DCTO(MC), MISSION CAPABILITIES
INNOVATION AND MODERNIZATION
MISSION: Accelerate defense innovation through prototyping to rapidly mature and transition capabilities aligned to DoD’s strategic imperatives
VISION: Be an innovation leader for DoD modernization
Our Innovation Activities
Innovation Prototypes
Innovation Outreach (IO)
Innovation Discovery (ID)
Develop, prototype, and transition emerging and novel capabilities. With a focus on small businesses and non-traditional partners, we team with government sponsors to rapidly transition capabilities into DoD use.
Match innovative technology companies with DoD sponsors using a lightweight (100 words) submission and pitch process.
Discover innovative capabilities and provide innovators the opportunity to put their tech in the hands of DoD users to enhance collaboration and get immediate feedback.
Guiding Principles
Multiple opportunities for innovative performers to mature their ideas and transition their capabilities:
How to Participate
Proposal Requests Are Accepted at Any Time of the Year
"Counter Multi-Domain Uncrewed Systems: Counter Autonomy/AI" Innovation Outreach Needs Statement. I&M is seeking technology concepts for supporting an effective layered defense against swarms of advanced uncrewed systems (UxS) whether they operate by air, sea or land. Submissions are simple, only requiring 100 words about your proposed solution! Selected innovators will receive an opportunity to further brief their technology to a community of DoD stakeholders, which may result in future engagement and development opportunities. Submissions due 25 May 2023 at 5:00PM EDT.
Technology Innovation Discovery Event (TIDE): Anticipating Technological Surprise. I&M is seeking to discover technologies that could introduce unanticipated capabilities that generate unforeseen impacts in order to help maintain U.S. technological superiority while denying an adversary from gaining such advantages. Innovators selected to participate will receive an opportunity to showcase their technology at trade show event attended by DoD stakeholder, which may result in future engagement and development opportunities. Submissions due 31 May 2023 at 5:00PM EDT.
Thunderstorm 23-5: “Golden Window” Innovative Medical & Casualty Logistics. I&M is seeking to discover technologies that help save the lives of Warfighters who experience traumatic injuries in challenging environments. Capabilities of interest will reduce the logistical burden by accelerating the evacuation of casualties and/or transportation of medical supplies to the point of injury, enabling immediate tactical combat casualty care remotely, or prolonging the window of opportunity in which medical intervention is feasible. Innovators selected to participate will receive an opportunity to showcase their technology in an operationally relevant environment, which may result in future engagement and development opportunities. Submissions due 30 June 2023 at 5:00PM EDT.
Industry proposals will be posted on SAM.gov
Since 2007, IO has provided a low-barrier of entry for small and non-traditional performers looking to connect with the DoD. Working with stakeholders across the DoD, Innovation and Modernization holds multiple Innovative Outreach events each year.
Innovation and Modernization works with sponsoring components across the DoD to help characterize their capability needs into broadly applicable Needs Statements, which succinctly captures the component’s needs for small and non-traditional businesses to address. Needs Statements are intentionally written so they are understandable regardless of a respondent's experience working with the DoD. To let innovators focus on their work, responding to a Needs Statement is simple: less than 100 words about their technology. Selected developers have the opportunity to engage the DoD need owners in networking sessions with a 25-minute presentation. Government attendees provide immediate feedback and there is potential for follow-up engagements with attendees - such as technology demonstrations or funding opportunities.
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Check back for our latest Innovative Outreach opportunities on this website (above) and on www.sam.gov. If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact us via aosd.pentagon.ousd-atl.mbx.rrto-innovation@mail.mil.
Understanding the ID Programs:
Thunderstorm is a campaign of land-based innovation discovery events that provides performers the opportunity to showcase new technologies in the field and collaborate with other businesses, without the pressure of a graded evaluation or test event. Previous topics are wide ranging and include agile logistics, operational energy, artificial intelligence and machine learning, battlespace management, and arctic operations.
In FY 2022, Thunderstorm events showcased 226 innovative technologies, including systems from 181 small businesses, and transitioned or introduced 38 to the DoD.
JPEM is a program that enables very rapid integration of technologies on an authentic military maritime platform. JPEM’s mobility allows ID to showcase joint and multi-domain technologies that are difficult to exercise outside of DoD test ranges or anechoic chambers, including electronic warfare, communication systems, novel sensors, and autonomous platforms.
In FY 2022, JPEM identified and showcased 82 technologies, including systems from 47 small businesses, and transitioned or introduced 43 to DoD.
JIFX leverages its rich Naval Postgraduate School academic expertise and its location on the west coast to extend the reach of the ID program to more small businesses and non-traditional performers. In partnership with the California National Guard at Camp Roberts, JIFX also provides a very flexible flight range for unmanned aerial systems that is unmatched in the region. Recent events include expeditionary power, Alt PNT, and contested logistic solutions.
In FY 2022, JIFX identified and showcased 114 technologies, including from 85 small businesses and transitioned or introduced 17 to DoD.
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Check back for our latest Innovation Discovery events on this website and on www.sam.gov.
Success Stories
Testimonials
Frank Bohn, a project lead for the Army Futures Command said, "Within 120 days of the Army team's initial engagement, Capability Prototypes (formally RRTO) had approved the project, and funds were moving. CP's ability to provide in-year investment significantly accelerated the delivery of this capability in a manner that is incredibly difficult to achieve through traditional acquisition pipelines."
Richard Thornton from the Navy shares, “The working relationships CP has fostered between itself, operational commands, DoD labs and industry have been extremely productive. Advanced technologies that CP has incubated are now in the hands of the submarine force, SOF combat divers and in autonomous vehicle systems. These specific projects have delivered revolutionary (not evolutionary) advances in advanced undersea communications and system security. Combining resources and jointly mitigating risks are two key facets of the work that CP enables, but more importantly, it is CP’s ‘innovation solutions bridge’ between young start-up companies and the defense industrial base that allows new technology initiatives to be identified, matured, and integrated into advanced fleet systems.”
CONTACT US
Send an email to the office of Innovation and Modernization
DCTO(MC)
Deputy CTO for Mission Capabilities
The Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301
Contact Us
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