NGA - Boosting Innovative GEOINT - Science & Technology Broad Agency Announcement (BIG-ST BAA)

Quick Summary

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has issued a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), "Boosting Innovative GEOINT - Science & Technology (BIG-ST BAA)," seeking innovative concepts to address challenging GEOINT problems. This BAA is a general solicitation for research and development in Foundational GEOINT, Advanced Phenomenologies, and Analytic Technologies. The overall BAA remains open until December 15, 2026, but specific opportunities are released via Topic Calls. As of April 1, 2026, all active Topic Calls, including Topic 6 (MUSE 2) for Grant Applicants, have closed for abstract submissions.

Purpose & Scope

NGA invites proposals for innovative research and development (R&D) concepts that align with its mission to deliver future GEOINT capabilities. The scope is limited to RDT&E Budget Activities 6.1 to 6.4 and Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 1-7. Key technical domains of interest include:

• Foundational GEOINT: Creating accurate, high-resolution, continually updated representations of Earth's properties.
• Advanced Phenomenologies: Employing novel methods for improved spatial, spectral, radiometric, polarimetric, and temporal data.
• Analytic Technologies: Enhancing GEOINT definition and utility through new data sources and advanced analytic techniques (e.g., AI, computer vision, NLP).

BAA Process & Current Status

This BAA operates through separate Topic Calls, which define specific government needs, research areas, and submission timelines. No submissions are accepted directly to this general solicitation. Topic Calls are published on Sam.gov, Grants.gov, and/or the Classified IC-Acquisition Research Center.

• Active Topics: Currently, all specific Topic Calls have either closed or been canceled. Topic 6 (MUSE 2), which was open for Grant Applicants only, closed for abstract submissions on April 1, 2026.
• Closed/Canceled Topics: Topics 1, 2, 3, and 5 are closed. Topic 4 was canceled.

Contract Details & Award Types

Anticipated awards may include Procurement Contracts, Grants, Cooperative Agreements, or Other Transactions (OTs) for prototypes and follow-on production. NGA reserves the right to select the most appropriate award instrument.

Submission & Evaluation

Proposals are only accepted in response to specific Topic Calls, not the general solicitation. Abstract submission is mandatory prior to full proposal submission.

• Submission Portals: Sam.gov, Grants.gov (for grants), or Classified IC-ARC (for classified topics).
• Grants/Cooperative Agreements: Proposals must be submitted via Grants.gov, adhering to specific instructions in Appendix 5 (Version 3). Mandatory forms include SF-424 (R&R) and related documents.
• Evaluation: An 8-step process includes Conformance Review, Scientific/Technical Review, Analysis of Proposed Resources, Funding Decision, Security Evaluation, Cost/Price Evaluation, Administrative and National Policy Requirements, and Final Award Decision.

Eligibility & Key Requirements

All responsible sources are eligible. Specific conditions apply to Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) and Government Entities. Other Transaction Agreements (OTs) have specific resource-sharing requirements. Foreign participation will be specified in each Topic Call. Proposers must register in SAM.gov. Research and Technology Protection guidance, including NSPM-33 compliance for fundamental research, is provided, with Common Disclosure Forms submitted only upon NGA's request after selection.

Important Notes

This is Revision 3 of the General Solicitation. Offerors should periodically check Sam.gov, Grants.gov, and the Classified IC-ARC for future Topic Call publications.