SIIG intelligence / Northeast
A weekly briefing for owners, investors, government leaders, and small businesses tracking defense innovation, public opportunities, and university partnerships.
ISSUE 03
OCTOBER 5, 2026
This week / Verified October 5, 2026
This week favors mature systems that can be demonstrated: affordable ISR aircraft, unmanned surface vessels, tactical power, and operationally relevant training. Review eligibility, deadlines, and the official submission requirements to identify opportunities for your organization.
Published: September 29, 2026. Deadline: October 14, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET. Status: open prize challenge, not a standard DIU CSO and not an awarded contract. Eligibility: U.S. and international companies may submit; small businesses and nontraditional vendors are encouraged. A selected vendor must be able to demonstrate at a government test site and may need active SAM/CAGE registration for a prototype agreement. Location: fly-off site to be determined.
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Next step: a platform owner should prepare the required 15-slide-or-less deck, ROM cost, production plan, and objective evidence separating demonstrated from developmental capability.
Official DIU challenge ↗Verified: October 5, 2026. Deadline: October 7, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET. Status: open submission for an operator assessment; participation may support later prototype or experimental-procurement actions, but no award is guaranteed. Eligibility: U.S. persons with a mature USV aligned to escort or interceptor mission profiles. Location: on-water assessment at the Roger F. Wicker Center, Mississippi, November 2–20.
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Next step: the technology owner should review the assessment criteria, complete the white paper and quad chart, and document current performance against the two mission profiles.
SOFWERX assessment details ↗Verified: October 5, 2026. Registration: on site October 12, 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m. ET, and October 13, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. ET, first come, first served. Status: upcoming prize competition at AUSA 2026, not a general online solicitation. Eligibility: eligible small or large U.S. and allied-country businesses attending AUSA in Washington, D.C.; travel and conference registration are not funded. Up to five $100,000 prizes are planned.
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Next step: only attend if the team already has a qualifying solution and AUSA access; prepare a public 60-second pitch tied to the Army problem statement.
Army competition rules ↗Verified: October 5, 2026. Request-to-attend deadline: October 8, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET. Status: selective in-person networking event, not a procurement notice. Eligibility: small businesses whose capabilities support national-security or USSOCOM missions; no more than two attendees per organization. Location: SOFWERX, Tampa, Florida, on November 5.
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Next step: request attendance with a concise capability statement and a specific partner or mission problem your organization can support.
Request-to-attend details ↗Issued: September 22, 2026. Deadline: October 22, 2026. Status: open Warren County RFP, CR# 2139265. Eligibility: review the county solicitation for proposer requirements. Location: Warren County, New York. The scope seeks assistance with threat-assessment and management-team training, exercises, and program support.
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Next step: obtain the solicitation, confirm insurance and experience requirements, and decide whether your organization should bid or pursue a teaming arrangement.
NY State Contract Reporter notice ↗Deadline: October 19, 2026, 5 p.m. ET. Status: open nationwide prize competition with a possible later SBIR/STTR path for finalists. Eligibility: independent, for-profit U.S. small businesses with no more than 500 employees and qualifying U.S. ownership. Location: nationwide. Up to $1 million in prizes is stated; later SBIR/STTR proposal opportunities are not automatic awards.
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Next step: select one technology concept, disclose overlapping federal support, and finish the concept white paper before the final week.
xTech|Search 10 details ↗Programs to watch / Verified October 5, 2026
Each status below distinguishes a live submission from an upcoming event, standing pathway, closed collection, or award. Recheck the official source before committing resources.
The program remains an operator-evaluated acquisition initiative. Prior vendor selections, fly-offs, and orders are milestones or awards—not an open solicitation. Monitor the official page for a future phase notice.
Official program page ↗xTech|Search 10 is open through October 19. xTech|Disrupt Endurance uses on-site AUSA registration October 12–13 and is limited to attending companies with relevant power technology.
Current competitions ↗DIU lists zero standard CSOs, one Low-Cost ISR challenge closing October 14, and two specialized CLASS ACT Bridge notices closing October 13.
Current DIU pathways ↗NAVWAR’s CSO page remains a standing route, not an individual open notice. No new NAVWAR-specific solicitation was verified for this issue.
NAVWAR pathways ↗The Marketplace remains a standing submission route. The opportunities page reports no active Special Topics or Shopping Notices; a closed June collection is not a new opening.
Tradewinds status ↗Air Force and Space Force Release 6 SBIR/STTR specific topics remain open. Eligible U.S. small businesses must choose an exact topic; STTR requires a qualifying research-institution partnership.
Funding schedule ↗Poseidon’s Fury closes October 7, the small-business networking request closes October 8, and SBIR 26.BZ Release 6 closes October 21 at noon ET. Other listed event dates may follow closed submission windows.
Current events ↗University path: the live STTR rounds remain the clearest verified research-partnership route. No separate new Long Island university solicitation was verified for inclusion this week.
Weekly Northeast opportunities
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Subscribe ↗Issue archive
Issue 03 — October 5, 2026
Issue 02 — September 28, 2026
Issue 01 — September 24, 2026
Editorial note. Verified against linked official program, agency, and state sources on October 5, 2026. Dates and terms can change; confirm the live notice before acting. “Open” means a specific application or proposal window; awards, upcoming events, closed notices, and standing portals are labeled separately. SIIG is independent, is not affiliated with these agencies, and cannot guarantee an award.