DARPA BTO SBIR/STTR deadline June 3

DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office is in the market for small-business proposals again, and the immediate date to watch is June 3. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s SBIR/STTR topics page shows multiple BTO-backed topics in the current 2026 Department of War solicitation with a June 3 closing date, after a pre-release on April 13 and an opening on May 6. The agency’s small-business office says proposals must be filed electronically through the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal. The social-media framing around “biosecurity” and “synthetic biology” points to a real filing window, but the underlying DARPA material is more specific about the topics now open. ### Which DARPA opportunities actually close on June 3? DARPA’s SBIR/STTR topic page lists at least three Biological Technologies Office topics closing on June 3: Smart Whole Blood Field Transfusion system, or SWiFT; Extremity Platform for On-demand Surgical Implantation and Tissue Integration with Osteochondral Neogenesis, or EXPOSITION; and Broadening Availability of Regimens for K-9s, or BARK. Each topic is marked as pre-released on April 13, opened on May 6 and closing on June 3. The same page shows those BTO topics alongside non-BTO solicitations in other DARPA technical offices, which means the June 3 deadline is part of a broader monthly SBIR/STTR cycle rather than a one-off office announcement. DARPA says all of its SBIR/STTR topics fall under the current Department of War Broad Agency Announcement for the program. ### Is this a generic biosecurity call or a set of named projects? (darpa.mil) The posted DARPA topics are named project areas, not a single umbrella call labeled “biosecurity.” SWiFT seeks “a self-contained, autonomous device” for blood collection, temporary storage, diagnostic testing and transfusion; EXPOSITION seeks an on-demand regenerative medicine platform for finger restoration after trauma; and BARK seeks medical products compatible across humans and dogs for warfighters and military working dogs. (darpa.mil) DARPA’s description of BTO helps explain the lane these projects sit in. The office says it develops systems to identify chemical and biological threats, medical countermeasures, tactical care tools, and biotechnology for resilient infrastructure and supply chains. It also says BTO works across “data factories,” combat casualty care and logistics. ### Where does synthetic biology and biofoundry work fit in? (darpa.mil) DARPA has a documented history of funding synthetic biology and biomanufacturing work through BTO, even if the current June 3 topics shown on the public SBIR page are narrower than that social-media shorthand suggests. The agency’s “Living Foundries” program describes efforts to make synthetic biomanufacturing more predictable and useful for defense needs, while the “Switch” program aims for a reprogrammable biomanufacturing platform that can shift between feedstocks and chemical outputs. (darpa.mil) BTO’s own office page says it uses biology and manufacturing approaches to create resilient infrastructure, supply chains and point-of-need production. That language is the closest public DARPA description to the “biofoundry” framing circulating online this week. ### Who can apply, and what are the rules? DARPA says SBIR and STTR are competitive contracts run by its Small Business Programs Office. (darpa.mil) The agency directs applicants first to confirm eligibility, then review topic instructions, ask questions during the pre-release period, and submit electronically through DSIP before the close. DARPA also draws a bright line between SBIR and STTR. (darpa.mil) For SBIR, partnerships are allowed but not required, and the principal investigator must be employed at least half-time by the awardee. For STTR, a university or nonprofit research institution partner is required, with minimum work-share rules for both the small business and the research partner. (darpa.mil) ### What happens after June 3? June 3 is the submission deadline now posted for the current BTO topics, but DARPA does not specify award dates on the topic summary page or the participation guide. The agency says proposals that meet submission requirements are evaluated by engineers or scientists for technical and scientific merit. June 5 is the next dated BTO milestone on DARPA’s public calendar. (darpa.mil) The agency says the Biological Technologies Office will host its BIO Fair in Tysons, Virginia, on that date as a hybrid event with overview presentations from DARPA personnel and BTO program managers. (darpa.mil 1) (darpa.mil 2)