Combatant Craft Division Subsystems Assessment Event (AE)

16-18 May 2023

Submit NLT 11 April 2023 11:59 PM ET

Purpose 
SOFWERX, in collaboration with USSOCOM and Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock – Combatant Craft Division (NSWC-CCD), will host an Assessment Event to identify solutions for fabrication, assembly, and integration of subsystems into a watercraft of both aluminum and fiberglass construction. 

Background/Synopsis
The watercraft is designed to be towed behind another craft and transport various mission vehicles and other payloads. The craft will vary draft to enable launch and recovery (L&R) of the mission vehicles. 

Objective
The objective is to fabricate, assemble, and install non-electrical, mechanical and pneumatic subsystems into a watercraft (less than 50 feet in length) to facilitate the transportation of mission vehicles. The subsystems include a topside cover, L&R system, and a pneumatic system. A three dimensional computer-aided design of the subsystems and watercraft will be provided as government furnished information.

The topside cover subsystem includes inflatable panels that traverse the length of the topside opening on a track attached to the hull topside. The track is fitted with cross members on rollers to enable the panels to be retracted when the cover is required to be open. 

The L&R subsystem includes longitudinal bunks attached to the craft structure to support the mission vehicles. Side bumpers and a forward bump stop are utilized for vehicle alignment. 

The purpose of the pneumatic subsystem is to enable the craft to change draft for vehicle L&R operations. The pneumatic subsystem consists of inflatable panels (along the hull sides and bottom), hoses, a control panel, and other hardware required for the inflation/deflation of panels.   

A hollow watercraft hull, made of both aluminum and fiberglass construction, will be provided as government furnished equipment to the awardee to complete the installations of all the subsystems. The final deliverable will be a completed watercraft with all subsystems installed.

Why You Should Participate
USSOCOM seeks to enter into non-FAR or FAR-based agreements with Industry, Academic, and National Lab partners whose solutions are favorably evaluated by NSWC Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). As such, the follow-on Assessment Event (AE) is considered competitive and solutions will be evaluated independently of one another primarily for technical merit. This serves dually as notification of the intent to research the feasibility of an agreement under 10 U.S. Code, Section 4022 and/or Section 4022(f), and as notice of pre-solicitation activities IAW FAR 5.204.

Event Timeline
Phase 1– 10 March 2023 to 11 April 2023 Submissions to the Assessment Event (AE) Open: Interested respondents who could potentially provide solutions that meet the needs of USSOCOM are encouraged to submit their capability for USSOCOM review. To submit your technology for potential Phase 3 attendance, please review the assessment criteria and follow the submission instructions that will be near the bottom of this webpage on/around 10 March.

Phase 1a – 30 March 2023 Q&A Telecon: Interested offerors may participate in a virtual Q&A session to better understand the PM’s specific technology objectives. The telecon will take place on 30 March from 1:00-2:00 PM ET. Click Here to RSVP (NLT 29 March)

Phase 2 – 12 April 2023 to 21 April 2023 Downselect: USSOCOM will downselect those respondents/submissions they feel have the highest potential to satisfy their technology needs. Favorably evaluated submissions will receive an invitation to attend the AE on/around 24 April.

Phase 3 – 16 May 2023 to 18 May 2023 Assessment Event (AE): During the AE, selected participants will be allotted a one-on-one session with the USSOCOM evaluation panel to pitch, demonstrate, and/or discuss their solutions. The forum will include a Q&A portion and discussions may continue outside of the event. Solution brief presentation guidelines will be outlined in the event invitation and solutions will be assessed according to the criteria in the link provided below. If the USSOCOM evaluation panel favorably evaluates a solution brief, negotiations for Phase 4 may immediately begin.

This event will be held virtually.

Phase 4 – Path Forward: Successfully negotiated awards may fall under any combination of these categories:

• Business to business research and development agreement as a sub-award through the SOFWERX Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) (15 U.S. Code Section 3715)
• OTA for research or prototype projects (10 U.S. Code Sections 4021, 4022)
  • An award under 10 U. S. Code, Section 4022 may result in the further award of a follow-on production agreement without additional competition based on successful prototype completion. The Government may make this follow-on production award even if all successful prototype criteria are not fully met during the prototype project.
• Procurement for experimental purposes (10 U.S. Code Section 4023)
• Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (15 U.S. Code Section 3710a)
• Prizes for advanced technology achievements (10 U. S. Code Section 4025) and/or prize competitions (15 U.S. Code 3719)
• FAR-based procurement contract 

NOTE: Awardees may need to be compliant with NIST SP 800-171, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in Non-Federal Systems and Organizations.

How You Can Participate
Government, Industry, Academia, National Labs, and Non-Traditional Attendees

1. RSVP to Attend the 30 March Q&A Telecon: Click Here to RSVP (NLT 29 March)  
2. Review Assessment Criteria: Click Here to Review
3. Download the White Paper Template: Click Here to Download
4. Complete the Submission Form: Click Here to Submit (NLT 11 April)

Questions?  
For event-related questions, please contact Lindsay Horst, lindsay.horst@sofwerx.org

Maritime Capable Tethered UAS Assessment Event (AE)

15-19 May 2023

Submit NLT 09 April 2023 11:59 PM ET 

Purpose
SOFWERX, in collaboration with SOF Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (SOF AT&L) Program Executive Office Special Reconnaissance (PEO-SR), will host an Assessment Event (AE) to identify solutions for a small tethered Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) that can operate in both land and saltwater maritime environments for intelligence gathering, surveillance and communications. The system must have some built in capability for full motion video, but also enable the hosting of modular payloads to perform additional functions.

Background/Synopsis
Market research indicates that off-the-shelf tethered UAS can satisfy most of the performance attributes desired in this assessment but may require minor adaptations or adjustments to satisfy all performance attributes (modified commercial/government off-the-shelf). A list of salient characteristics is provided in the assessment criteria, along with a delineation of what will be observed at the demonstration and the ultimate system capability.

Objective
This assessment solicits white papers to describe off-the-shelf tethered UAS. The most promising candidates will be invited to demonstrate some performance attributes with vendor provided equipment and operators. The demonstration will occur at a remote site with representatives from USSOCOM. A stipend will be provided to defray the costs of travel and shipping to the demonstration site.

The tethered UAS should be capable of operating in a static or moving configuration while performing force protection and intelligence gathering functions. The tethered UAS should provide a basic full motion video capability, but also be adaptable to carry a variety of payloads. 

The white paper should identify what adaptations or modifications to the off-the-shelf system may be required to satisfy all performance attributes. The assessment event will also consider how much technical risk the proposed adaptations or modifications introduce to the existing off the shelf platform.

Why You Should Participate
USSOCOM seeks to enter into non-FAR or FAR-based agreements with Industry, Academic, and National Lab partners whose solutions are favorably evaluated by SOF AT&L PEO-SR Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). As such, the follow-on Assessment Event (AE) is considered competitive, and solutions will be evaluated independently of one another primarily for technical merit. This serves dually as notification of the intent to research the feasibility of an agreement under 10 U.S. Code, Section 4022 and/or Section 4022(f), and as notice of pre-solicitation activities IAW FAR 5.204.

Event Timeline
Phase 1 – 15 March 2023 to 09 April 2023 Submissions to the Assessment Event (AE) Open: Interested respondents who could potentially provide solutions that meet the needs of USSOCOM are encouraged to submit their capability for USSOCOM review. To submit your technology for potential Phase 3 attendance, please review the assessment criteria and follow the submission instructions that will be near the bottom of this webpage on/around 15 March.

Phase 1a – 27 March 2023 Q&A Telecon: Interested offerors may participate in a virtual Q&A session to better understand the PM’s specific technology objectives. The telecon will take place on 27 March from 12:00–1:00 PM ET. Click Here to RSVP (NLT 26 March) 

Phase 2 – 10 April 2023 to 21 April 2023 Downselect: USSOCOM will downselect those respondents/submissions they feel have the highest potential to satisfy their technology needs. Favorably evaluated submissions will receive an invitation to attend the AE on/around 24 April.

Phase 3 – 15 May 2023 to 19 May 2023 Assessment Event (AE): During the AE, selected participants will be allotted a one-on-one session with the USSOCOM evaluation panel to pitch, demonstrate, and/or discuss their solutions. The solution will be demonstrated with static flight using contractor provided equipment and operators at a test site within the continental United States. The forum will include a Q&A portion and discussions may continue outside of the event. Solution brief presentation guidelines will be outlined in the event invitation and solutions will be assessed according to the criteria in the link provided below. If the USSOCOM evaluation panel favorably evaluates a solution brief, negotiations for Phase 4 may immediately begin.

This event will be held in person. Successful attendees will be provided a $10,000 travel stipend to defray the costs of demonstration. Stipends will be contingent upon successful live demonstration of powered flight at the demo site. Demo site TBD, within the continental United States, likely in proximity to San Diego, California or Virginia Beach, Virginia. 

Phase 4 – Path Forward: Successfully negotiated awards may fall under any combination of these categories:

• Business to business research and development agreement as a sub-award through the SOFWERX Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) (15 U.S. Code Section 3715)
• OTA for research or prototype projects (10 U.S. Code Sections 4021, 4022)
  • An award under 10 U. S. Code, Section 4022 may result in the further award of a follow-on production agreement without additional competition based on successful prototype completion. The Government may make this follow-on production award even if all successful prototype criteria are not fully met during the prototype project.
• Procurement for experimental purposes (10 U.S. Code Section 4023)
• Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (15 U.S. Code Section 3710a)
• Prizes for advanced technology achievements (10 U. S. Code Section 4025) and/or prize competitions (15 U.S. Code 3719)
• FAR-based procurement contract 

NOTE: Awardees may need to be compliant with NIST SP 800-171, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in Non-Federal Systems and Organizations

How You Can Participate
Government, Industry, Academia, National Labs, and Non-Traditional Attendees

1. RSVP to Attend the 27 March Q&A Telecon: Click Here to RSVP (NLT 26 March)  
2. Review Assessment Criteria: Click Here to Review
3. Review Requirements Check: Click Here to Review
4. Download the White Paper Template: Click Here to Download
5. Complete the Submission Form: Click Here to Submit (NLT 09 April)

Please Note: Responders providing information to meet functional assessment requirements are responsible to comply to International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR)/Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

Questions?  
For event-related questions, please contact Lindsay Horst, lindsay.horst@sofwerx.org

JSOU Geopolitical Mapping & Social Network Analytics Assessment Event (AE)

25-27 April 2023

Submissions Closed 17 March 2023 11:59 PM ET

Purpose
SOFWERX, in collaboration with USSOCOM and the Joint Special Operations University (JSOU), will host an Assessment Event (AE) to find solutions for a Geographic Information System (GIS) generated Geopolitical Toolkit and associated Social Network Analysis.

Background/Synopsis
SOF professionals require a GIS-generated tool that allows them to graphically layer the work of prominent geopolitical theorists and the underlying currents of compound security threats (economic imbalance; governance and human security imbalance; dynamics of the region, sect, and ethnicity; changes in demography; resource and environmental scarcities; border and boundary artificiality). This tool will better equip SOF to predict geopolitical flashpoints and understand the contributing conditions. Relatedly, SOF professionals require a social network analysis of these geopolitical flashpoints, enabling them to visualize the relationships between various stakeholders and plan more effective interventions.

Objective
USSOCOM hopes to find solutions for a GIS-generated Geopolitical Toolkit (or atlas) and social network analysis to help SOF professionals assess and visualize where geopolitical flashpoints might emerge. The aim is a single operating picture that combines the GIS-generated Geopolitical Toolkit, leveraging data analytics to construct network models that inform SOF interventions.

Why You Should Participate
USSOCOM seeks to enter into non-FAR or FAR-based agreements with Industry, Academic, and National Lab partners whose solutions are favorably evaluated by JSOU Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). As such, the follow-on Assessment Event (AE) is considered competitive, and solutions will be evaluated independently of one another primarily for technical merit. This serves dually as notification of the intent to research the feasibility of an agreement under 10 U.S. Code, Section 4022 and/or Section 4022(f), and as notice of pre-solicitation activities IAW FAR 5.204.

Event Timeline
Completed Phase 1 – 09 November 2022 Q&A Telecon: Interested participants may join a virtual Q&A session to better understand the scope and intent of the 13 December Collaboration Event (CE). The telecon will take place on 09 November 2022 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET.

Completed Phase 2 – 13 December 2022 Collaboration Event (CE): SOFWERX will host the Collaboration Event (CE) with Industry, Academic, and Laboratory partners focused on GIS-generated Geopolitical Toolkit and associated Social Network Analysis needs. During this event, Warfighters will interact with potential solution offerors and further communicate operational needs and desirements. Participation in this event is not mandatory, however, it is designed to provide insights to ensure potential offerors understand the problem set(s) fully and to increase the likelihood of matching their technologies with Warfighter needs. This CE is also an opportunity for attendees to meet and form partnerships that may provide a more comprehensive solution. If you do not wish to participate in the CE, you are free to submit your technology on or around 04 January for the AE. Request to attend the CE below, NLT 16 November. Confirmed attendees will be notified o/a 22 November. 

Tentative Agenda
All times listed are in ET
0800 – 0820: Participants arrive at SOFWERX
0820 – 0825: SOFWERX Welcome
0825 – 0845: Stakeholder Overview & Problem Set
0845 – 0945: Current Limitations Breakout
0945 – 1000: Break
1000 – 1100: Ways to Overcome Limitations Breakout
1100 – 1200: Lunch (on your own)
1200 – 1430: Problem Statement Development
1430 – 1445: Break
1445 – 1545: Problem Statement Briefs
1545 – 1630: Voting
1630 – 1700: Path Forward

Note: Agenda is subject to change

Completed Phase 3 – 17 February 2023 to 17 March 2023 Submissions to the Assessment Event (AE) Open: Interested respondents who could potentially provide solutions that meet the needs of USSOCOM are encouraged to submit their capability for USSOCOM review. To submit your technology for potential Phase 5 attendance, please review the assessment criteria and follow the submission instructions at the bottom of this webpage.

Phase 4 – 20 March 2023 to 30 March 2023 Downselect: USSOCOM will downselect those respondents/submissions they feel have the highest potential to satisfy their technology needs. Favorably evaluated submissions will receive an invitation to attend the AE on or around 31 March.

Phase 5 – 25 April 2023 to 27 April 2023 Assessment Event (AE): During the AE, selected participants will be allotted a one-on-one session with the USSOCOM evaluation panel to pitch, demonstrate, and/or discuss their solutions. The forum will include a Q&A portion and discussions may continue outside of the event. Solution brief presentation guidelines will be outlined in the event invitation and solutions will be assessed according to the criteria in the link provided below. If the USSOCOM evaluation panel favorably evaluates a solution brief, negotiations for Phase 6 may immediately begin.

This event will be held in person at SOFWERX, but will have a virtual component.  

Phase 6 – Path Forward: Successfully negotiated awards may fall under any combination of these categories:

• Business to business research and development agreement as a sub-award through the SOFWERX Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) (15 U.S. Code Section 3715)
• OTA for research or prototype projects (10 U.S. Code Sections 4021, 4022)
  • An award under 10 U. S. Code, Section 4022 may result in the further award of a follow-on production agreement without additional competition based on successful prototype completion. The Government may make this follow-on production award even if all successful prototype criteria are not fully met during the prototype project.
• Procurement for experimental purposes (10 U.S. Code Section 4023)
• Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (15 U.S. Code Section 3710a)
• Prizes for advanced technology achievements (10 U. S. Code Section 4025) and/or prize competitions (15 U.S. Code 3719)
• FAR-based procurement contract 

NOTE: Awardees may need to be compliant with NIST SP 800-171, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in Non-Federal Systems and Organizations

How You Can Participate
Industry, Academia, National Labs, and Non-Traditional Attendees

1. Review Assessment Criteria: Click Here to Review
2. Review Collaboration Event Slides: Click Here to Review

Questions?  
For event-related questions, please contact Claire Hawley, claire.hawley@sofwerx.org
For technical questions, please contact MAJ Noah McQueen, noah.mcqueen@socom.mil

Science and Technology

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) 23.4-001

Submit NLT 23 March 2023 12:00 PM ET (Noon)

Overview
The purpose of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is to strengthen the role of innovative Small Business Concerns (SBCs) in federally-funded research or research and development (R/R&D). The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program stimulates a partnership of ideas and technologies between innovative SBCs and non-profit Research Institutions. By providing awards to SBCs for cooperative R/R&D efforts with Research Institutions, the SBIR and STTR programs assist the U.S. small business and research communities by supporting the commercialization of innovative technologies. The SBIR/STTR programs employ a phased process:

Phase I: Phase I involves a solicitation of contract proposals or grant applications to conduct feasibility-related experimental or theoretical R/R&D related to described agency requirements. These requirements, as defined by agency topics contained in a solicitation, may be general or narrow in scope, depending on the needs of the agency. The object of this phase is to determine the scientific and technical merit and feasibility of the proposed effort and the quality of performance of the SBC with a relatively small agency investment before consideration of further Federal support in Phase II.

Phase II: The object of Phase II is to continue the R/R&D effort from the completed Phase I.

Direct to Phase II: Department of Defense may issue a Phase II SBIR award to an SBC that did not receive a Phase I SBIR or STTR award for that R/R&D. Direct to Phase II involves a solicitation of contract proposals or grant applications and the SBC’s proposal must demonstrate the scientific and technical merit and feasibility of the ideas that appear to have commercial potential.

Phase III: The objective of Phase III, where appropriate, is for the small business to pursue commercialization objectives resulting from the Phase I/II R/R&D activities. The SBIR/STTR programs do not fund Phase III.

SBIR Process Timeline
07 February 2023: Topic issued for pre-release
21 February 2023: USSOCOM begins accepting proposals via DSIP
09 March 2023: DSIP Topic Q&A closes to new questions at 12:00 PM ET
23 March 2023: Deadline for receipt of proposals no later than 12:00 PM ET 

Special Area of Interest
PHASE I:
SOCOM234-001: Analyzing Narrative Evolution Across Social Networks 

How You Can Participate
Industry and Non-Traditional Attendees 

1. Review the Q&A Telecon Transcript: Click Here to View
2. Review DSIP Topic Link: Click Here to View
3. Review Supporting Documents: Click Here to View
4. Review topic instructions: Click Here to View
5. Review proposal submission instructions: Click Here to View
6. Submit your proposal: Click Here to Sign In (NLT 23 March 12:00 PM ET Noon)

Questions?
For questions on the special area of interest, please email sbir@socom.mil
For questions about the SBIR/STTR program, please visit events.sofwerx.org/dcode