Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
SERDP is the Department of Defense’s environmental research and development program, planned and executed in partnership with the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. This guide is for research administrators, principal investigators and company proposal teams who need to know what SERDP funds, who may apply, and what the pre-proposal, full-proposal and award stages require. Details below are as described in the official SERDP FY2027 Core Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) pre-proposal instructions and the DoD program page, as read on 2026-11-08; programs change, so confirm the current solicitation before you plan a submission.
What SERDP is and who runs it
SERDP stands for the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program. The DoD describes it as an environmental and resilience science and technology program, carried out with DOE and EPA and with participation by other federal and non-federal organizations, investing across basic and applied research and advanced development. The FY2027 Core BAA (dated 14 November 2025, issued through the US Army Corps of Engineers) lists three focus areas: Environmental Restoration, Resource Conservation and Resilience, and Weapons Systems and Platforms.
SERDP and its sister program ESTCP are independent programs managed from a joint office. Proposals respond to published Statements of Need (SONs) on the program website, rather than to an open-ended call.
Is SERDP a grant?
Not in the usual sense. The BAA states that projects are generally awarded as cost-type contracts, which requires an approved accounting system and an accepted government audit (DCAA or DCMA); where those are missing, a firm fixed-price contract may be possible. For the contract type, see cost-reimbursable contract. Administrators used to assistance awards should plan for contract terms, not grant terms.
Eligibility
The Core BAA is addressed to private sector organizations, including small businesses, large businesses and educational institutions. DoD and other federal agencies do not use this BAA; they respond to a separate SERDP Federal Call for Proposals. The BAA also states that proposals marked ITAR, EAR, limited distribution, CUI or company proprietary are not accepted. Federal award registration is a general contracting prerequisite; see SAM.gov.
What SERDP funds and requires
SERDP funds basic and applied research and advanced technology development that answers a specific SON. Each pre-proposal may respond to only one SON, though a proposer may submit separate pre-proposals to more than one. Evaluation uses a SERDP Relevance pass/fail threshold; Technical Merit is significantly more important than Personnel, which is more important than Cost. A transition plan is evaluated only at the full-proposal stage, where Cost is more important than the Transition Plan.
Application steps
- Pick a Statement of Need. Relevance to the SON is a pass/fail gate.
- Submit a pre-proposal. This is mandatory: the BAA says proposers must submit one to be eligible. It is at most 5 pages (11-point minimum, 1-inch margins, single PDF) and covers proposal number (generated in the SEMS system), title, lead principal investigator, lead organization, objective, background, approach (the primary focus), schedule and milestones, cost by year (no detailed breakout) and the research team. A one-page CV per PI or significant performer and a list of acronyms are required appendices outside the page limit; literature citations, three pages of supporting technical data and a list of existing support are conditional or optional appendices.
- Wait for a request. Full proposals are submitted only at SERDP’s request and may not be submitted outside the pre-proposal process.
- Submit the full proposal if invited, then present to the SERDP Technical Review Board (TRB).
- Revise and contract if selected, subject to the award-stage requirements below.
All submission is through SEMS (the SERDP and ESTCP Management System): no email, fax or hard copy. Only proposals with status “Submitted” are reviewed; a proposal left as “Saved” is not. A signed cover page is not required for pre-proposals.
Typical timeline phases
The FY2027 cycle moved through these phases in order: BAA release; pre-proposal deadline; requests for full proposals; full-proposal deadline; TRB presentations; anticipated awards. The BAA’s own schedule is illustrative of the pattern, and its footnote says contract award is not guaranteed. Dates change each cycle, so take them from the current BAA rather than from this guide.
Award-stage checklist for administrators
- Cost-type contract readiness: an approved accounting system and an accepted government audit (DCAA/DCMA), otherwise possible firm fixed price. Related background: DoD indirect cost rate.
- Certified cost or pricing data: a certificate of current cost or pricing data (FAR 15.403-4(a)(1)) if the total contract value is expected to exceed $2,000,000.
- Subcontracting plan: required of non-small businesses on contracts over $900,000 (FAR Subpart 19.7 and FAR 52.219-9).
- Cybersecurity clause: DFARS 252.204-7012 is included in all SERDP contracts.
Common mistakes
- Skipping the pre-proposal or expecting to send a full proposal unprompted; neither is accepted.
- Leaving a SEMS proposal in “Saved” status at the deadline.
- Answering several SONs in one pre-proposal, instead of one pre-proposal per SON.
- Marking material ITAR, EAR, CUI, limited distribution or proprietary, which the BAA does not accept.
- Budgeting as for a grant, then discovering that cost-type contracting needs an approved accounting system and audit.
- Expecting debriefs or reimbursement: pre-proposals not advanced receive no debrief, and the Government pays no proposal costs.
Related programs
| Program | What it is (as described on 2026-11-08) | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| SERDP Core BAA | Basic and applied research and advanced technology development, answering Statements of Need | Private sector organizations, including small and large businesses and educational institutions |
| SERDP Federal Call for Proposals | A separate call to the same program | DoD and other federal agencies |
| ESTCP | Environmental and installation energy technology demonstration and validation; moves technologies with established proof of concept toward field or production use, collecting cost and performance data | Managed from the same joint office as SERDP |
For other DoD-linked research structures, see University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs) and DARPA’s Transition and Technology Office; the technology readiness level scale is a common way to describe the research-to-demonstration continuum.
FAQ
What does SERDP stand for?
Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program, the DoD environmental research and development program run in partnership with DOE and EPA.
What is the difference between SERDP and ESTCP?
SERDP invests in basic and applied research and advanced development; ESTCP demonstrates and validates technologies that already have proof of concept. They are independent programs managed from a joint office.
Can a university apply to SERDP?
Yes. The Core BAA covers private sector organizations, including educational institutions. Federal agencies use the separate Federal Call.
Can I submit a full proposal directly?
No. A pre-proposal is required, and full proposals are accepted only when SERDP requests them.
Sources
- SERDP FY2027 Core BAA Pre-Proposal Instructions (BAA dated 14 November 2025; SERDP and ESTCP program site, serdp-estcp.mil), read 2026-11-08.
- Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Energy, Installations and Environment: SERDP/ESTCP program page, read 2026-11-08.
