document is crucial for potential bidders interested in the ARCADE program. It provides a comprehensive overview of the program's goals, the specific technical capabilities required, the evaluation criteria, and the project timeline. Bidders must understand these elements to formulate a compliant and competitive proposal.