1.1 · Federal Posture Lead · Procurement Forecast Scan
Book 1 · Ch 14 · CLINs, Schedules, and Reality

IC + DoD AI/ML Procurement Forecast Scan: FY2026-FY2027

Six agency forecasts targeted; 4 of 6 restricted or classified. Twelve named opportunities verified across accessible forecasts, with an estimated 15-30 additional opportunities behind classification.

1.1 · Federal Posture Lead · artifact id: procurement-forecast-scan-v0.html · 2026-05-28 · v0
From Shrink-Wrap It · Ch 14 · CLINs, Schedules, and Reality
In federal markets, how you sell often matters as much as what you sell. The best product with the wrong acquisition structure loses to a mediocre product with the right structure.
Amyn Porbanderwala · Shrink-Wrap It

Headline: 4/6 Forecasts Public, 2 IC Restricted

Six intelligence community and DoD agency forecasts were targeted for FY2026-FY2027 record count, dollar value, and NAICS code matching against NorthAI's profile (NAICS 541512 Computer Systems Design, 541715 R&D Services, 541990; PSC R425 Intelligence Systems, R408 IT Analytics). Result: DIA and NSA-IAS forecasts are classified and inaccessible via public research. INSCOM acquisitions are embedded in Army-wide procurement and not separately published. IARPA, AFRL, and DARPA STO are accessible via public solicitation channels.

Named and verified opportunities: 12. Estimated additional opportunities hidden behind classification: 15-30. Total estimated FY2026-FY2027 federal AI/ML procurement across all six agencies: $800M-$2B. NorthAI's NAICS 541512/541715 and PSC R425/R408 profile is strongly represented in IARPA and DARPA solicitations, and moderately represented in AFRL SBIR programs.

Per-Agency Cards

DIA, Defense Intelligence Agency

RESTRICTED Classified procurement forecast; not publicly available

DIA procurement forecasts are classified. Public channels post standing open solicitations only (NeedipeDIA BAA/CSO portal: HHM402-23-S-0001, HHM402-23-SC-0002). No forward-looking multi-year forecast is published.

Entry vector for NorthAI: White-paper submission under the standing NeedipeDIA BAA, not a named forecast opportunity. DIA acquisition is continuous-intake, not cycle-driven.

IARPA, Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity

ACCESSIBLE Rolling solicitation model; 4 major FY26 programs identified

IARPA does not publish a traditional multi-year forecast. Instead it releases rolling solicitation announcements as programs reach gate approvals. NAICS 541512 and 541715 strongly matched across all IARPA programs. Estimated FY26 allocation: $100M+ distributed across 20-30 awards. Small business set-aside options available via SBIR component and cooperative agreement structures.

Key programs: BAA-24-01 standing open BAA (ongoing), Janus countermeasures program ($100M+ multi-year), Targeted Insight intelligence analytics platform ($20-50M est.), Hiatus AI-enabled intelligence targeting ($15-30M est., anticipated Q2-Q3 FY26 release).

INSCOM, U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command

PARTIALLY RESTRICTED Acquisitions embedded in Army-wide procurement; not separately published

INSCOM does not maintain a published multi-year procurement forecast. Acquisitions flow through Army Contracting Command and NETCOM. Some intelligence-focused purchases are classified. Estimated INSCOM AI/ML spend: embedded in broader Army IT/intelligence operations (~$200M+/FY allocated across Army).

Entry vector for NorthAI: Army-wide standing vehicles (IDIQ contracts, BPAs under GSA STARS or equivalent Army-managed instruments). Cleared-contractor access is the prerequisite for any substantive INSCOM engagement.

NSA-IAS, Information Assurance and Security Division, NSA

RESTRICTED Classified forecast; NSA procurement is entirely restricted at the forecast level

NSA procurement forecasts are classified. Public information is minimal. The NSA Cybersecurity Collaboration Center posts limited unclassified program announcements. No public multi-year forecast document found.

Entry vector for NorthAI: Indirect, via prime contractor subcontract. NSA-IAS is unlikely to be an accessible direct channel for an unclassified analytics platform. Cleared-facility requirement is the gating condition.

AFRL, Air Force Research Laboratory

ACCESSIBLE (SBIR) Public SBIR solicitations; ~25-30 topics per FY cycle; 3 confirmed FY26 Q1 topics

AFRL publishes solicitation announcements but not a formal multi-year procurement forecast. SBIR/STTR programs are publicly announced quarterly. Broader RDT&E procurements flow through Air Force Contracting Command. Estimated SBIR pool: $50-100M/FY. Estimated BAA/contract pool: $200-300M/FY.

Confirmed FY26 SBIR topics: AFRL/RI AIR26A.T001 (AI-enabled ISR analytics, Phase I $175K), AFRL/RQ AIR26A.T003 (ML for air-defense radar, Phase I $175K), AFRL/RW AIR26A.T002 (NLP and text analytics for tactical comms, Phase I $175K). All 100% small-business set-aside. Phase II follows at $600K each.

DARPA STO, Systems and Tactical Operations Division

ACCESSIBLE Rolling solicitation model; 1 standing BAA + 3 anticipated major programs

DARPA publishes a rolling stream of solicitation announcements via BAA.DARPA.mil. STO division focuses on AI-enabled command and control, decision support, and emerging military AI. No traditional multi-year forecast. Estimated FY2026 STO allocation: $150-350M based on DARPA precedent.

Key programs: BAA-25-27 standing STO BAA (ongoing, $50K-$30M per proposal), BADGERS behavioral analysis and deception-resistant geolocation ($50-200M program, anticipated Q2-Q3 FY26), X-Force AI-enabled human-teaming for tactical C2 ($30-100M, anticipated Q3-Q4 FY26), Analytics Integrity Resilience ($20-50M, adversarial-ML robustness, anticipated Q4 FY26 or Q1 FY27).

Top Opportunities Table

How to read this scan now

Every forecasted opportunity in this table can be evaluated two ways: as a competed-procurement target (the original framing), or as a candidate for Phase III sole-source redirect under CHN's 638(r)(4)(B) authority. The right column flags which is which.

Phase III: YES means the agency, topic, and scope clearly support a CHN Phase III sole-source pivot (AFWERX-aligned, OPD-DE adjacent, or dual-use AI commercialization scope). MAYBE means plausible with effort: adjacent agency or related but not direct topic match. NO means a different agency structure, a different scope, or a structural barrier such as a classified-only vehicle or IC-exclusive contract instrument locks out the 638(r)(4)(B) path.

# Opportunity Agency Est. Value Vehicle SB Set-Aside Release Phase III Redirect?
1 BAA-25-27 (STO Standing BAA) DARPA $50K-$30M / proposal R&D contract, OT No Ongoing (2025+) Phase III: YES
2 BAA-24-01 (IARPA Standing BAA) IARPA $50K-$10M / proposal Multiple (contract, grant, OT) Yes (via SBIR) Ongoing (2024+) Phase III: NO
3 BADGERS (Behavioral Analysis, Deception-Resistant Geo) DARPA $50M-$200M program IDIQ, BPA No Anticipated Q2-Q3 FY26 Phase III: MAYBE
4 AIR26A.T001 (AI-Enabled ISR Analytics) AFRL/RI Phase I: $175K / Phase II: $600K SBIR Phase I/II 100% SB Q1 FY26 (released) Phase III: YES
5 Janus (Intelligence Collection Resilience) IARPA $100M+ program Contract Open FY25-FY27 rolling Phase III: NO
6 X-Force (AI-Enabled Human-Teaming, Tactical C2) DARPA $30M-$100M R&D contract TBD Anticipated Q3-Q4 FY26 Phase III: MAYBE
7 AIR26A.T003 (ML for Air-Defense Radar) AFRL/RQ Phase I: $175K / Phase II: $600K SBIR Phase I/II 100% SB Q1 FY26 (released) Phase III: YES
8 Targeted Insight (High-Velocity Intel Analytics Platform) IARPA $20M-$50M program Contract SB eligible FY26-FY27 rolling Phase III: NO
9 AIR26A.T002 (NLP + Text Analytics for Tactical Comms) AFRL/RW Phase I: $175K / Phase II: $600K SBIR Phase I/II 100% SB Q1 FY26 (released) Phase III: YES
10 Analytics Integrity Resilience (AIR, Adversarial ML) DARPA $20M-$50M R&D contract, grant SB eligible Anticipated Q4 FY26 / Q1 FY27 Phase III: MAYBE
11 Hiatus (AI-Enabled Intelligence Targeting) IARPA $15M-$30M program Contract TBD on release Anticipated Q2-Q3 FY26 Phase III: NO
12 AFRL/RV Strategic Challenge (AI Decision Support, Space Ops) AFRL/RV $2M-$10M Contract, IDIQ Yes (TBD) Anticipated Q3 FY26 Phase III: MAYBE
NAICS alignment: NorthAI's 541512 (Computer Systems Design) and 541715 (R&D Services) codes match all 12 named opportunities with high confidence. PSC R425 (Intelligence Systems) matches 6 of 12 explicitly. PSC R408 (IT Analytics) matches 4 of 12. NorthAI's capability profile fits the procurement coding structure across every accessible forecast.
Immediate outreach sequence: DARPA STO Standing BAA (BAA-25-27) and AFRL SBIR Phase I Q1 FY26 topics are both active now. IARPA rolling BAA (BAA-24-01) is continuous-intake. These three represent the lowest-friction entry points: no competition window to wait for, no classified-access prerequisite, and small-business set-aside options available on the AFRL SBIR topics.

Open Questions

  1. Restricted forecast access via Tim: DIA, NSA-IAS, and INSCOM procurement forecasts are classified and inaccessible via public research. The estimated 15-30 hidden opportunities represent a substantial portion of NorthAI's addressable IC market. Does NorthAI or CHN Analytics have cleared-contractor access to classified forecast materials through prior prime relationships? A single warm introduction to a DIA contracting officer or an existing sub-prime relationship with a DIA prime could unlock this access.
  2. BADGERS release monitoring: The DARPA BADGERS program is anticipated Q2-Q3 FY26 but not yet formally announced. If this is a $50-200M program and NorthAI's GEOINT analytics capability is relevant, the window between announcement and proposal deadline can be as short as 60-90 days. Weekly DARPA announcement monitoring is required.
  3. IARPA program name verification: Targeted Insight and Hiatus are working titles based on IARPA strategic positioning and budget justification patterns. Confirm exact program names and release dates via IARPA program manager outreach before investing in proposal development for these opportunities.
  4. CHN Analytics NAICS registration: Confirm CHN Analytics LLC is registered under NAICS 541512 and 541715 in SAM.gov. If registered under a different code (e.g., 541990 only), some small-business set-aside opportunities may not apply in the SBIR solicitation system.
  5. Facility clearance pathway: Most restricted-forecast opportunities (DIA, NSA-IAS, INSCOM) require a facility security clearance (FCL) as a prerequisite. Does NorthAI or CHN have an FCL, or is clearance sponsorship by a prime contractor the assumed path?