Boosting Innovative GEOINT – Science & Technology Broad Agency Announcement (BIG-ST BAA)
🏛 National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 17, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations and researchers developing innovative solutions in geospatial intelligence and related technologies. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency invites proposals from all responsible sources capable of meeting government needs. Individual researchers, university faculty, private companies, nonprofits, and other entities may apply depending on the specific topic call. Submissions follow a rolling Topic Call process where abstracts and proposals are only accepted in response to published topic announcements on Grants.gov, Sam.gov, or classified channels. Geographic scope is national, and both unclassified and classified topic calls may be available depending on security clearance requirements.
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Program description
The Boosting Innovative GEOINT-Science and Technology (BIG-ST) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) invites proposers to submit innovative concepts to address hard GEOINT problems that align to one or more of the following technical domains:
(1) Foundational GEOINT,
(2) Advanced Phenomenologies, and
(3) Analytic Technologies.
BAA Process and Topic Call Publication:
The BIG-ST BAA is a general announcement of NGA’s research interest, including criteria for selecting proposals and soliciting the participation of all offerors capable of satisfying the Government’s needs.
The requests for abstracts and proposals are transmitted via Topic Calls that are published separately under the BIG-ST BAA General Solicitation at various times during the open period of the General Solicitation. Topic Calls will be published via updates to the BIG-ST BAA General Solicitation site on Sam.gov, Grants.gov, and/or the Classified IC-Acquisition Research Center (https://acq-ui.ace.proj.nro.ic.gov). If a Topic Call is Classified, interested parties must have an account to log into the Classified IC-ARC to see the notice, and all associated RFP documents. For additional support with account access, please contact the Classified ACE Help Desk at 855-4ACE.Interested parties should periodically check these websites for updates.
No submissions shall be accepted to the General Solicitation; abstracts and proposals will only be reviewed in response to open Topic Calls. Please refer to the Topic Calls for Abstract and Proposal due dates.
The BIG-ST BAA General Solicitation, HM047623BAA0001 Revision 3 (dated 04/25/2025), is posted and applies to Topic 5 and forward. See Attachments/Links.
Closed Topics:
Topic 1 – Geospatial-Intelligence Foundational Model (GFM) is closed
Topic 2 – Magnifying University Science Expertise (MUSE) is closed.
Topic 3 – VLBI+G Signal Chain Development (VLBI+G) is closed.
Topic 5 – Better Ingested GEOINT – Identifying Artificial Intelligence and Manually Manipulated Media (BIGISLAND) is closed.
Canceled Topics:
Topic 4 – Production of Radio Frequency (RF) Surveys from Commercial On-orbit Passive RF (RF-COP) is canceled.
Active Topics:
Topic 6 – Magnifying University Science Expertise 2 (MUSE 2) is open. Topic is open to Grant Applicants only. Go to Grants.gov for details.
Topic 6 Update (3/16/2026): The Questions and Answers (Q&A) session is closed. The Q&A document is embedded in the revised Topic 6 document titled “BIGST_BAA_T06_MUSE_2v2.pdf.” The revised Topic 6 can be found in Grants.gov under RELATED DOCUMENTS.
Topic 6 Update (3/24/2026): Topic 6 “BIGST_BAA_T06_MUSE_2v3.pdf” and Appendix 5 “APPENDIX 5 Grants Coops_version3′ have been revised and can be found in Grants.gov under RELATED DOCUMENTS. The Abstract submission date has been extended to 31 March 2026 (10AM ET). Additionally, APPENDIX 5 Grants Coops_version3 has been uploaded as an Attachment to this General Solicitation.
Topic 6 Update (4/01/2026): Topic 6 “BIGST_BAA_T06_MUSE_2v4.pdf” has been revised and can be found in Grants.gov under RELATED DOCUMENTS. Abstract Submissions are CLOSED and are no longer being accepted.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Abstract (submitted in response to Topic Call)
- Full Proposal (submitted in response to Topic Call)
- Detailed budget and justification
- Project narrative aligned to topic requirements
- Evidence of team qualifications and prior work
- Compliance documentation per Topic Call specifications
Program contact
- 👤 Patricia Mercer-Bey Grant Specialist
- 📧 ocsgrants@nga.mil
- 📞 571-557-2381
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 12.630 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$142,583,696
-
$129,332,838
-
$118,290,185
-
$111,562,198
-
$88,016,412
-
$74,437,752
-
$72,572,588
-
$48,526,095
-
$44,471,403
-
$37,826,791
Top States by Funding
- TX 10 awards $234.0M
- CT 10 awards $215.0M
- CA 9 awards $190.1M
- PA 5 awards $127.9M
- AZ 6 awards $53.8M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 12.630). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $10,000,000 |
FAQ
Who can apply to the BIG-ST BAA?
All responsible sources capable of satisfying government needs can apply, including universities, companies, nonprofits, and individual researchers. Some topic calls may have specific eligibility restrictions; check each topic announcement for details.
When are applications due?
There is no single deadline. Instead, Topic Calls are published throughout the open period with their own abstract and proposal due dates. Check Grants.gov, Sam.gov, and classified IC-ARC regularly for new topics.
What activities does this grant support?
Proposals must address innovative GEOINT problems in three areas: Foundational GEOINT, Advanced Phenomenologies, or Analytic Technologies. Each topic call specifies what research directions and methodologies are sought.
How competitive is this funding?
This is a highly competitive federal research program from NGA. Proposals must demonstrate technical innovation, feasibility, and alignment with specific topic requirements. Strong preliminary data and experienced teams are advantageous.
What is the funding range?
Award amounts vary by topic call and are specified in each topic announcement. No single range applies across all topics in this BAA.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Track Topic Calls closely on Grants.gov and Sam.gov. New topics open at different times, and each has unique requirements and deadlines.
- Read the full Broad Agency Announcement (HM047623BAA0001, Revision 3) before submitting. Eligibility details and submission requirements are extensive.
- Align your proposal explicitly to one of the three technical domains (Foundational GEOINT, Advanced Phenomenologies, or Analytic Technologies) and explain why your innovation matters.
- Start early and budget time for internal review, especially if a classified topic requires IC-ARC account access or security clearance verification.
- Provide evidence that your approach is feasible within the proposed timeframe and budget. Include preliminary results or technical depth to demonstrate readiness.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Submitting directly to the General Solicitation instead of waiting for specific Topic Call announcements. Failing to align the proposal to one of the three designated technical domains. Underestimating the need for technical depth and innovation evidence in a competitive federal research environment.
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