On July 4th, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law, which purports to unlock an historic wave of investment in robotics, unmanned systems and autonomy across the federal landscape. Carahsoft, The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider®, has been tracking OBBBA since its inception. As agencies begin incorporating these initiatives into FY25 through FY29 planning, the company provided their take on what they call “unprecedented emerging opportunities for the robotics and autonomy ecosystem” and how your organization might tap into them.
Spotlight: OBBBA’s Robotics and Autonomy Funding
Lacey Wean, Program Executive for Autonomy and Robotics at Carahsoft, believes OBBBA marks a watershed moment for robotics and autonomy in the Federal sector. As agencies pivot to new priorities, this legislation, she said, delivers the required resources to accelerate the deployment of next-generation unmanned systems, artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous technologies. In Wean’s opinion, “The scope and scale of these investments signal a clear mandate: modernize, innovate and leverage the best of commercial and emerging tech to strengthen national security and operational effectiveness.”
Department of Defense (DoD): Unmanned Systems & Autonomy
For the military, OBBBA aims to deliver billions in targeted funding to accelerate the modernization and deployment of unmanned, autonomous, and AI-powered systems across all branches. The funding signals a major shift toward rapid prototyping, domestic supply chain expansion and the integration of commercial robotics and AI into defense platforms. The bill’s language explicitly encourages participation from non-traditional and commercial vendors, which should open doors for startups, in addition to established tech companies. Highlights include:
- $1.53B for small unmanned surface vessel production
- $2.1B for medium unmanned surface vessel development and integration
- $1.3B for unmanned underwater vehicle expansion
- $1.4B to scale the small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) industrial base
- $188M for maritime robotic autonomous systems R&D
- $174M to establish a robotic autonomous systems proving ground
- $145M for AI-driven one-way attack unmanned aerial and naval systems
- $450M for autonomous and AI-powered naval shipbuilding
- $750M to accelerate innovative military logistics and energy autonomy
- $250M for a digital test environment for autonomy validation
- $500M to prevent delays in delivery of attritable autonomous military capabilities
These targeted investments represent a comprehensive approach to strengthen the U.S. military’s technological edge. By supporting everything from R&D and industrial base expansion to the creation of test environments and rapid deployment of new capabilities, the OBBBA ensures that the DoD can respond swiftly to evolving threats and operational needs. Ideally, it will create new pathways for advanced solutions by kickstarting new ways to enter the defense marketplace through collaboration between government, established defense contractors and commercial startups.
Homeland Security & Border Technology
Hyper-focused investments are also set to expand the nation’s homeland security and border security capabilities through the deployment of these cutting-edge autonomous technologies including:
- $6.1B for border surveillance infrastructure, including AI-powered towers, drones, and biometric systems
- $2.77B for advanced surveillance technologies—drones, sensors, and autonomy solutions
- $168M for AI-enabled nonintrusive inspection equipment at ports of entry
“Such investments should also propel demand for long-endurance drones, advanced analytics and turnkey autonomous surveillance services,” Wean elaborated.
As with the DoD, expect the focus on open architectures and standards to accelerate the adoption of civil and commercial autonomy solutions in the homeland security | border arena, consistent with the dollars flowing to these programs.
Civil Sector: Rural Hospitals & NASA
For the civil sector, OBBBA will channel significant investments into both rural healthcare and space exploration. These funds, designed to accelerate the adoption of advanced robotics, AI and autonomous technologies, will address critical needs in underserved communities and support the nation’s ambitions in space:
- $50B for rural health transformation, supporting robotics and AI for remote monitoring and care delivery
- $9.95B for NASA manned space flight, with funding for robotics and autonomy in Mars, Artemis, and Moon-to-Mars missions
By supporting robotics and autonomy in both sectors, the OBBBA will also create new opportunities for technology providers while strengthening the nation’s capacity to meet future challenges on Earth and well beyond it.
What’s Next: FY26 Budget Process
With OBBBA now law, both House and Senate Appropriations Committees are fast-tracking FY26 budget markups. Defense, Homeland Security, and Transportation-HUD bills are advancing, with topline funding numbers to be finalized in the coming weeks. Agencies are expected to begin incorporating OBBBA funds into FY25 and FY26 planning immediately.
Recommended Steps for Businesses
Businesses seeking to capitalize on OBBBA funding can benefit significantly by partnering with Carahsoft. According to Lacey, Carahsoft operates as a proactive distribution partner, connecting technology manufacturers, resellers, system integrators and consultants with Federal, State, and Local Government customers and opportunities.
The company’s unique approach involves organizing its partners’ technologies into verticals, such as autonomy, robotics, AI and cybersecurity, to align them with trending solutions and government initiatives. This structure enables Carahsoft and its partners to provide an end-to-end solution for public sector customers.
Businesses can engage with Carahsoft by joining its extensive reseller ecosystem, which includes thousands of technology OEMs, resellers, implementation, integration and services partners. Carahsoft offers support in developing channel programs, go-to-market strategies and lead generation campaigns, as well as providing access to dedicated program managers and comprehensive marketing activities. The company’s market research team actively monitors industry trends to supply actionable intelligence to help partners identify and pursue emerging opportunities, such as those created by the OBBBA.
Carahsoft also facilitates collaboration between innovative technology providers and government agencies to ensure that cutting-edge solutions can be rapidly developed, tested and deployed. With just 86 days left in the current federal fiscal year, Carahsoft is ramping up support for its ecosystem through:
- Request for justification of funding proposals targeting agency priorities
- Special promotions and cost-savings initiatives
- Marketing, outreach, and in-person events to connect with new decision-makers
- Full access to the company’s broad portfolio of contract vehicles for rapid procurement
For companies already partnered up with Carahsoft, Wean recommends taking these steps:
- Share this update with your DOD, Homeland, FAA, and State/Local teams to assess alignment with your go-to-market strategies.
- Engage end users and resellers to understand how agencies plan to deploy these new spending accounts in FY25 and FY26.
- Monitor acquisition strategies as agencies develop new procurement vehicles for robotics and autonomy.
- Leverage Carahsoft’s contract portfolio for rapid procurement and proposal support.
Businesses interested in partnering can connect with Carahsoft through their website, attend industry events where Carahsoft is present, or reach out directly to their team for personalized guidance on leveraging new federal funding streams.
Need help navigating OBBBA’s robotics and autonomy opportunities? Contact Carahsoft for tailored support.
Stay tuned for ongoing updates from Carahsoft and AG on the FY26 budget process unfolds and new OBBBA-driven opportunities emerge across the federal landscape.