COMPETITION
SECURITY
Overview
This 2nd Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) will invest in open radio unit (RU) commercialization and innovation. It is comprised of two specific research focus areas (“SRFAs”):
SRFA 1 –Open RU Commercialization
- Funding Range: $$25,000,000-$45,000,000.
- Period of Performance: 18-24 months.
- Place of Performance: RU development must be performed in the U.S. Testing for verification, validation, and demonstration may be performed outside of the U.S.
- 10% minimum cost share requirement. Applications with 16% or more cost share will receive favorable weighting during Programmatic Review.
- All applicants must include a Letter of Partnership Intent with a Mobile Network Operator (MNO).
- U.S. and international entities are eligible, but either the applicant, an MNO partner, or both must hold Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO) in the U.S., its territories, and possessions.
SRFA 2 – Open RU Innovation
- Funding Range: $5,000,000-$10,000,000.
- Period of Performance: 3-5 years.
- Place of Performance: All activities must occur in the U.S., its territories, and possessions.
- No cost share requirement
- No partnership requirement
- U.S. and international entities are eligible. Applicants may be based in the U.S. or abroad and are not required to hold UBO in the U.S., but place of performance requirements still apply.
For more detailed information please visit InnovationFund
Key Objectives
SRFA 1 – Open RU Commercialization: Accelerate the development of open RU products to the point where they meet carrier needs and are ready for commercial trials.
SRFA 2 –Open RU Innovation: Improve the overall performance and capabilities of open RUs through targeted research and development.
Administrative Requirements
Applicants must submit their materials via Grants.gov. NTIA encourages applicants to initiate the following two steps early, so they are set up for success during the NOFO application window.
- Register with SAM.gov to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). An active registration is required at time of award. This process may take weeks so please ensure registration is done in sufficient time so that it does not impact your ability to meet submission deadlines.
- Register an account with Grants.gov. You must have obtained your UEI before registering on Grants.gov. Please fill in all organizational applicant information for the profile of the account. Communication regarding the grant will only be sent to the point of contact (POC) listed on the organizational profile.
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