Biomanufacturing Academic Challenge

U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command – Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC), Rock Island, IL, on behalf of the Department of War (DoW), through its Warfighting Investments, Resourcing, and Execution (WIRE) Directorate, (10 U.S.C. § 4817), in conjunction with Army Contracting Command – Rock Island Arsenal (ACC-RIA), manages the Cornerstone Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), in accordance with 10 U.S.C. § 4022. Cornerstone was architected to create a broad-based, flexible and enduring public-private consortium focused on strategic strengthening of the U.S. Manufacturing and Defense Industrial Base and provide a strong complement to the mandates in Presidential Executive Order 13806. 

ACC-RI, on behalf of Combat Capabilities Development Command – Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC), intends to issue a competitive Cornerstone Initiative Request (CIR) for Biomanufacturing Academic Challenge on or after 17 July 2026, with an estimated closing date of 21 calendar days after issuance. The CIR for Biomanufacturing Academic Challenge is restricted to Cornerstone consortium members.

The CIR will solicit proposals for (1) fixed-price OTA with incremental payments made upon completion of specific milestones. Period of performance will be 24 months. A non-competitive follow-on production OT may be awarded following a successful prototype.

To maintain U.S. leadership in the bioeconomy, there is a critical need to support education and workforce development programs focused on biotechnology and biomanufacturing. Currently, no dedicated program exists to address this need.   

This effort will plan and execute a national Academic Challenge: Biomanufacturing in Island Communities. The Challenge will engage interdisciplinary, multi-collegiate undergraduate teams with the goal of developing innovative solutions to real-world bioindustrial manufacturing challenges. The effort will also foster networking opportunities between students, faculty, industry mentors,...