# Promethean Clay

Canonical: https://abierto.us/opportunities/darpaps2616

- Solicitation number: DARPA-PS-26-16
- Notice type: Solicitation
- Status: Closed. Deadline was May 6, 2026
- Department: Department of Defense
- Agency: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
- Contracting office: Def Advanced Research Projects Agcy (HR0011)
- NAICS: 541715 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)
- Product or service code: AC12 National Defense R&D Services; Department Of Defense - Military; Applied Research
- First posted: February 18, 2026
- Last posted: March 18, 2026
- SAM.gov: https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/2b2617793b4d441982470b97cf345655/view

## Description

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting proposals for new and innovative energy storage systems. Proposed research should investigate approaches that enable revolutionary advances in energy storage at scales relevant to integration into systems. Promethean Clay rethinks energy storage systems in a mechanical co-design framework to enable performance, safety, and operational stability in electrically powered technologies.

Specifically, by thinking of energy storage systems as mechanical systems in addition to chemical systems, this program will ameliorate the need for the rigid, heavy exoskeletons used in energy storage systems today, resulting in (1) a generational improvement in energy storage performance through obviation of rigid materials, (2) a design that incorporates thermal resilience and safety needed for integration into systems, and (3) a pathway for domestic sourcing of materials and manufacturing.

Improvements in energy storage – paired with safety and thermal viability – will be evaluated and demonstrated on a government-provided platform. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice, or research that pivots on exceptional claims that cannot be technically justified in the proposal. This includes:

• Proposals outlining improvement of individual energy storage components without consideration for the complete energy storage system and its performance, safety, and thermal resilience considering all included materials (active and inactive) • Proposals aiming to design new chemistries for energy storage (e.g. new battery and/or fuel cell chemistries) or new concepts for energy storage without addressing the need to overcome the inclusion of inactive rigid materials In addition to technical achievements, Promethean Clay aims to transition the manufacturing and design of solutions to commercial production and government systems.

## Publications

- February 18, 2026: Solicitation, due April 22, 2026. Notice ab223dff458e4b368b592e3d2e9540d9. https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/ab223dff458e4b368b592e3d2e9540d9/view
- February 27, 2026: Solicitation, due May 6, 2026. Notice 53a359d7d70242cc83c350d5b97edea7. https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/53a359d7d70242cc83c350d5b97edea7/view
- March 2, 2026: Solicitation, due May 6, 2026. Notice 0302f8f0fba045619ea4427b128d6f3d. https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/0302f8f0fba045619ea4427b128d6f3d/view
- March 5, 2026: Solicitation, due May 6, 2026. Notice 310eb9df72fb4aae8869c24e6f286efc. https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/310eb9df72fb4aae8869c24e6f286efc/view
- March 5, 2026: Solicitation, due May 6, 2026. Notice d0f61d15b0c64fef99e98d3a253993be. https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/d0f61d15b0c64fef99e98d3a253993be/view
- March 17, 2026: Solicitation, due May 6, 2026. Notice 0c34f870d6be4b63bc239a123f035d1a. https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/0c34f870d6be4b63bc239a123f035d1a/view
- March 18, 2026: Solicitation, due May 6, 2026. Notice 2b2617793b4d441982470b97cf345655. https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/2b2617793b4d441982470b97cf345655/view

## Points of contact

- PS Coordinator, Promethean_Clay@darpa.mil

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Source: SAM.gov Contract Opportunities bulk extract. Confirm deadlines on SAM.gov before responding. Cite https://abierto.us/opportunities/darpaps2616.