DARPA Launches Biomass-to-Chemicals Fleetwood Program

Why It Matters

By unlocking lignin’s value, Fleetwood could diversify feedstock sources, enhancing national security and reducing exposure to volatile oil markets. Successful catalysts would accelerate the shift toward renewable, waste‑derived chemicals for defense and commercial industries.

Key Takeaways

• DARPA launches Fleetwood to convert lignin into chemicals
• 24‑month program emphasizes real‑world biomass, not lab models
• Catalytic approaches include biocatalysis, thermocatalysis, electrocatalysis
• Goal: resilient supply chains reducing petroleum dependence
• Phase 1 year, Phase 2 optional, proposals due March 13

Pulse Analysis

Biomass‑to‑chemical conversion has long been a research frontier because lignin, the most abundant aromatic polymer on Earth, resists conventional processing. While petroleum‑derived feedstocks dominate today’s chemical industry, their price volatility and geopolitical risk drive interest in renewable alternatives. DARPA’s Fleetwood program arrives at a moment when advances in catalysis and synthetic biology make large‑scale lignin valorization plausible, positioning the United States to capture a previously untapped carbon reservoir. Recent breakthroughs in enzyme engineering and nanostructured catalysts have demonstrated turnover frequencies that rival petrochemical routes, making the DARPA investment timely.

The solicitation explicitly calls for catalysts that work on real‑world feedstocks such as agricultural residues, forest wood chips, and pulp‑and‑paper waste, rather than purified model compounds. By embracing cell‑free biocatalysis, high‑temperature thermocatalysis, and emerging electrocatalytic routes, researchers can explore synergistic pathways that break lignin’s complex bonds efficiently. The program’s multidisciplinary requirement encourages partnerships between university chemists, biotech firms, and defense contractors, accelerating the translation from laboratory proof‑of‑concept to pilot‑scale demonstrations within the twelve‑month Phase 1 window. Moreover, the emphasis on scalable reactor designs ensures that successful chemistries can be integrated into existing biorefinery infrastructure with minimal retrofitting.

Success in Fleetwood would create a new supply chain of renewable chemical feedstocks, directly supporting defense logistics that demand secure, domestically sourced materials. Commercial sectors—from plastics to pharmaceuticals—could also benefit from lower‑cost, carbon‑neutral inputs, reducing the industry’s carbon footprint. As DARPA moves toward a Phase 2 option, the program may seed broader federal investments in distributed manufacturing, positioning the United States to lead a global transition toward sustainable, resilient chemical production. If the catalysts achieve commercial viability, they could also reduce greenhouse‑gas emissions by displacing fossil‑derived feedstocks, aligning with broader U.S. climate objectives.

DARPA launches biomass-to-chemicals Fleetwood program

By Colton Jones · Feb 16, 2026

Key Points

• DARPA issued a special notice launching the Fleetwood program to develop catalysts that convert biomass waste into carbon‑based industrial chemicals.

• The 24‑month research effort seeks scalable methods to process lignin from real biomass sources to support resilient chemical manufacturing supply chains.

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A top‑secret United States government body called the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has issued a special notice outlining new research priorities for its forthcoming Fleetwood program, an initiative aimed at developing advanced catalytic technologies to convert biomass waste into carbon‑based chemicals for resilient global manufacturing supply chains.

The notice, published February 13, 2026, formally opens industry and academic engagement ahead of a planned solicitation release.

According to the agency, the Fleetwood program seeks to develop novel catalysts capable of transforming lignocellulosic biomass — including agricultural residues, forestry by‑products, and pulp and paper waste — into usable chemical feedstocks. DARPA said the effort focuses on improving the processing of lignin, a complex organic polymer widely considered difficult to convert into industrial chemicals despite being one of nature’s largest sources of aromatic compounds.

The special notice states that Fleetwood aims to “develop novel catalysts to enable the conversion of biomass resources to produce carbon‑containing chemicals for resilient global chemical manufacturing.” DARPA described lignin valorization as a central technical objective, emphasizing the need to unlock value from biomass streams that are currently discarded or underutilized.

As outlined in the announcement, researchers participating in the program will be tasked with designing catalytic pathways capable of processing real‑world biomass rather than simplified laboratory models. Examples cited by DARPA include woody biomass, agricultural waste, and residues generated by the pulp and paper industry. The agency said the program seeks approaches capable of achieving both complete delignification and full depolymerization of lignocellulosic materials into chemical monomers suitable for industrial production.

DARPA noted that multiple catalytic approaches are under consideration. These include cell‑free biocatalysis, thermocatalysis, and electrocatalysis, reflecting an effort to combine biological and chemical engineering methods to overcome longstanding technical barriers in biomass conversion. The agency encouraged collaborative research teams, stating that multidisciplinary expertise will be necessary to meet program goals.

Fleetwood is structured as a 24‑month research effort consisting of a 12‑month Phase 1 base period followed by a 12‑month Phase 2 option. DARPA said additional details will be released through a future solicitation on the federal contracting platform SAM.gov, and the special notice will be amended once draft solicitation materials become available. Responses to the notice are due by March 13, 2026.

The Biological Technologies Office, which oversees the initiative, focuses on applying biological science and bioengineering to national security challenges. While the Fleetwood notice centers on industrial chemistry, DARPA framed the program within broader concerns about supply‑chain resilience and access to critical materials used across defense and commercial manufacturing sectors.

Lignin has long drawn interest from researchers because it represents a large untapped source of carbon‑rich molecules, but its complex structure has limited cost‑effective processing at industrial scale. Traditional chemical manufacturing relies heavily on petroleum‑derived inputs, leaving production vulnerable to supply disruptions and geopolitical pressures. DARPA’s approach seeks to establish alternative production pathways based on renewable waste resources.

The agency emphasized that Fleetwood will prioritize technologies capable of operating on real biomass inputs rather than controlled experimental compounds, a requirement intended to accelerate transition from laboratory research to scalable manufacturing applications.

The program follows a pattern of DARPA investments aimed at strengthening industrial capacity through advanced science, including initiatives focused on synthetic biology, materials engineering, and distributed manufacturing systems relevant to defense logistics.