ARA Achieves "Awardable" Status Through DARPA ERIS Marketplace

GlobeNewswire | Applied Research Associates, Inc.
Today at 5:48pm UTC

Albuquerque, NM, June 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA), a leading provider of advanced science and engineering solutions, announced that it has achieved "awardable" status through DARPA Expedited Research Innovation System (ERIS) Marketplace. This designation signifies that ARA’s solution is now post‑competitive and eligible for rapid acquisition by authorized government customers across the Department of War.

ARA’s video, Cnidocyte-based Nanomaterial Isolation for Protein Recovery (CNIPR), accessible only by government customers with a .mil email address on the DARPA ERIS Marketplace, introduces a fundamentally new approach to producing essential therapeutic proteins directly at the point of need. Instead of relying on complex biomanufacturing infrastructure and fragile supply chains, CNIPR uses a biologically self‑sustaining system to generate fresh therapeutics with minimal inputs – supporting mission readiness even in remote or contested environments.

ARA’s solutions are designed to solve problems of global importance by providing innovative science and engineering research, technical support services, products, and integrated solutions. “We’re honored that DARPA has recognized the technical rigor and mission relevance of CNIPR,” said Ben Stephenson, ARA research scientist. “This awardable designation validates our team’s vision for a new class of biologically sustained manufacturing platforms capable of producing critical therapeutics at the point of need. By reducing reliance on centralized production facilities and vulnerable supply chains, CNIPR has the potential to help ensure essential medicines remain available to warfighters on the front lines, even when supply chains are compromised.”

Government customers interested in viewing the video solution can create an ERIS Marketplace account at www.darpaconnect.us/eris.

About ARA:

Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) was founded in 1979, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to offer science and engineering research to solve problems of national importance. ARA delivers leading-edge products and innovative solutions for national defense, environment, homeland security, aerospace, healthcare, transportation, and manufacturing. With over 2,300 employee-owners at locations in the U.S. and Canada, ARA offers a broad range of technical expertise in defense technologies, civil engineering, computer software and simulation, systems analysis, biomedical engineering, environmental technologies, and blast testing and measurement.

For more information or media requests, contact: marketinggroup@ara.com

About the ERIS Marketplace:

The DARPA ERIS Marketplace is a transformative digital platform designed to accelerate acquisition velocity and advance national security innovation. All 7-minute Awardable solutions housed in the Marketplace have been assessed via competitive procedures against a comprehensive scoring rubric and are readily available for selection, negotiation, and award by government customers with a Marketplace account. By streamlining the procurement process, the ERIS Marketplace empowers DoW organizations to rapidly develop or acquire disruptive technologies that address the evolving challenges of defense and security. Industry and academia are encouraged to showcase their innovative solutions, connecting directly with DARPA and other government customers seeking revolutionary research and technology. Learn more at: www.darpaconnect.us/eris.  

For media requests, please contact outreach@darpa.mil; for all other requests related to the ERIS Marketplace, please contact eris@darpa.mil.

Attachment


Applied Research Associates, Inc.
marketinggroup@ara.com