19 October 2026

DARPA's Protein ENGineering (PENG) solicitation closes today, seeking a universal, software-defined platform for precise editing of endogenous proteins. The Department of War's monolithic graphene-CMOS focal plane array and expeditionary solar refinery proposals both close in two days, adding urgent low-light detection and on-the-move fuel synthesis to the pipeline. Across the week, three open requirements will close within seven days and six more within thirty. The most active buyers this cycle are the Department of Defense with seven open solicitations, followed by the Department of War with two and the Department of Energy with one. Additional opportunities include an Air Force space-environment BAA due in ten days and a DARPA HUBBLE effort due in seventeen days.