Opportunity Information: Apply for RFI WHS 07222020
The National Defense Education Program (NDEP) Request for Information (RFI WHS 07222020) is a market research notice issued by the Department of Defense, specifically tied to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. Its main purpose is to collect input from outside organizations so the DoD can shape a possible future solicitation. This is not a grant competition or a request for proposals, and it is not an opportunity where the government will make an award based on the submissions. Instead, it is a structured way for the DoD to understand what capabilities, approaches, partnerships, and program models exist across industry and academia that could support defense-related education and workforce priorities.
A key point in the notice is that responses must be written as information-sharing documents rather than as sales pitches or formal proposals. Under FAR 15.201(e), anything submitted is not an offer and cannot be accepted to form a binding agreement. The government also makes clear that it will not pay for the time, labor, or expenses involved in preparing an RFI response. Organizations considering participation should treat it like strategic positioning and informational engagement, not like an application with a chance at immediate funding.
The RFI is organized around three separate focus areas. Respondents are not required to address all three. They are expected to target one focus area per response, and if an organization wants to comment on more than one area, they should submit separate responses in line with the submission instructions contained in the full RFI package. The three areas are: (I) STEM education, outreach, and workforce development; (II) biotechnology education and workforce development; and (III) enhanced civics education. In practical terms, the DoD is signaling interest in initiatives that strengthen the pipeline of talent and the broader public understanding needed to support national defense goals, spanning technical fields and civic literacy.
The first focus area, STEM education, outreach, and workforce development, centers on building and sustaining pathways into science and engineering disciplines that matter to defense readiness and innovation. This can include education and outreach programs that engage K-12 learners, community colleges, universities, and working professionals, as well as efforts that broaden participation and connect education to real-world mission needs. Workforce development implies attention not just to awareness, but to skill attainment, hands-on experiences, and job readiness, such as internships, apprenticeships, lab-based training, mentorship networks, and industry-academic partnerships that accelerate entry into critical technical roles.
The second focus area, biotechnology education and workforce development, narrows the emphasis to bio-related fields and the preparation of talent capable of supporting defense-relevant biotech needs. While the notice does not spell out specific subtopics in the summarized text, the workforce-development framing suggests interest in scalable training models, credentialing approaches, curriculum development, and partnerships that can produce graduates and practitioners with practical competencies. This focus area likely aims at strengthening the talent base in areas where biology intersects with security, resilience, and advanced research, and it invites respondents to describe existing programs, gaps, and promising strategies for growing the biotech workforce.
The third focus area, enhanced civics education, indicates the DoD is also exploring how civics-related learning could be strengthened as part of a broader national defense education concept. This area is distinct from technical training and suggests interest in programs that improve understanding of civic institutions, democratic principles, citizenship responsibilities, and the foundational knowledge that supports informed participation in society. Framed within a defense context, enhanced civics education can be interpreted as building societal resilience and shared understanding, though the RFI itself is the vehicle to gather ideas on what approaches, curricula, or outreach models might be effective and appropriate.
In terms of who can respond, eligibility is intentionally broad. The DoD invites input from non-profits, academic institutions, and both large and small businesses, and it explicitly lists common small business categories such as 8(a), HUBZone, service-disabled veteran-owned, veteran-owned, small disadvantaged, and women-owned small businesses. This signals that the DoD wants a wide lens on the market, including innovative small organizations and mission-driven educational entities, not just major defense contractors or large universities. The listing under CFDA 12.006 and the “Other” categorization reflect that this is not a standard grant program announcement at this stage, but rather a preliminary information-gathering step.
Administratively, the opportunity was created on July 22, 2020, and the original closing date for responses was August 28, 2020. The notice does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards because, as an RFI, it is not making awards. The practical takeaway is that the DoD used this RFI to collect actionable market intelligence: what programs exist, what models work, what scale is feasible, what partnerships are common, what outcomes can be measured, and where gaps remain. Organizations responding would ideally provide clear, factual descriptions of capabilities and lessons learned, and avoid writing as though they are competing for immediate funding, since the DoD is using the responses to inform whether and how to design a future solicitation.Apply for RFI WHS 07222020
- The Department of Defense in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Defense Education Program (NDEP) Request for Information for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Research & Engineering)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.006.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2020-07-22.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-08-28. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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