Definitive Contract HR001125CE041

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded a $10.3 million cost-plus-fixed-fee definitive contract to RTX BBN Technologies, Inc. (doing business as BBN Technologies) on September 25, 2025, for the Microsystems Induced Catalysis (MICA) program. The award, with a completion date of December 24, 2028, supports advanced research and development in modeling, simulation, and fabrication of microsystem-based control of catalytic molecules. Under this 39-month effort, BBN Technologies will contribute to one of two technical areas within the MICA program: either functional co-design of multiscale modeling tools (TA1) or attachment co-design and fabrication techniques (TA2). The work, to be performed in Cambridge, Massachusetts, represents part of DARPA's approximately $40 million total investment across the two-phase MICA initiative, which seeks revolutionary scientific advances enabling predictable control of catalytic chemistry through generated physical forces, with performance metrics including improving placement accuracy from 100 nanometers to 50 nanometers and demonstrating control of six unique catalyst types by Phase 2.

BBN Technologies, a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies Corporation with a long-standing track record of delivering cutting-edge technological solutions to DARPA and other defense agencies, is well-positioned to execute this research initiative. The company maintains extensive experience in quantum computing, artificial intelligence, advanced sensing systems, and complex research and development programs, often leveraging collaborations with academic institutions and specialized research organizations. The contract contains no set-aside designation and follows DARPA's typical cost-plus-fixed-fee contract structure for its advanced research programs, enabling rapid access to BBN Technologies' technological capabilities within its existing DARPA indefinite delivery vehicles.