Lloyd J. Austin III Secretary of Defence | Official website
The Department of Defense (DOD) has initiated a new Open Announcement via the Defense Industrial Base Consortium Other Transaction Authority (DIBC OTA). This announcement will accept unsolicited White Papers for consideration for Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III and Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) funding. The DIBC, which offers free membership, is open to U.S. organizations as well as international partners from the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. The FY24 National Defense Authorization Act designated the UK and Australia as domestic sources for DPA funds, while Canada has held this status since 1992.
Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (ASD(IBP)), stated, "This Open Announcement will solicit new ideas for research or prototype project solutions that will benefit our industrial base." She added that expanding supply sources aligns with the vision articulated in the National Defense Industrial Strategy to help build resilient supply chains.
The Open Announcement aims to significantly accelerate the timeline to project award, thereby delivering critical capabilities to the industrial base more rapidly. This initiative also supports the critical Supply Chain Resiliency Focus Areas identified in President Biden's Executive Order 14017, On America's Supply Chains.
"The new OA demonstrates the Department's continued commitment to ensuring the integrity of our supply chains and providing our warfighters with the materials and technologies they need," said Mr. Anthony Di Stasio, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience.
The sectors sought under this Open Announcement include Kinetic Capabilities, Energy Storage and Batteries, Castings and Forgings, Strategic and Critical Materials, Microelectronics, and Workforce Development.
The Open Announcement is currently accepting White Papers until September 30, 2024. More information can be found on the DIBC OTA website.
The DPA Investments Office is managed by ASD(IBP)'s Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Program (MCEIP), within the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience. For more information on MCEIP, please visit their website.
The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (OASD IBP) collaborates with domestic and international partners to establish and maintain a robust, secure, and resilient industrial base that supports the warfighter, both now and in the future.
