Vehicle Inspection for Early Warning (VIEW) | ST FRG 18 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for ST FRG 18 003

The Vehicle Inspection for Early Warning (VIEW) funding opportunity is a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) research and development grant focused on improving how vehicles are screened at security-sensitive access points. The program is aimed specifically at automated under-vehicle inspection, meaning technologies that can quickly and reliably scan the underside of a vehicle as it passes through a checkpoint. DHS frames the need around real-world security missions such as force protection, detection and scanning at checkpoints, border protection, and safeguarding critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR). The core idea is early warning: spotting anomalies, threats, or indicators of concern under a vehicle before it enters a protected area or crosses a controlled boundary.

The technical objective is the development of a low-cost, automated under-vehicle inspection system that can be deployed in both fixed and mobile configurations. "Fixed" refers to systems mounted permanently in roadways at facility entrances or established border crossing lanes, while "mobile" implies more rapidly deployable setups suitable for temporary checkpoints, surge operations, special events, or locations where permanent construction is not practical. The intended deployment environments include facility access points, road border crossings, checkpoints, and other locations where vehicle inspection gaps create vulnerabilities. In practice, this points to solutions that can be installed in or on the roadway, operate with minimal manual intervention, and support high-throughput screening without causing major delays.

From a funding and administrative standpoint, VIEW is offered as a discretionary opportunity using a cooperative agreement, which typically signals more active involvement and oversight by the federal agency than a standard grant. The activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and it is listed under CFDA number 97.108. The opportunity was issued by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division, under funding opportunity number ST FRG 18 003, with a creation date of July 10, 2018, and an original closing date of August 16, 2018.

In terms of scale, DHS anticipated making up to two awards, with an award ceiling of $2,500,000. That ceiling indicates the maximum expected federal funding per award under this announcement, and the small number of expected awards suggests a competitive process aimed at selecting a limited set of promising approaches for development and demonstration.

Eligibility is broad across the innovation ecosystem. Applicants may include nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education in those categories), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, small businesses, and other eligible entities as clarified in the opportunity's additional eligibility information. This mix suggests DHS was open to proposals from technology developers, integrators, security solution vendors, applied R&D groups, and other organizations capable of building and fielding prototype inspection systems.

Overall, VIEW can be understood as a targeted DHS investment to modernize under-vehicle inspection by pushing toward automated, affordable, and adaptable systems that enhance early detection at high-risk vehicle entry points. The emphasis on roadway mounting, both fixed and mobile deployment, and use across border crossings, facilities, and checkpoints highlights a practical, operational focus: solutions are expected not just to be technically feasible, but also deployable in the places where vehicle screening is most needed and where speed, reliability, and cost matter.

• The Department of Homeland Security, Office of Procurement Operations - Grants Division in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Vehicle Inspection for Early Warning (VIEW)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 97.108.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jul 10, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 16, 2018 No Explanation. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for ST FRG 18 003

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