Director's Innovation Initiative

The Director's Innovation Initiative provides a risk-tolerant environment to invest across the United States in cutting edge technologies and high payoff concepts relevant to the NRO's mission of Innovative Overhead Intelligence Systems for National Security.

Program Objectives

• Provide continuous access to revolutionary concepts and ideas
• Provide access to non-traditional developers of NRO technology and broaden the developer base
• Establish a risk tolerant environment for conducting potentially high payoff projects

Program Philosophy

• Reach out to a broad range of potential offerors
  • UNCLASSIFIED solicitation via Federal Business Opportunities
  • Open to industry, academia and US Government sources
• Seek a wide range of ideas
  • Areas of Interest reflect the NRO Strategic Goals
  • Most innovative ideas are funded -- no quotas for any given area
• Prove feasibility of key concepts
  • Fund many ideas by limiting project funding and duration
• Goal is 10 – 15% of completed projects developed further

Be on the lookout for the FY22 DII Broad Area and Government Sources Sought Announcements (BAA / GSAA) in June 2021. Keep checking the Innovation Web Portal on the Acquisition Center of Excellence, Acquisition Research Center (ARC) website for further details.

Architecture After Next (AAN)

The Architecture After Next (AAN) Program is an Open Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), built using the FY21-22 AS&T BAA Framework - Architecture After Next, consisting of multiple broad areas of interest providing traditional and non-traditional developers an opportunity to participate in building the NRO of the 21st century by presenting innovative idea. Innovative ideas can be submitted through 30 September 2022. The period performance is not to exceed 12 months. Visit the Acquisition Research Center for more information.

Tactical Defense Space Reconnaissance Program

The Tactical Defense Space Reconnaissance (TacDSR) Program expeditiously develops, matures, and integrates technologies that enhance the access, content and timeliness of NRO Overhead Systems data products and services for the Warfighter. The program accomplishes this objective by pursuing highly selective, short duration, high pay-off Research and Development activities, funding about 30 such projects each year.

TacDSR Deactivation FAQs

Request an NRO Speaker

Do you want to invite an NRO speaker to your event?  Fill out the NRO Speaker Invitation Request Form and email to publicaffairs@nro.mil

Contracting Opportunities

Learn about contracting opportunities with the NRO.

June 16 2020- On Thursday, June 11, 2020, the NRO released an unclassified Request for Information(RFI) on a draft End User License Agreement construct designed to ensure maximum shareability of commercial imagery across a diverse user community. The RFI seeks industry comment on the proposed construct. Interested respondents should visit the Acquisition Center of Excellence, Acquisition Research Center, CSPO Phase B.