Lloyd J. Austin III Secretary of Defence | Official website
The Department of Defense recently announced seven additional awards to bioindustrial firms via the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP). This announcement brings the DBIMP to 13 awards to date, totaling $23 million.
The awardees include Battelle in Columbus, Ohio; Modular Genetics in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Genomatica in San Diego; Industrial Microbes in Alameda, California; ZymoChem in San Leandro, California; The Better Meat Co. in West Sacramento, California; and Biosphere in Oakland, California.
These awards are part of more than 30 expected to be conferred under the White House's Executive Order 14081, "Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy," aimed at bolstering America's bioeconomic strengths while helping the Department achieve advanced defense capabilities.
"Expanding the Department of Defense's biotechnology capabilities is key to maintaining the United States' supply-chain and military superiority," said Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu during a moderated discussion at the National Defense Industrial Association's Emerging Technologies Conference on Aug. 7 in Washington, D.C.
Through these agreements, companies will receive funding to produce business and technical plans that detail construction of domestic bioindustrial manufacturing production facilities under the Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), a contract vehicle awarded and overseen by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy. Successful projects selected under this competitive announcement can receive follow-on awards providing access to up to $100 million to build U.S.-based bioindustrial manufacturing facilities.
"As we look to build resilient supply chains and address emerging threats," said Carla Zeppieri, deputy assistant secretary of defense for industrial base resilience. "The DIBC OTA plays a pivotal role in DoD's efforts to develop mission-critical materials domestically and meet our national security needs."
The department announced the first award for the DBIMP in July 2024. The remaining awards are expected throughout the coming month.
Details of the current batch of awarded projects are as follows:
- Battelle was awarded $1.85 million to plan a facility for producing less expensive chemicals needed for smokeless propellants and other energetic materials. Production is expected at Battelle's Advanced Pilot Facility in Aberdeen, Maryland.
- Biosphere was awarded $1.5 million to plan a commercial-scale manufacturing plant for high-performance oils with applications across food, fuel, and defense fabrication areas. The facility location is yet to be determined.
- Genomatica was awarded $1.51 million to plan a multiproduct biorefinery to domestically produce polymer precursors used in aviation and automobile markets. Facility sites in the U.S. Midwest are being considered.
- Industrial Microbes was awarded $1.55 million to plan a commercial-scale facility converting ethanol feedstock into acrylic acid used in coatings, adhesives, sealants, lubricants, corrosion inhibitors, and wound dressings. The facility location is yet to be determined.
- Modular Genetics was awarded $2.53 million to plan a facility expected to bring overseas production of an essential precursor for energetic materials back to the U.S. industrial base using proprietary technology that reduces waste costs for industrial-scale production. Production is expected in West Virginia.
- The Better Meat Company was awarded $1.48 million to plan a bioproduction facility for mycoprotein ingredients that are shelf-stable with high protein and fiber contents, which can be dehydrated. The facility location is yet undetermined.
- ZymoChem was awarded $1.57 million to plan a bioproduction facility for biobased monomers used in military fabrics, tactical gear, parachute systems, aerospace materials, and other high-performance materials, reducing reliance on foreign supply chains. The facility location is yet undetermined.
Following competitive evaluation processes for proposed solutions within focus areas like fabrication, fitness, food, and fuel sectors, businesses entered negotiations with over 30 selectees concerning their business and technical planning efforts, eligible for then negotiating proceeding phases supported by building bioproduction infrastructure, increasing domestic critical material supplies necessary for national security purposes under DBIMP/DIBC OTAs.
