Open tender · United States · Public tender
NSF X-Labs Initiative – AI for Physical Systems Topic Announcement
Directorate for Technology, Innovation, & Partnerships · VA 22314
Directorate for Technology, Innovation, & Partnerships in the United States is inviting bids for “NSF X-Labs Initiative – AI for Physical Systems Topic Announcement”. Bids close on 7 January 2027, 17:00 EST. Reference: NSF-Topic3-FY26-XLabsPhysicalAI. Who can bid: Senior/key personnel and core leadership must be dedicated full-time to the team by the start of Phase 1. askTender lists every requirement to qualify and checks whether your company meets them.
The tender in brief
US science agency seeks full-time R&D teams to build physical AI platform technologies
The US National Science Foundation plans to award Other Transaction contracts to teams developing early-stage platform technologies in physical AI, such as robotics, embodied systems, sensors and cyber-physical systems. Work runs in phases: about 9 to 12 months of Phase 0, then about 24 to 36 months of Phase 1, with possible renewal. Performance takes place within the United States.
Who can win it
- Senior/key personnel and core leadership must be dedicated full-time to the team by the start of Phase 1
Key facts
- Procedure
- Solicitation
- Contract period
- Phase 0 about 9 to 12 months; Phase 1 about 24 to 36 months; Phase 2 variable duration
- How bids are judged
- Competitive evaluation of Written Proposals, then invited Oral Proposal Packages and oral presentations, with down select and Go/No Go phase reviews
- Published
- 16 Sep 2026
- Reference
- NSF-Topic3-FY26-XLabsPhysicalAI
Before you bid, askTender
Everything else is in your askTender account
The requirements to qualify, the eligibility check and the bid documents for this tender are in your askTender account.
- What it takes to qualify: every requirement, in the tender’s own words
- Whether your company qualifies: your profile checked against each requirement, showing what you have, what’s missing and how to close the gap
- The documents to file: a checklist, with draft declarations ready to sign
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- The tender documents, ready to open
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Public data: SAM.gov Contract Opportunities (U.S. General Services Administration). · Sources & licences