Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III Tungsten Rhenium Wire Production Sustainment Project | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III Tungsten Rhenium Wire Production Sustainment Project is a U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) funding opportunity intended to rebuild or strengthen a domestic manufacturing capability for a very specific strategic material: tungsten 3 percent rhenium (W-3Re) wire. The core goal is to establish a viable U.S.-based source that can manufacture this wire efficiently and at reasonable cost, while also achieving consistently high yield and repeatable, reliable quality. The wire must meet both Department of Defense requirements and commercial Microwave Tube (MWT) industry standards, with the end use focused on vacuum tube electronics (a category that includes high-performance microwave and radio frequency components often used in defense and specialized commercial systems). In practical terms, the government is aiming to reduce supply-chain risk and ensure long-term availability of a critical material used in sensitive or high-reliability electronic applications.

This opportunity was offered as a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement, which typically means the government expects to have substantial involvement during execution compared to a standard grant. The activity category is listed under science and technology and other research and development, signaling that the funded work likely spans process development, manufacturing scale-up, qualification, and sustainment planning rather than simply basic research. Only one award was anticipated, indicating the Air Force was likely looking for a single performer (or a lead organization with partners) capable of standing up or sustaining an end-to-end production capability that meets stringent performance and consistency targets.

The estimated total funding amount for the project was $3,000,000. A cost sharing or matching requirement applied, meaning the selected awardee would need to contribute a portion of the project cost from non-federal sources (for example, company funds, investor capital, or other allowable contributions), which is common in industrial base and manufacturing readiness efforts where the government wants industry to have direct financial stake in the outcome. The CFDA listing was 12.800, tied to the Air Force Defense Research Sciences Program.

Eligibility was described as unrestricted, open to any type of entity, subject to any additional eligibility clarifications in the full announcement text. This would generally allow participation by private companies (including manufacturers and material suppliers), universities, non-profits, or consortia, provided they can credibly deliver the required domestic production capability and comply with federal award requirements. Because the emphasis is on creating a viable domestic source, the practical expectation is that the critical manufacturing steps and deliverables would need to be performed in the United States in a way that supports U.S. industrial base resilience.

Key administrative details include the funding opportunity number FOA RQKM 2014 0008 and the title exactly as listed. The opportunity was posted February 7, 2014, created March 26, 2014, with an original closing date of March 31, 2014, later extended to a current closing date of April 30, 2014. The archive date was May 30, 2014. The sponsoring agency was the Air Force Research Laboratory. For access issues with the full announcement, the listed agreements officer contact was Dianna C. Aniton at 937-656-7197.

Overall, this DPA Title III effort is best understood as an industrial base sustainment and risk-reduction project: ensuring the U.S. can reliably produce W-3Re wire at the quality and consistency required for microwave tube and vacuum electronics applications, without depending on fragile or foreign supply chains. The government interest is less about one-off prototyping and more about establishing a repeatable, scalable, and standards-compliant manufacturing source that can support both defense needs and relevant commercial demand over time.

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