How to respond to DARPA’s Solid-State Heat-to-Electricity RFI

What DARPA is seeking

DARPA’s Defense Sciences Office is asking for information about technologies that convert heat directly into electricity without mechanical moving parts. The RFI seeks insight into performance across a wide range of operating temperatures, limits on performance, and promising applications.

This is a request for information, not a stated request to deliver a product or perform a contract. DARPA says responses may help identify research and development opportunities and inform potential future programs.

Deadline and what it means

Responses are due November 23, 2026, at 4:00 PM ET. The notice is published October 23, 2026.

Plan to submit by the stated deadline. The provided information does not describe what happens after the deadline or specify a submission method.

Who this opportunity suits

This RFI may suit firms and other organizations with relevant expertise in solid-state thermal-to-electric conversion, including those able to explain technology performance, technical limitations, or potential use cases.

The notice is categorized as professional. It does not identify a specific vendor size or eligibility requirement.

How to find the opportunity

Use the portal’s “View original source” control to open the opportunity. If the first click takes you to the portal homepage, click it again to go straight to the bid.

A free account may be needed to view documents, though many bids can be viewed without one. The access steps provided do not explain how to submit a response, so check the opportunity materials for submission instructions.

Prepare a focused technical response

Organize your response around the questions the RFI raises: performance across operating temperatures, factors that limit performance, and attractive applications. Make clear what evidence supports each claim and distinguish demonstrated results from projections.

Use specific, comparable measures where available, explain the conditions behind them, and identify practical barriers to improvement. Keep the response relevant to solid-state systems that convert a temperature differential directly into electricity without moving parts.

Review the opportunity materials for any response format or additional instructions before submitting. Do not assume the RFI is a promise of a future contract.