National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency · Department of Defense
Boosting Innovative GEOINT - Science & Technology Broad Agency Announcement (BIG-ST BAA)
Key facts
- Deadline
- Due Dec 14, 2026 · 68 days left
- Award size
- Not stated: see the official notice
- Match ?
- Not required · Work out your budget and match
- Who can apply
- Set by the official notice: see Who can apply below
- Where
- Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee
How this fits you
- Available in Tennessee (nationwide program)
- No match required
- Past Tennessee awards on file: 53
Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.
Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/d269d1d5-241b-48d5-b1c0-d7e614f02f09 · Printed from grantme.click/grants/8371c60d-0b90-457f-a4db-8ca750578456
View on Grants.gov Add deadline to my calendar
About this grant
The Boosting Innovative GEOINT-Science and Technology (BIG-ST) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) invites proposers to submit innovative concepts to address hard GEOINT problems that align to one or more of the following technical domains:
(1) Foundational GEOINT,
(2) Advanced Phenomenologies, and
(3) Analytic Technologies.
BAA Process and Topic Call Publication:
The BIG-ST BAA is a general announcement of NGA’s research interest, including criteria for selecting proposals and soliciting the participation of all offerors capable of satisfying the Government’s needs.
The requests for abstracts and proposals are transmitted via Topic Calls that are published separately under the BIG-ST BAA General Solicitation at various times during the open period of the General Solicitation. Topic Calls will be published via updates to the BIG-ST BAA General Solicitation site on Sam.gov, Grants.gov, and/or the Classified IC-Acquisition Research Center (https://acq-ui.ace.proj.nro.ic.gov). If a Topic Call is Classified, interested parties must have an account to log into the Classified IC-ARC to see the notice, and all associated RFP documents. For additional support with account access, please contact the Classified ACE Help Desk at 855-4ACE.Interested parties should periodically check these websites for updates.
No submissions shall be accepted to the General Solicitation; abstracts and proposals will only be reviewed in response to open Topic Calls. Please refer to the Topic Calls for Abstract and Proposal due dates.
The BIG-ST BAA General Solicitation, HM047623BAA0001 Revision 4 (dated 07/30/2026), is posted and applies to Topic 6 and forward. See Attachments/Links.
Closed Topics:
Topic 1 - Geospatial-Intelligence Foundational Model (GFM) is closed
Topic 2 - Magnifying University Science Expertise (MUSE) is closed.
Topic 3 - VLBI+G Signal Chain Development (VLBI+G) is closed.
Topic 5 - Better Ingested GEOINT - Identifying Artificial Intelligence and Manually Manipulated Media (BIGISLAND) is closed.
Topic 6 - Magnifying University Science Expertise (MUSE 2) is closed.
Canceled Topics:
Topic 4 - Production of Radio Frequency (RF) Surveys from Commercial On-orbit Passive RF (RF-COP) is canceled.
Active Topics:
8/18/2026 Update: Topic 7 is on HOLD pending Government requirement reviews. No other updates are made.
Topic 7 – Lidar Analysis for Surface &...
Who can apply, from the official notice
All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government's needs may submit an abstract and proposal for NGA’s consideration. See Section 3: Eligibility Information, of Broad Agency Announcement HM047623BAA0001 for detailed information.
Your schedule, working back from the deadline
- Oct7
Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov - Nov23
Ask partners for letters of support or commitment
Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters. - Dec7
Finish a complete draft for a final review
Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft. - Dec12
Submit
Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog - Dec14
Deadline
From the funder.
Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.
What the official notice requires
Pulled from the official notice BIGST_BAA_HM047623BAA00001_GeneralSolicitation_REV4_20260730.pdf (57 pages) so you can see the requirements at a glance. Each item shows the notice's own words. Open the page to read it in context.
Award size and project length
Award amounts here are per year · p. 34
“The Offeror (a) receives federal funds in excess of $50 million per year and has not established a research security program in accordance with National Security Presidential Memorandum 33 (NSPM-33); or (b) hosts a Confucius Institute (as defined in the…” Open page 34
Registrations you need first (2)
SAM.gov, Grants.gov · p. 2
“Section 4.3 Moved the “Classified IC-ARC Sign Up Instructions” from Section 4.5.8.3 to Section 4.3 Section 6.2 Removed embedded document titled “NGAI 8400.4.pdf” and posted it as a separate file on SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and Classified IC-ARC.” Open page 2
Unique Entity ID (UEI) · p. 15
“Offerors will be able to obtain their Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) at https://www.sam.gov, which replaced the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number in April 2022.” Open page 15
Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Get-ready checklist
What to submit
Project abstract or summary · p. 6
“Each posted Topic Call will provide specific timelines for abstract and proposal submission.” Open page 6
Resumes or bios of key staff · p. 19
“Reference Description Format Page limit Cover Page See template in Appendix 2 (Digital signature required) PDF N/A Table of Contents See template in Appendix 2 PDF N/A Volume 1 TECHNICAL/ MANAGEMENT Adobe PDF 20 pages if not specified in Topic Bibliography:2…” Open page 19
Length limits
Proposed Research: 5 pages max · p. 17
“Section 1 – ‘Proposed Research’ is limited to 5 pages.” Open page 17
Page limit (see quote): 20 pages max · p. 21
“Reviewers will not review any pages beyond the 20-page limit.” Open page 21
Cost share or match
Cost share / match · p. 14
“3.3 Cost Sharing/Matching Cost sharing is not required; however, it will be carefully considered where there is an applicable statutory condition relating to the selected funding instrument (e.g., OTs under the authority of 10 U.S.C. § 4022).” Open page 14
Mistakes that get applications rejected (4)
Missing a required part: Information that is not included within the proposal will not be evaluated and may result in a proposal... · p. 15
“Information that is not included within the proposal will not be evaluated and may result in a proposal being uncompliant with the solicitation instructions and deemed incomplete. 4.3 Application Process Overview A.” Open page 15
Missing a required part: Any abstract that does not utilize the required template at Appendix 1 will not be considered for review. · p. 17
“Any abstract that does not utilize the required template at Appendix 1 will not be considered for review.” Open page 17
Missing a required part: Any proposal that does not utilize the required template at Appendix 2 will not be reviewed and will not... · p. 19
“Any proposal that does not utilize the required template at Appendix 2 will not be reviewed and will not be considered for award.” Open page 19
Could get your application rejected: Proposals will not be evaluated against each other because they are not submitted in accordance with a... · p. 29
“Proposals will not be evaluated against each other because they are not submitted in accordance with a common work statement.” Open page 29
Who in Tennessee has won this program
28 awards to Tennessee groups in 4 counties since 2015. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities Incorporated | Oak Ridge | $10.1M spent that year | 2024 |
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | $2.4M | 2016 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | $1.1M | 2022 |
| Tennessee State University | Nashville, Davidson County | $1,000K | 2025 |
| Tennessee State University | Nashville, Davidson County | $998K | 2026 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | $894K spent that year | 2025 |
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | $813K | 2018 |
| Fisk University | Davidson County | $800K | 2023 |
| Tennessee State University | Davidson County | $800K | 2023 |
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | $778K | 2016 |
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | $737K | 2017 |
| Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | $721K | 2017 |
Source: Federal Audit Clearinghouse, USAspending.gov. Past awards show who this program funds. They don't guarantee future awards.
Tennessee groups that got this money through a state agency or another organization
This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. 25 pass-through grants on file. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Through | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | Battelle Memorial Institute | $530K spent that year | 2025 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Pennsylvania State University, the | $360K | 2026 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Pennsylvania State University, the | $305K | 2025 |
| Tennessee Technological University | Cookeville, Putnam County | Marshall University Research Corporation | $283K | 2023 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Pennsylvania State University, the | $282K | 2025 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute | $225K spent that year | 2023 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Pennsylvania State University, the | $199K | 2023 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | University of Massachusetts | $165K | 2025 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Pennsylvania State University, the | $158K | 2023 |
| University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Mississippi State University | $137K | 2025 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | The University of Texas Health Science Center | $114K spent that year | 2024 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | University of Massachussetts Chan Medical School | $110K spent that year | 2024 |
Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).
About the federal program
Basic, Applied, and Advanced Research in Science and Engineering
Program number 12.630 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) · Cooperative agreement (a grant with close agency involvement), project grant
How applications are judged
As specified in individual program announcements, BAAs, or other notices of funding opportunities. Generally, the principal evaluation and selection criteria are the technical merits of the proposed research (or research-related activity) and its potential relationship in the long term to missions of the Department of Defense.
Other selection criteria vary with the nature of the specific research or research-related activity. Typical examples include: Qualifications of the principal investigator and other key personnel to perform the proposed activity; adequacy of current or planned facilities and equipment to do so; and realism and reasonableness of proposed costs.
Match
Match: none required (federal program listing). Statutory Formula: Title NA, Part NA, Subpart NA,Public Law NA
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal year 2018: OSD does not directly execute programs within this listing. For information about open competitions or future opportunities involving OSD funding, prospective proposers should consult the program announcements, BAAs, or other notices of funding opportunities issued by the agents that execute the program, listed below. No central phone number is available. Some of the agents OSD uses to execute its programs include:
- Army Research Office (For contact info, see listing 12.431, or http://www.arl.army.mil/)
- Office of Naval Research (For contact info, see listing 12.300, or http://www.onr.navy.mil)
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research (For contact info, see listing 12.800, or http://www.wpafb.af.mil/afrl/afo
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