DoD Releases Five Awards for Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program

The Department of Defense recently announced seven additional awards to bioindustrial firms via the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP). This announcement brings the DBIMP to 13 awards to date totaling $23 million.

The awardees include Battelle in Columbus, Ohio; Modular Genetics in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Genomatica in San Diego; Industrial Microbes in Alameda, California; ZymoChem in San Leandro, California; The Better Meat Co. in West Sacramento, California; and Biosphere, in Oakland, California.

The awards are some of more than 30 expected to be conferred as part of 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.

"Expanding the Department of Defense's biotechnology capabilities is key to maintaining the United States' supply-chain and military superiority," said Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu, as she announced the conferment of this third batch of DBIMP awards during a moderated discussion at the National Defense Industrial Association's Emerging Technologies Conference on Aug. 7 in Washington, D.C.

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. Successful projects that were selected under the competitive announcement can receive follow-on awards that would provide access to up to $100 million to build a U.S.-based bioindustrial manufacturing facility.

"As we look to build resilient supply chains and address emerging threats," said Carla Zeppieri, deputy assistant secretary of defense for industrial base resilience. "The DIBC OTA plays a pivotal role in DoD's efforts to develop mission-critical materials domestically and meet our national security needs."

The department announced the first award for the DBIMP in July 2024. The remaining awards are expected to be announced throughout the coming month.

Details of the current batch of awarded projects are as follows:

• Battelle, based in Columbus, Ohio, was awarded $1.85 million to plan a facility for producing less expensive chemicals that are needed to produce smokeless propellants and other energetic materials. Production is expected to occur at Battelle's Advanced Pilot Facility in Aberdeen, Maryland.
• Biosphere, based in Oakland, California, was awarded $1.5 million to plan a commercial-scale manufacturing plant for high-performance oils with direct use across defense application areas of food, fuel, and fabrication. The facility location is yet to be determined.
• Genomatica, based in San Diego, was awarded $1.51 million to plan a multiproduct biorefinery to domestically produce polymer precursors that have applications in the aviation and automobile markets. Facility sites in the U.S. Midwest are being considered.
• Industrial Microbes, based in Alameda, California, was awarded $1.55 million to plan a commercial-scale facility to convert ethanol feedstock into acrylic acid, which can be used in coatings, adhesives, sealants, lubricants, corrosion inhibitors, and wound dressings. The facility location is yet to be determined.
• Modular Genetics, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was awarded $2.53 million to plan a facility that is expected to bring overseas production of a vital precursor for energetic materials back to the U.S. industrial base. The company's proprietary technology reduces waste costs for industrial-scale production of this chemical. Production is expected to occur in West Virginia.
• The Better Meat Company, based in West Sacramento, California, was awarded $1.48 million to plan a bioproduction facility for mycoprotein ingredients that are shelf-stable, have high protein and fiber contents, and can be dehydrated. The facility location is yet to be determined.
• ZymoChem, based in San Leandro, California, was awarded $1.57 million to plan a bioproduction facility for biobased monomers used to fabricate military fabrics, tactical gear, parachute systems, aerospace materials, and other high-performance materials. Establishing domestic production of these monomers would reduce reliance on foreign supply chains. The facility location is yet to be determined.

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, 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.

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