The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory University Affiliated Research Center has been awarded a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency contract with a $499.8 million ceiling for engineering, development, and research services.
The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract supports cost-plus-fixed-fee term and completion task orders. DARPA expects to use the contracting vehicle for a range of engineering and developmental activities requiring the practical application of scientific and technical research.
Under the agreement, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory will establish and maintain capabilities needed to perform engineering, development, and research work involving investigative findings, scientific theories, and emerging technologies. Individual assignments will be defined through task orders issued under the broader IDIQ contract.
The structure gives DARPA flexibility to commission specific research and engineering efforts as requirements emerge, while staying within the contract’s $499.8 million ceiling. The ceiling represents the maximum potential value of work that can be ordered under the contract rather than funding committed immediately at award.
No funds are obligated at the initial contract award. DARPA will obligate the contract’s minimum guaranteed amount when it issues the first task order. DARPA will assign additional funding as it authorizes subsequent task orders.
Work will be performed primarily at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. The ordering period is expected to continue through October 2031, giving DARPA a multiyear mechanism for accessing the laboratory’s engineering and research capabilities.
The Applied Physics Laboratory operates as a University Affiliated Research Center, a structure designed to provide U.S. government agencies with sustained access to specialized technical expertise and research capabilities. The latest contract is focused specifically on maintaining an essential capability for engineering and developmental work that translates scientific and technical findings into practical applications.
DARPA awarded the contract through a sole-source acquisition.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity under contract HR001127DE001.
