Marine Industrial Base Project Call
This Project Call was created in partnership with the ARM Institute and the BlueForge Alliance (BFA). Full proposals for this Project Call are due on November 21, 2025 at 5:00 PM ET and must be submitted via the ARM Member Community. While our Project Call is publicly available, you must be an ARM Member to submit a proposal. Learn more about membership here.
The MIB is facing many current and future challenges across a broad spectrum of industries and capabilities that negatively impact the ability to meet the demand of a “1+2” submarine development requirement (one Columbia-class and two Virginia-class). These challenges include, but are not limited to, current and expanding workforce shortfalls, loss of master-level knowledge, an overburdened and unstable supply chain, and technical challenges that can be mitigated through automated robotic solutions and artificial intelligence (AI).
This project call seeks projects to identify and advance existing technologies into production environments. The proposed solutions should align to at least one of the three capabilities-of-interest described below, which fit into broad technical focus areas, respectively: (1) Welding Automation and Monitoring, (2) Metrology and In-Process Inspection, and (3) Casting Process Automation.
Proposed solutions must be mature, with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7+, and be ready or near ready for production environments. Key differentiators in competitive solutions may include rapid scalability, commercially available products, or robust plans for integration and maintenance. The expectation is that the impact of these technologies is demonstrated in real, shipyard-representative environments by the end of the projects. It is critical for respondents to specify (1) their existing technologies relevance to the specified capability-of-interest, and (2) the degree to which the capability-of-interest meets the broader needs and demand of the MIB as it relates to submarine development.
The ARM Institute will host a public webinar on Oct. 23 at 12 PM ET in support of this Project Call to give the public the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the Project Call content. Can’t join at the scheduled time? Register to receive the recording.
Download our Project Call Here
Register for our Public Webinar Here
26-01 Core-Funded Draft Project Call
This Project Call is currently available in Draft Format and, as such, is available only to ARM Members on the ARM Member Community. It will be publicly released later this year.
This Project Call centers on validated DoD needs, such as:
- Production of low-volume, high-mix castings and forgings for DoD acquisition and sustainment, (including necessary upstream & downstream processes)
- Production of submarines and executable surface ships.
- Production of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), including collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) and UAS-based munitions.
- Production of munitions, including ballistic munitions, guided munitions, missiles, and hypersonic weapons.
- Production and/or sustainment for specific program(s) of record.
- Other validated high-priority DoD needs.
Full templates, documentation, and further details are available in the ARM Member Community. Email [email protected] for assistance using the Community.
AI FORM Draft Project Call
This Project Call is currently available in Draft Format and, as such, is available only to ARM Members on the ARM Member Community. It will be publicly released later this fall. The Adaptive Incremental Forming through Optimized Robotic Manufacturing (AI-FORM) Tech Project Call, created in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), seeks to mature an autonomous robotic system for incremental open die forging of bulk metal components. The system’s capability will be assessed on its ability to manufacture forged components of need for multiple DoD services, including the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Defense Logistics Agency.
There is a critical need for forged components across all DoD services, ranging from small to extra-large components. The forging supply chain is identified as a critical vulnerability for the DoD due to factors including traditionally high-mix low-volume demands, limited domestic capability for aerospace-quality forgings, a dwindling domestic workforce, and a limited ability for manufacturing surge. These factors lead to significant lead times for components resulting in diminished military readiness. In the far-term, there exists both an inability for forging component suppliers to meet the increasing demand for quality DoD forgings and to meet wartime surge demands, which could impact operational capabilities.
Incremental robotic forging offers a solution to these challenges.
ARM Members can access this Project Call in the ARM Member Community. Email [email protected] for assistance using the Member Community or with questions.
We plan to issue this Project Call publicly in the October timeframe. Note that while our Project Call will be made publicly available, you must be an ARM Institute Member to submit a proposal.
About the ARM Institute’s Project Calls
Our Project Calls are a crucial part of the ARM Institute’s mission to secure the nation’s future in manufacturing. These project calls are open to the public, but only ARM Institute members can submit proposals. These calls serve as a platform for collaboration and innovation, fostering a community that works together to lift solutions off the ground that may have otherwise suffered from a lack of funding or engineering roadblocks. The ARM Institute is proud to play a pivotal role in this process, allowing our members to connect, collaborate, and contribute to the future of manufacturing. In the aftermath of COVID-19, this mission and this work has never been more important. Join today to become a part of this critical effort to lead future of manufacturing.
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For our members, the ARM Institute offers the chance to collaborate on initiatives that shape the trajectory of national manufacturing. These Project Calls can serve as a springboard for innovative ideas, providing the much-needed financial support to transform these ideas into reality, playing a significant role in the progression of the manufacturing industry and the robotics field as a whole. To see what this process looks like upon completion, be sure to read up on our robotics projects. These projects showcase the power of collaboration and innovation, and they represent the future of manufacturing that we, at the ARM Institute, are striving to create.
