The Department of Defense is issuing an urgent call to action for commercial chemical innovators, dual-use startups, academic laboratories, and defense primes. To strengthen national security and eliminate critical supply chain bottlenecks, the U.S. government is seeking capability white papers aimed at modernizing, scaling, and prototyping domestic energetic materials and advanced manufacturing technologies.

If your organization has ready-now prototypes at Technology Readiness Level 4 (TRL 4+) or scalable production capabilities, this initiative offers a direct pathway to transition dual-use technologies directly into the defense industrial base.

Key Focus Areas for Investment

The call prioritizes capabilities that address five critical nodes in the energetics ecosystem:

• Warheads & Explosives: Advanced energetic formulations, insensitive munitions chemistry, and high-energy-density material synthesis.
• Propulsion Systems: Next-generation propellant formulations and processing techniques designed for rocket and missile applications.
• Modeling, Simulation & Infrastructure: Digital tools, physics-based modeling software, and foundational infrastructure to accelerate material design and safety characterization.
• Test & Evaluation (T&E) Improvements: Point-of-need diagnostic capabilities, expedited testing frameworks, and live-fire demonstration campaigns.
• Production Support & Scaling: Advanced processing, pilot-scale facilities, continuous manufacturing, and resilient domestic precursor supply chains.

Who Should Apply?

This effort is designed to bridge the gap between commercial chemical breakthroughs and defense requirements. White papers are encouraged from:

• Commercial chemical manufacturers and traditional Defense Industrial Base (DIB) suppliers.
• Dual-use tech startups and small businesses with scalable processing technologies.
• Academic institutions and applied R&D laboratories seeking pilot-scale transition partners.

Critical Submission Deadline

Submissions must be finalized and submitted by September 10, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET. Teams with viable chemistry, modern processing equipment, or expedited testing models should move quickly to align their capability statements with the RFI submission guidelines.

RFI Link = https://www.dibconsortium.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Request-For-Information-RFI_-JETO-1.pdf