Future Program: Laguna

DARPA's Biological Technologies Office is issuing a Special Notice on additional research areas of interest for the forthcoming Laguna program, with a listed due date of November 30, 2026. No set-aside is used. The notice is not a formal solicitation, DARPA will not accept submissions against it, and the solicitation will be posted on SAM.gov and will take precedence when released. The notice may be amended with a draft solicitation when available.

The program aims to develop integrated manufacturing approaches that convert domestic feedstocks, including sugars, ethylene, and BTX (benzene, toluene, xylenes), into application-ready specialty chemical formulations for defense use. Target product areas include protective and functional coatings for aircraft, ground vehicles, maritime systems, and infrastructure; composite resins and adhesives for lightweight structures; high-performance polymeric materials and molded structural components; and non-fluorinated replacements for fluorinated polymers. The program is anticipated to be a 36-month effort with two technical areas. TA1 (Make & Formulate) requires performers to develop and demonstrate fully formulated products from U.S.-produced raw materials, evaluated through technoeconomic analysis, life cycle assessment, and commercialization strategy plans. TA2 (Model) involves Government partners, FFRDCs, National Labs, and university-affiliated research centers developing predictive models.

Interested parties should email Laguna@darpa.mil to be added to the blast list for future program updates.