Lloyd J. Austin III Secretary of Defence | Official website
The Department of Defense (DoD) announced an additional five awards totaling $9 million for the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP). The initiative aims to expand the domestic supply of ingredients and materials for U.S. supply chains by building bioproduction infrastructure.
The awardees include ARCTOS Technology Solutions in Beavercreek, Ohio; CleanJoule in Salt Lake City; Lygos in Berkeley, California; Synonym in New York City; and Visolis in Hayward, California.
These awards are part of more than 30 expected under Executive Order 14081, "Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy." This order seeks to bolster America's bioeconomic strengths while enhancing advanced defense capabilities.
"These awards represent exciting steps toward fulfilling President Biden's vision of a robust American bioeconomy and vibrant industrial base," said Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu. "The bioindustrial manufacturing industry is primed and ready for investments that will ultimately boost national and economic security as well as strengthen our position at the forefront of the global bioeconomy."
Through these agreements, companies will receive funding to produce business and technical plans detailing the construction of domestic bioindustrial manufacturing production facilities under the Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) Other Transaction Agreement (OTA). Successful projects may receive follow-on awards providing access to up to $100 million to build U.S.-based bioindustrial manufacturing facilities.
"These awards further demonstrate action against the long-term strategic goals in the National Defense Industrial Strategy," said Dr. William LaPlante, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. "Biomanufacturing is a great example of how the Department is using the DIBC OTA to enable faster execution of high-priority efforts."
The first DBIMP award was announced in July 2024. The remaining awards are expected throughout the coming months. More information on the awardees can be found here.
Award details include:
- ARCTOS Technology Solutions received $1.49 million to plan a facility producing protein-based products useful for next-generation fibers, films, filters, and adhesives.
- CleanJoule received $1.49 million to plan an industrial-scale facility producing additives for high-performance aviation fuels.
- Lygos received $1.79 million to plan a multiproduct biorefinery producing critical chemicals useful for coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers.
- Synonym received $1.89 million to rehabilitate an underutilized precision fermentation facility producing lubricants and solvents required for high-performance aircraft.
- Visolis received $2.25 million to plan a facility domestically producing a platform chemical convertible into rocket propellants, explosives binders, and sustainable aviation fuel.
Following competitive evaluations of proposed solutions, negotiations began with over 30 selectees across focus areas: fabrication, fitness, food, and fuel. Upon completion of planning efforts businesses may proceed with building bioproduction infrastructure increasing domestic supplies of critical materials.
