The Department of Defense (DoD) announced today the first award under a new program aimed at expanding the domestic supply of critical ingredients and materials for U.S. national supply chains and strengthening the bioindustrial manufacturing base.
Debut, a San Diego-based company, will receive $2 million to develop business and technical plans for constructing a domestic bioindustrial manufacturing facility.
The project will be managed through the Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) Other Transaction Agreement, a contract vehicle awarded and overseen by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy.
If successful, Debut could receive up to $100 million in follow-on awards to establish the facility, which aims to onshore foreign production of essential precursors for manufacturing ingredients, materials, resins, polyesters, and thermosetting resins.
“The DoD is committed to leveraging biotechnology to secure our competitive advantage and keep pace with the demand for next-generation capabilities for our warfighters and allies,” said Dr. Aprille Ericsson, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology at the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
The award marks a first step towards the department’s Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP), which DoD the launched at the beginning of the year.
The DBIMP offers new opportunities for American businesses to advance biotechnology to support President’s Biden Executive Order 14081, Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy.
“This first award is a major step toward realizing the vision of Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks when she directed establishment of DBIMP in Fiscal Year 2023. By making these investments in domestic bioproduction infrastructure, we are making a significant move toward fortifying the American industrial base,” said Ericsson.
Following a competitive evaluation, the DoD began negotiations with over 30 organizations for business and technical planning in defense materials, including fabrication, fitness, food, and fuel. After completing these planning efforts, businesses can negotiate to advance to the DBIMP’s next phase under the DIBC, where the DoD will support building bioproduction infrastructure to boost the domestic supply of critical materials.
The remaining awards are expected to be announced throughout the coming months.
