The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting proposals under the Information Innovation Office’s (I2O) Anticipatory and Adaptive Anti-Money Laundering (A3ML) program. This initiative seeks to develop innovative technological solutions aimed at preventing adversaries from laundering money to finance illicit activities, including weapons proliferation, organized crime, and terrorism. The A3ML program will leverage cutting-edge algorithms and artificial intelligence to extract illicit financial transaction patterns, detect novel money laundering tactics, and integrate findings into a prototype system that can be deployed for real-world financial intelligence operations.

The A3ML program is structured into two primary tracks: the Research Track and the Competition Track. The Research Track consists of two technical areas (TA-1 and TA-2). TA-1 focuses on developing algorithms and software to identify and analyze money laundering tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) from diverse financial data sources. TA-2 will generate synthetic money laundering scenarios to test and refine TA-1’s algorithms, ensuring they remain effective against emerging threats. The Competition Track (TA-1-C) invites participation from nontraditional defense contractors, fintech startups, and academic institutions who may not have the required security clearances for classified research but can contribute innovative approaches to the problem.

Funding for the program will be awarded through Other Transaction (OT) agreements, which provide flexibility in negotiating contract terms and conditions. DARPA anticipates multiple awards under this solicitation, with an initial 18-month base period for Phase 1 and an optional 12-month extension for Phase 2. Award recipients must comply with DARPA’s rigorous security requirements, as portions of the program involve classified information at the TOP SECRET/SCI level. Proposals from industry, academia, and research organizations are encouraged, provided they demonstrate technical capability, secure data handling processes, and adherence to program security protocols.

Applicants must first submit an abstract for DARPA’s review, after which selected participants will be invited to present oral proposals. The evaluation process prioritizes technical feasibility, team qualifications, and the potential for operational impact. Successful proposals must outline a clear approach to developing algorithms that can extract known money laundering TTPs, infer new illicit transaction patterns, and function across a large-scale semantic graph database. Additionally, applicants should detail their access to unique financial data sources and how they will integrate their solutions into DARPA’s framework.

The solicitation provides a structured timeline, with key deadlines including the submission of abstracts by April 18, 2025, and classified addendum requests by March 28, 2025. Oral presentations for selected abstracts will take place approximately one month after submission. The anticipated project start date is September 2025, with regular evaluations and reporting requirements throughout the duration of the program. DARPA has established stringent security measures for data handling, including compliance with classified information protocols and the use of secure government networks.

Interested proposers can contact DARPA’s solicitation coordinator via email at A3ML@darpa.mil for inquiries regarding program requirements and security clearance procedures. All communications regarding classified information will be conducted through secure government channels. Further details, including proposal submission guidelines, evaluation criteria, and funding specifics, are outlined in the full solicitation document.