The Department of Defense today announced the remaining nine awards to bioindustrial firms under the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP). This announcement completes the first phase of DBIMP investment at 34 total awards worth over $60 million.
The awardees include Amyris, based in Emeryville, California; Cauldron Molecules, based in in Australia and the United States; Checkerspot, based in Alameda, California; DSM Nutritional Products, based in Plainsboro, New Jersey; EVERY Company, based in Daly City, California; The Fynder Group, based in Chicago; Liberation Labs, based in New York City; Perfect Day, based in Berkeley, California; and Solugen, based in Houston.
The program executes the White House's Executive Order 14081, "Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy," aimed at bolstering America's bioeconomic strengths while helping the Department achieve advanced defense capabilities.
"The next industrial revolution will be a biomanufacturing revolution. DoD is keenly aware of that reality," said Heidi Shyu, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. "DBIMP's investment in a diverse set of companies will help transition U.S. bioindustrial manufacturing from the laboratory to a network of large-scale production facilities, able to fortify defense supply chains for critical chemicals and novel materials while positioning the U.S. bioeconomy for surging growth."
Through these agreements, companies will receive funding to produce business and technical plans that detail construction of domestic bioindustrial manufacturing production facilities under the Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), a contract vehicle awarded and overseen by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy. These proposals will be eligible to receive follow-on "build" awards providing access to up to $100 million to construct U.S.-based bioindustrial manufacturing facilities.
"The introduction of new investment and funding strategies aligned to the National Defense Industrial Strategy offers the DoD rapid access to commercial solutions for defense requirements," said Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy within the Office of the Under Secretary of
Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. "The DIBC OTA provides DoD with new paths for innovation through industry and ensures continued U.S. competitiveness."
The department announced the first award for the DBIMP in July 2024. The final set of projects announced today are as follows:
- Amyris, based in Emeryville, California, was awarded $1.93 million to develop a plan to retrofit an existing facility that would enable cost-competitive domestic production of terpenes and related molecules for use as solvents and fuels for defense systems. The facility location is yet to be determined.
- Cauldron Molecules, based in in Australia and the United States, was awarded $1.76 million to plan a commercial-scale facility. This facility will use hyper-fermentation to produce precision-fermented products ranging from food proteins to fuels and chemicals at a lower cost than traditional production methods. The company is considering U.S.-based sites for the facility.
- Checkerspot, based in Alameda, California, was awarded $3.19 million to plan a facility that would produce lubricants free of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and triglyceride oils as food ingredients. The facility location is yet to be determined.
- DSM Nutritional Products, based in Plainsboro, New Jersey, was awarded $2.07 million to plan a facility that will expand domestic production of omega-3 fatty acids for food supplies, which increasingly has been sourced from foreign producers. The facility location is yet to be determined.
- EVERY Company, based in Daly City, California, was awarded $2.0 million to plan a facility for producing performance protein products for human nutrition. These proteins have unique features such as high solubility and increased protein density that can be easily incorporated into a range of form factors – high-concentration protein gels, hot and cold beverages, and meal rations. The facility location is yet to be determined.
- The Fynder Group, based in Chicago, Illinois, was awarded $1.38 million to plan a bioproduction facility for fungi-based proteins that can be incorporated into military ready-to-eat meals. The facility location is yet to be determined.
- Liberation Labs, based in New York, New York, was awarded $1.4 million to develop plans for scaling up operations of its new facility in Richmond, Indiana. The flexible, industrial-scale infrastructure of this facility would address the growing need for precision-fermented bioproducts within the defense application areas of food, operational fitness, and fabrication.
- Perfect Day, based in Berkeley, California, was awarded $1.24 million to develop plans for a commercial facility to produce whey protein with fermentation. This biobased whey can be used to supplement military ready-to-eat meals and provide a safe source of protein for service members with dairy allergies. The facility location is yet to be determined.
- Solugen, based in Houston, Texas, was awarded $2.0 million to plan a multi-use modular facility to establish cost-effective production of dual-use precursors that cannot be sourced domestically. Production is expected to occur at the company's Houston-based facility or new facility in Marshall, Minnesota.
About the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program
Following a competitive evaluation of proposed solutions, the Department entered negotiations with more than 30 selectees for business and technical planning efforts across focus areas for defense materials: fabrication, firepower, fitness, food, and fuel. Upon completion of planning efforts, businesses are eligible to enter negotiations to proceed to the next phase of the DBIMP under the DIBC, wherein the DoD will support building bioproduction infrastructure that increases the domestic supply of critical materials.
