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MTEC-27-PROMPT
Response Deadline
Jul 1, 2026, 2:00 PM(EDT)30 days
Eligibility
Contract Type
Presolicitation
The Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC) is excited to post this pre-announcement for a Request for Project Proposals (RPP) in support of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). This effort focuses on the development of a fully automated, man-portable, and ruggedized prototype platform for the on-demand, expeditionary manufacturing of clinical-quality nucleic acid primers and probes. This system must be designed for operation in far forward or austere environments by non-specialist personnel.
Background:
Technology development and progress are urgently needed to address critical capability gaps in expeditionary medical diagnostics. Current diagnostic capabilities are hindered by a reliance on centralized manufacturing for essential nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) reagents, such as primers and probes. This paradigm is currently incompatible with the demands of agile, far-forward medical responses to novel biothreats. An effective prototype must overcome several key challenges identified across the current landscape. Technologically, it must replace the current hazardous and environmentally sensitive synthesis systems with field-stable chemistry and ruggedized hardware. Any proposed system must integrate a deployable, effective method for both the purification of synthesized reagents and their subsequent quality control and validation, as this represents a major unsolved problem. Finally, any successful prototype must be developed with a clear strategy to navigate the currently undefined regulatory pathway for far-forward manufactured diagnostics.
Technical Objective:
This upcoming RPP focuses on the development, integration, and demonstration of a fully automated, man-portable, and ruggedized prototype platform for the on-demand, expeditionary manufacturing of clinical-quality nucleic acid primers and probes. This system must be designed for operation in far forward or austere environments by non-specialist personnel. The capability will specifically address critical technology gaps by replacing traditional, hazardous synthesis chemistry with a field-stable alternative and, most critically, integrating novel, on-board capabilities for both the automated purification and quality control validation of the resulting reagents. The successful outcome will be a self-contained system capable of producing sequence-verified, high-purity oligonucleotides from a digital sequence file within hours, thereby enabling a rapid, decentralized diagnostic response to novel biothreats without reliance on traditional laboratory infrastructure or cold chain logistics.
Requirements:
The U.S. Government is seeking solutions capable of satisfying the following capabilities:
Potential Funding Availability and Period of Performance:
The Government currently anticipates making one or more awards to a qualified Offeror(s) for a period of performance not to exceed 24 months. Offerors will be encouraged to propose budgets commensurate with the current stage of development and anticipated scope for the project.
Acquisition Approach:
This upcoming RPP is expected to utilize a two-stage approach (solution brief and pitch) where interested offerors will submit solution briefs in response to this effort. The Government will evaluate solution briefs submitted and will select those that best meet its current technology priorities using the criteria noted in the upcoming RPP. Those selected will be invited to participate in a pitch event with the government sponsor for final selection of award(s).
The upcoming RPP will be posted to the MTEC website (mtec-sc.org) and a summary version will be available on SAM.gov to notify interested parties. The RPP is expected to be released as soon as possible and will have a proposal preparation period of approximately 30 days. MTEC membership is required for the submission of a proposal in response to the upcoming MTEC RPP. To join MTEC, please visit http://mtec-sc.org/how-to-join/.
MTEC:
The MTEC mission is to assist the Department of Defense (DoD) U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC), the Defense Health Agency (DHA), and other Government agencies by providing cutting-edge technologies and supporting life cycle management to transition medical solutions to industry that protect, treat, and optimize Warfighters’ health and performance across the full spectrum of military operations. MTEC is a biomedical technology consortium collaborating with multiple government agencies under a 10-year renewable Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), Agreement No. W81XWH-15-9-0001, with the Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity (DHACA).
For more information on the MTEC mission, see the MTEC website at mtec-sc.org.
Point of Contact:
For inquiries regarding this pre-announcement, please direct your correspondence to Dr. Chuck Hutti, MTEC Senior Technical Program Manager, chuck.hutti@mtec-sc.org.
Chuck Hutti
DEPT OF DEFENSE
DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY (DHA)
ARMY MED RES ACQ ACTIVITY
ARMY MED RES ACQ ACTIVITY
808 SCHREIDER ST
FORT DETRICK, MD, 21702
NAICS
Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)
PSC
HEALTH R&D SERVICES; HEALTH CARE - OTHER; EXPERIMENTAL DEVELOPMENT