Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP) Highlights

Department of Defense Bolsters Supply Chain with First Slate of Biomanufacturing Awards

The Department of Defense (DoD) is fortifying America's industrial base with innovative biotechnology solutions through a series of recent awards. Over the last three months, DoD has issued 34 awards as part of the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP), for a combined value of $60.2 million. These awards support the Department’s five-year plan to invest in projects that bolster the establishment of a bioindustrial manufacturing base and scale the development of emerging technology for a more resilient industrial base.

“The DBIMP awards highlight the rapid progress we are making toward advancing the priorities laid out in the National Defense Industrial Strategy,” said Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (ASD(IBP)). “By incentivizing the expansion of domestic biomanufacturing capacity, we are creating new career paths across the manufacturing industry, further strengthening our domestic supply chains, and reducing our reliance on potentially adversarial industrial sources.”

As the first initiative of its kind, the DBIMP requirements are managed by the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and executed through the Defense Production Act Purchases program, which is overseen by the Office of the ASD(IBP). The 34 DBIMP projects were awarded through the Defense Industrial Base Consortium Other Transaction Agreement (DIBC OTA), a contract vehicle overseen by the Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) directorate within OASD(IBP).

“The DBIMP awards signal the importance of the biomanufacturing industry to ensure we maintain a technological advantage” added Mr. Anthony Di Stasio, Director of MCEIP. “I look forward to the plans developed by the awardees and to seeing the progress achieved as a result of this funding.”

The DBIMP awards align with Presidential Executive Order 14081 on "Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy” and focus on fortifying the industrial base through biotechnology innovations in five defense material priority areas: fabrication, firepower, fitness, food, and fuel. Awardees are developing cutting-edge materials for defense applications, such as self-healing textiles, bio-based adhesives, and tactical gear. In addition to fabrication advancements, projects aim to produce additives for high-performance aviation fuels, develop sustainable protein ingredients, and produce essential chemicals for rocket propellants and explosives binders. Successful DBIMP projects can receive follow-on awards that would provide access to up to $100 million to build a bioindustrial manufacturing facility based in the United States.

By supporting domestic production of these materials, the DBIMP helps the U.S. reduce reliance on foreign supply chains while bolstering the durability and resilience of its defense assets, enhancing operational readiness, and promoting innovative energy and nutrition solutions for military personnel.

About the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (OASD(IBP))

The OASD(IBP) works with domestic and international partners to forge and sustain a robust, secure, and resilient industrial base, enabling the warfighter now and in the future. OASD(IBP) also utilizes a new Defense Industrial Base Consortium Other Transaction Agreement (DIBC OTA) to solicit new ideas for research or prototype project solutions for critical Supply Chain Resiliency Focus Areas. The DIBC OTA underscores the Department's ongoing dedication to safeguarding the integrity of our crucial supply chain and furnishing our warfighters with requisite materials and technologies promptly. To learn more about the DIBC OTA, please visit: https://www.dibconsortium.org.