DARPA Sets December 9 Virtual Industry Day for Laguna Solicitation

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), through its Biological Technologies Office (BTO), has scheduled a virtual Industry Day for the upcoming Laguna Program Solicitation. The event is set for December 9, 2026, and is intended to give industry participants an opportunity to learn more about the forthcoming solicitation. For companies tracking federal research and development opportunities, this is an early engagement point to understand the program and prepare for a potential procurement process.

DARPA anticipates publishing a draft solicitation on SAM.gov. Contractors should monitor the site for the draft and use its contents to evaluate the opportunity, identify relevant requirements, and prepare focused questions for the Industry Day. A draft solicitation can provide an initial view of the program’s scope and expectations, but companies should distinguish draft information from final solicitation terms and confirm requirements in any subsequent official release.

The central near-term action is the December 2, 2026 response or registration deadline. The source describes this as 20 days from November 12, 2026; the scheduled Industry Day follows one week later, on December 9. Firms interested in attending should complete the required response or registration by the stated deadline and allow time to verify that their submission has been received. Missing the deadline could prevent participation in the event, limiting access to the information and discussion DARPA plans to provide.

For business development and capture teams, the event creates a defined preparation window. Companies can coordinate technical, contracts, and program personnel to review the anticipated SAM.gov posting, identify areas requiring clarification, and develop questions before the session. The available notice does not provide a funding amount, award structure, formal proposal deadline, or detailed eligibility criteria, so vendors should avoid treating the Industry Day announcement as a solicitation or assuming that participation guarantees an award. The practical priority is to meet the registration requirement, track official updates, and use the event to inform a go/no-go assessment once solicitation details are available.

• Agency: DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office (BTO) is hosting the event.
• Program: The Industry Day concerns the upcoming Laguna Program Solicitation.
• Event date: The virtual Industry Day is scheduled for December 9, 2026.
• Registration/response deadline: Interested companies should submit the required response or registration by December 2, 2026.
• Draft solicitation: DARPA anticipates publishing a draft on SAM.gov; contractors should monitor the site for updates.
• Preparation: Review the draft when available, assess potential fit, and prepare questions for the Industry Day.
• Capture planning: Engage technical, contracts, and business development staff early enough to meet the deadline and prepare for the event.
• Opportunity status: The announcement signals an upcoming solicitation, but does not state funding, award terms, proposal deadlines, or selection criteria.