BAA — Broad Agency Announcement
Also known as: BAA
What It Is
A Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is a competitive solicitation method, authorized by FAR 6.102(d)(2) and FAR 35.016, that agencies use to acquire basic and applied research and that part of development not related to a specific system or hardware requirement. Instead of a defined deliverable, a BAA describes the agency's broad areas of research interest and invites the scientific and engineering community to propose ideas. Proposals are evaluated primarily through peer or scientific review against the announced criteria, and selections may result in multiple awards (contracts, and sometimes grants or other agreements). BAAs are common at research-heavy organizations such as DARPA, the military research labs, and parts of DoD and DHS. A BAA satisfies the requirement for full and open competition.
When You See It
- When an agency is funding research and development and wants innovative proposals against broad topic areas, not a fixed deliverable.
- At research organizations (DARPA, service research labs, DHS S&T) and on SAM.gov under 'Solicitation' or 'Special Notice'.
- When evaluation will be by peer/scientific review and multiple awards across proposals are possible.
Key Features
| Feature | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Research and development focus | FAR 35.016 uses BAAs for basic/applied research and non-system development — the government wants ideas, not bids on a fixed requirement. |
| Broad areas of interest | The announcement describes broad research topics; offerors propose specific approaches rather than responding to a single statement of work. |
| Scientific/peer review | Proposals are evaluated primarily through peer or scientific review against stated criteria, not a price-driven tradeoff. |
| Satisfies full and open competition | A BAA is a recognized competitive procedure under FAR 6.102(d)(2), and may yield multiple awards. |
What It Means for an SDVOSB
BAAs open a different lane than the typical set-aside: they reward technical innovation and credentials over price and incumbency, which can suit an SDVOSB with deep subject-matter expertise or a niche research capability. While BAAs are generally full-and-open rather than set aside, you can still pursue them as a prime on a focused topic or as a research subcontractor/teammate to a university or larger firm. Watch for related programs — many agencies route small-business R&D through SBIR/STTR announcements, which function similarly and are reserved for small businesses. Lead with your technical team's qualifications and a crisp, fundable idea.
How to Respond
- Read the announced research areas and evaluation criteria, and propose a focused, technically credible approach to one of them.
- Lead with the qualifications of your key technical personnel — scientific review weighs the team heavily.
- Consider teaming with a university or larger research firm if you can contribute a discrete capability.
- Check whether an SBIR/STTR announcement is a better fit — those R&D programs are reserved for small businesses.
Common Pitfalls
- Responding with a price-driven proposal as if it were an RFP — BAAs are evaluated mainly on scientific/technical merit.
- Proposing broadly instead of to a specific, fundable research idea within the announced areas of interest.
- Overlooking SBIR/STTR, which may offer a small-business-reserved path to similar R&D funding.
Run the Numbers
Frequently Asked
What is a Broad Agency Announcement used for?
A Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is used under FAR 6.102(d)(2) and FAR 35.016 to acquire basic and applied research, and development not tied to a specific system or hardware requirement. Rather than a fixed deliverable, the BAA describes broad areas of research interest and invites the scientific and engineering community to propose ideas. It is a recognized competitive method that satisfies full and open competition, and proposals are evaluated primarily through peer or scientific review.
Can an SDVOSB compete on a BAA?
Yes. BAAs are generally open to all responsible sources, so an SDVOSB with relevant research or technical expertise can compete as a prime or team with a university or larger firm as a research subcontractor. BAAs aren't usually structured as set-asides, so you win on the strength of your idea and team rather than socioeconomic status. Small businesses pursuing R&D should also look at SBIR/STTR program announcements, which run on a similar model but are reserved for small businesses.
Primary Sources
- FAR 35.016 — Broad agency announcement
- FAR 6.102 — Use of competitive procedures
- SAM.gov — Contract Opportunities
Plain-English reference, not legal advice. How a notice or solicitation is structured, and which procedures apply, is set by the specific posting, and the FAR is periodically amended — always read the actual notice and solicitation in SAM.gov and confirm its terms with the contracting officer before relying on this.
Change log (1)
- LaunchedPublished the federal solicitation & notice types reference covering the notice and solicitation types an SDVOSB encounters on SAM.gov — the Sources Sought notice, RFI, presolicitation and special notices, the Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quotation (RFQ), Invitation for Bid (IFB), the combined synopsis/solicitation, the Broad Agency Announcement, the sole-source Justification, and the award notice — each with a key-features table, a how-to-respond checklist, common pitfalls, an SDVOSB-specific angle, FAQPage, Article, Dataset, and BreadcrumbList structured data, primary-source FAR citations, and cross-links into the glossary, forms reference, clauses, contract types, how-to guides, FAQ, and the set-aside eligibility, win-probability, and price-to-win calculators.