A New Front Door for Disruptive Defense Technology
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), in partnership with its marketplace manager, the Applied Research Institute (ARI), has launched the Expedited Research Innovation System (ERIS), a long-term open call intended to accelerate the discovery and acquisition of novel technologies relevant to U.S. national security. DARPA describes ERIS as a mechanism to solicit, assess, and curate disruptive research, processes, and capabilities, then make those solutions available through rapid acquisition pathways. At a high level, the initiative is designed to create a more accessible entry point for industry, academia, and individual innovators while helping the government move promising concepts from research to prototype, experimentation, and potential adoption more quickly.
What ERIS Is and Why It Matters
ERIS is structured as a digital environment for post-competition video solutions. In practice, that means solutions submitted through the ERIS process are competitively assessed in a manner aligned with 10 U.S. Code 4021, 4022, and 4023, allowing Department of Defense organizations to later view, compare, negotiate, and potentially award work without conducting another competition, as appropriate and informed by market research. DARPA’s stated goal is to create a centralized location where the government can assess cutting-edge technologies and where companies, universities, nonprofits, and individual developers can present beyond-state-of-the-art solutions that align with DARPA’s mission.
The program is intended to reduce procurement friction for both traditional and nontraditional defense contractors, including small businesses and research institutions. DARPA also positions ERIS as a transition pathway spanning the full innovation lifecycle, from idea to research, research to prototype, and prototype to experimental test and evaluation and beyond. For participants, the value proposition is significant: awardable submissions may become eligible for further research, prototyping, and procurement opportunities without further competition, and participants receive technical feedback from a peer panel of government, industry, and academic subject matter experts. DARPA also notes that ERIS offers negotiable award terms and the possibility of multiple awards across multiple customers based on a single video solution submission.
ERIS Topic Areas and Submission Requirements
DARPA is currently seeking video solution pitches aligned to one or more topic areas tied to breakthrough national security capabilities. These include technologies for detecting and tracking elusive objects across air, land, and space; improving the resilience and effectiveness of strategic systems and command-and-control networks; defending against chemical and biological threats; improving the resilience of U.S. operations across the deployment cycle with a focus on human health and performance optimization; advancing the convergence of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) with chemistry and biology; and enabling disruptive space operations across Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), and cislunar environments.
The submission model is distinctive. ERIS requires an unclassified video submission, a completed submission form, and a prescribed set of four supplemental slides. Videos must be no longer than seven minutes, submitted as .mp4 files under 1 GB, and must not include proprietary information, export-controlled information, controlled unclassified information, or unauthorized restrictive markings. Each video must address four core content elements: the problem and current state of the art, how the proposed solution advances the state of the art, the capability of the proposed team, and the defense and/or commercial use case and impact of the solution. DARPA also requires the supplemental slides to follow the exact four-slide format in Appendix B, including a company introduction, submission criteria quad chart, and a solution overview with a DARPA white space chart.
Important Dates and Timing Considerations
Unlike a traditional solicitation, ERIS is continuously open and operates on monthly collection periods rather than a single submission deadline. Key timing details include:
- Monthly submission cutoff: Submissions are collected monthly, and the cutoff is the final day of each monthly collection period at 12:00 PM Eastern Time. Submissions received after noon Eastern Time on the final day roll into the next monthly cycle.
- Monthly assessment period: Submissions received during a given month are assessed in the following month.
- Results notification: DARPA states that results will be available within 30 days of the end of the relevant monthly collection period, subject to flexibility in cases of high submission volume.
DARPA also advises submitters not to wait until the last day to file, noting that compliance issues identified for last-day submissions may not be communicated before the collection period closes.
Awards, Funding Flexibility, and Period of Availability
ERIS does not provide a traditional funding profile with a fixed number of awards, defined award size, or stated period of performance for resulting efforts. Instead, DARPA emphasizes flexibility. The announcement states there is potential for multiple awards with a single customer or across multiple customers, with no stated price ceilings or limits to duration of effort, based on a single video solution submission. It also notes that award terms may be fully negotiable, including payment structure, intellectual property and data rights, milestones, schedule, and pricing. At the same time, DARPA is clear that an assessment of “awardable” and placement into the ERIS marketplace does not guarantee a current or future award.
For marketplace visibility, awardable videos submitted under enduring topic areas remain in the ERIS marketplace for 12 months unless removed earlier at DARPA’s discretion. Special Topic Area submissions remain available for six months. While that is not the same as an award performance period, it is an important timing consideration for organizations evaluating how long their solutions may remain visible for government review and potential follow-on interest.
Critical Elements of the Required Submission Form
Each row summarizes the key information needed to ensure submission is accurate, compliant, and easy for reviewers to evaluate.
# | Field | Simplified Description |
1 | Entity Name | Full legal name (must match SAM.gov if registered) |
2 | UEI | 12-character SAM.gov ID (leave blank if none) |
3 | TRL | Current technology readiness level (for reference only) |
4 | Topic Area | Pick the single best-fit DARPA topic |
5 | Business Size | Small or large (based on SBA rules) |
6 | Small Business Designations | Select any applicable certifications |
7 | Contractor Status | Traditional or nontraditional defense contractor |
8 | Submission Type | New submission or resubmission |
9 | FOCI | Indicate foreign ownership/control/influence (Yes/No) |
10 | Street Address | Main business street address |
11 | City | City of main business location |
12 | State | State of main business location |
13 | Zip Code | Zip code of main business location |
14 | Website | Company website (if available) |
15 | Points of Contact | Primary & alternate contact (email + phone) |
16 | Video File | Upload required video submission |
17 | Supplemental Slides | 4 required DARPA slides (no proprietary info) |
18 | Thumbnail Image | Optional preview image for submission |
19 | Submission Title | Title under 128 characters |
20 | Keywords | At least 5 keywords (comma-separated) |
21 | Abstract | Short summary (max 1,500 characters) |
Strategic Takeaway for Innovators
ERIS represents an important evolution in how DARPA is sourcing emerging technology. By lowering barriers to entry through a video-first submission model, creating a recurring monthly intake cycle, and enabling post-competition access to promising solutions, the agency is building a faster path between breakthrough ideas and mission use. This matters for companies developing technologies that can strengthen national security, including systems that improve detection, resilience, biodefense, human performance, and advanced Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning-enabled operations. In the human health context specifically, ERIS’s stated interest in technologies for defense against chemical and biological threats, as well as solutions that support human health and performance optimization, signals meaningful opportunities for innovators whose work can protect warfighters and strengthen national resilience.
If your company is considering applying for federal funding, your journey starts here. EverGlade is a national advisory firm helping innovators navigate the federal funding ecosystem. We support companies across the funding lifecycle, from early-stage strategy through proposal development, negotiations, and post-award execution, connecting breakthrough innovation with non-dilutive funding. We support programs across federal agencies including ARPA-H, BARDA, DARPA, DTRA, NIAID, CPE CBRND, DOE, and DFC, among others.
