DESCRIPTION

​​​The Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate (G-TEAD), in partnership with U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC), and powered by Army FUZE xTech, is seeking innovative autonomous sustainment solutions from eligible small and large businesses across the U.S. and allied foreign countries to strengthen resilient resupply for distributed operations in contested environments through the G-TEAD USARPAC ACE 27-01: Autonomous Sustainment powered by xTech competition.

​This platform offers participants the opportunity to engage with the U.S. Department of War (DoW), earn prize money, and potentially receive a contract award or agreement. This initiative supports the U.S. Army’s broader effort to (1) identify and understand the spectrum of ‘world-class’ technologies being developed commercially that benefit the U.S. military; (2) integrate non-traditional innovators into the U.S. DoW Science and Technology (S&T) ecosystem; (3) provide expertise and feedback to accelerate, mature, transition, and scale technologies to support operational forces. 

​The G-TEAD USARPAC ACE 27-01: Autonomous Sustainment powered by xTech will consist of three phases:  

(1) ​Application, including the following:  

• ​Four (4)-page white paper; 
• ​Required five (5)-minute video; 
• ​Self-certification of minimum requirements; and  
• ​Information on prior demonstrations with DoW or allied/partner nations  

(2) Soldier exercise; and 

(3) Opportunity to submit follow-on contract proposal.  ​ 

​The U.S. Army intends to award up to $1,500,000 in cash prizes throughout the competition. Up to 15 finalists will be selected at the conclusion of the Part 1 evaluation period, awarded $25,000 each, and provided the opportunity to participate in the Part 2 live Soldier exercise, anticipated to occur in November 2026. Finalists who also participate and have their technology successfully integrated in the exercise will receive an additional $25,000 each, following the event. Following completion of the exercise, up to five (5) final winners will be selected to receive an additional cash prize of $150,000 each and may be considered for potential follow-on agreements and contracting opportunities. Additional details on prize structure can be found in Section VII of the RFI. 

​At the Government’s discretion, participants that do not win a prize may also be considered for opportunities to demonstrate their capability. 

​Any follow-on agreements are at the Government’s sole discretion and are subject to availability of funds and applicable laws and regulations. Nothing in this solicitation shall be construed as a commitment to issue a request for proposal (RFP) or award any contract or agreement.  

​Finalists and final winners must have a CAGE/NCAGE code to receive a cash prize and contract award. Firms may be requested to sign a Master Business Agreement (MBA) as a condition of eligibility for certain G-TEAD ACE follow-on opportunities. The execution of an MBA is not required for any other follow-on opportunities pursued outside of G-TEAD ACEs. 

​A CAGE/NCAGE code is not required at the time of application; however, applicants that do not possess one (1) are strongly encouraged to initiate the registration process in advance if they intend to participate.  

​The G-TEAD USARPAC ACE 27-01: Autonomous Sustainment powered by xTech is conducted in accordance with 10 U.S.C. § 4025, which authorizes the use of prize competitions to stimulate innovation and identify promising technologies for national security applications. Requirements for competition under 10 U.S.C. § 3201 are satisfied upon completion of the challenge and use of prize authority. As such, this competition serves as a competitive down select mechanism that enables government organizations to engage with finalists and winners through a variety of follow-on acquisition pathways, including but not limited to: 

• ​10 U.S.C. § 4114 – Selection of contractors for prototype projects 
• ​10 U.S.C. § 4022 – Prototype projects 
• ​10 U.S.C. § 4023 – Procurement for experimental purposes 
• ​10 U.S.C. § 4001 – Research and development 
• ​10 U.S.C. § 4021 – Other Transaction Authority (OTA) 
• ​10 U.S.C. § 3458 – Authority to acquire innovative commercial products and commercial services using general solicitation competitive procedures 
• ​15 U.S.C. § 3703 – Technology innovation partnerships 
• ​15 U.S.C. § 638 – SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs 

​Government organizations may consider leveraging these statutory authorities to pursue follow-on awards with companies identified through the xTech competition process. This approach supports rapid technology maturation, accelerates the transition of innovative capabilities to the field, and promotes collaboration with non-traditional and small business performers. 

​While the authority of this program is 10 U.S.C. § 4025, the G-TEAD USARPAC ACE 27-01: Autonomous Sustainment powered by xTech may generate interest by other U.S. Army, DoW or U.S. Government (US G) organizations for a funding opportunity outside of this event. The interested organization may contact the participant to provide additional information or ask for a request for proposal in a separate solicitation. Finalists of the prize competition may have opportunities to submit a separate proposal for further development of their proposed technology solution based on the needs of the Army. The Army may use a contract mechanism of their choice and will notify the participants accordingly.  

​All G-TEAD USARPAC ACE 27-01: Autonomous Sustainment powered by xTech submissions are treated as privileged information and contents may be disclosed to employees of the USG, allied nations, designated support contractors at the USG’s discretion for the purposes including, but not limited to, evaluation, program administration and support, potential inclusion in Army or DoW marketplaces, and consideration for potential follow-on opportunities. The Government will use reasonable efforts to protect proprietary information; however, participants are responsible for clearly identifying any proprietary or restricted information within their submissions. 

​The Army FUZE xTech Program intends to provide feedback from evaluators to participants during each part of the competition. The purpose of providing this feedback is to help accelerate the transition of the technology to a U.S. Army end-user by providing insight into the best applications for the technology, suggestions for product improvement for U.S. Army use and recommended next steps for development. However, the Government will not respond to inquiries regarding this feedback. 

​Problem Statement 

​Sustainment of distributed forces across contested island chains presents significant challenges due to the vulnerability of traditional, manned logistics nodes in complex maritime, littoral, and land environments. Current intra-theater resupply operations depend on high-value, crewed assets that are at severe risk in contested waters, while the transfer and distribution of supplies on land impose heavy physical and cognitive burdens on personnel. To achieve resilient, multi-domain logistics, there is a critical need for integrated unmanned sustainment systems, including autonomous ground and air delivery systems for tactical resupply of dispersed formations. These systems must support a range of payloads and distances while being governed by advanced distribution management software and intuitive command and control architecture that synchronize autonomous swarms, automate supply routing, and significantly reduce human workload. 

​The Army is seeking to evaluate capabilities that demonstrate performance in one (1) of three (3) capability areas, and meet the following criteria for its capability area:  

• ​Capability 1: Autonomous, Attritable Air Delivery Systems 
• ​Capability 2: Autonomous, Attritable Surface Vessels Capable of Transporting 1-4 TEUs 
• ​Capability 3: Autonomous Ground Delivery Systems for Logistics and Resupply Operations  ​ 

​For detailed topic descriptions, see Appendix A of the RFI.  

​Capabilities submitted for evaluation shall meet the following criteria, as applicable:  

• ​TRL 6 or higher; 
• ​Clear linkages to resolving the problem statement and meeting the desired characteristics for the capability gap in which technology will compete; 
• ​Demonstrate viability to field solutions within 180 days of contract award; 
• ​Technical interoperability with Global Command & Control System-Army (GCCS-A) for situational awareness (SA), force tracking, and system tasking; Global Combat Support System-Army (GCSS-A) for tactical logistics; as current Army systems are replaced, the system will need to support data flows for future SA, force tracking, and system tasking capabilities; 
• ​Modular in nature (hardware) and utilize open architecture (software) that facilitates ‘plug and play’ interoperability with existing sensors and communications architectures most commonly utilized by the U.S. and multi-national partners; 
• ​Capable of operating in a denied, degraded, intermittent and limited GPS and communications environment;  
• ​Demonstrate cyber resilience and compliance; 
• ​Demonstrate assured control in contested environments;  
• ​Provide safe, predictable behavior around personnel and other unmanned systems, including failsafe mechanisms, obstacle detection / avoidance, and emergency stop behaviors in all modes of operation (remote, tele-operated, autonomous, etc.); and 
• ​Provide on-board diagnostics with operator notification of degraded state (software or sensor failure). 

SCHEDULE AND PRIZES

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible entities include nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations (i.e., large and small businesses) both domestic and foreign.  

Each eligible entity: 

• Must be able to obtain a CAGE code (U.S. businesses) or NCAGE code (international businesses) to process payments and receive follow-on awards;  
• Shall be incorporated in, and maintain, a primary place of business in the U.S. or an allied foreign country; 
• Shall not be a U.S. Federal Government entity, foreign government entity or employ a U.S. Federal Employee acting within the scope of their employment; 
• Shall not be currently under contract, agreement or other providing similar capabilities in the region under the same use case to the Government for work described in the problem statement; and 
• Must not be based in a Foreign Country of Concern (FCOC), directly funded by an FCOC government or government-subsidized guidance fund, or under the influence of an FCOC government in any form. 

Failure to meet any of the above requirements will result in ineligibility for award. The USG reserves the right to verify eligibility and make all final determinations at its sole discretion.