DESCRIPTION

​The U.S. Army is seeking innovative technology solutions from eligible small and large businesses across the U.S. that address critical capability gaps through the xTech|Adaptive Strike competition. This platform offers participants the opportunity to engage with the U.S. Department of War (DoW), earn prize money, participate in Soldier exercise events, and potentially receive a contract award or agreement.

The U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT)) is partnering with the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division (3ID), and the MARNE Innovation Center to deliver the xTech|Adaptive Strike competition. This initiative supports the U.S. Army’s broader effort to (1) identify commercially available or near-commercial technologies that address operational challenges and could be rapidly adapted for Army use; (2) engage and integrate non-traditional innovators and emerging technology to broaden the U.S. DoW‘s Science and Technology (S&T) and exercise ecosystem; (3) assess technologies and provide expertise and feedback to accelerate, mature, and transition technologies to support operational forces; and (4) ​​deliver attritable, scalable capabilities that can be delivered within 180 days of challenge completion.

The xTech|Adaptive Strike competition will consist of three (3) phases:

1. Application, including the following:
   • Five (5)-page white paper;
   • Up to 10-minute required technology demonstration video; and
   • Self-certification of minimum requirements.
2. Semifinals Soldier exercise event; and
3. Finals Soldier exercise event.

The U.S. Army intends to award up to $1.5 million in cash prizes throughout the competition to selected participants. The award structure is as follows:

• Semifinalists (Part 1): Up to 20 semifinalists may be selected at the conclusion of the Part 1 submission evaluation period. Each selected semifinalist will be eligible to receive a cash prize of $25,000 each and the opportunity to participate in the Part 2 semifinals live Soldier exercise event scheduled for June 2026.
• Finalists (Part 2): Up to 10 finalists may be selected at the conclusion of the semifinals event. Each selected finalist will be eligible to receive an additional cash prize of $50,000 each and the opportunity to participate in the Part 3 finals live Soldier exercise event schedule for October/November 2026.
• Winners (Part 3): Following the finals event, up to five (5) winners may be selected. Each selected winner will be eligible to receive an additional cash prize of $100,000 each.

Additional details on prize structure can be found in Section VII.

The xTech|Adaptive Strike competition 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 – Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs

Government organizations are encouraged to 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 xTech|Adaptive Strike competition may generate interest by other U.S. Army, DoW or USG 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 xTech|Adaptive Strike competition submissions are treated as privileged information and contents are disclosed to government employees and designated support contractors strictly for the purpose of evaluation and program support.

The 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

The U.S. Army’s front-line units are facing significant challenges from adversaries who are using large quantities of low-cost technologies like drones and jammers. The Army’s current equipment is often too expensive, complex, and slow to deploy, which leaves smaller units vulnerable. This technology gap makes it difficult for them to conduct reconnaissance, communicate effectively, and defend against the growing threat of unmanned systems in fast-paced environments.

To counter this, the Army is actively seeking innovative, ready-to-deploy solutions that are both affordable and easy for small units to use. They need better longer-range reconnaissance tools, cost-effective drones, mobile power sources, and scalable anti-drone defenses. The main goal is to empower these units to maintain an advantage, improve their protection, and sustain operations against rapidly evolving threats, and the Army is encouraging collaboration with commercial companies to find these solutions.

The Army is seeking to evaluate capabilities that demonstrate performance in one (1) of four (4) capability areas:

• Capability 1: Extended On-Station Time and Range for Medium/Long-Range Reconnaissance (MRR/LRR)
• Capability 2: Affordable Drones and Loitering Munitions for Scaled Operations
• Capability 3: Power Generation for Ground Units with sUAS
• Capability 4: Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) for Soldier Operations

 

SCHEDULE AND PRIZES

ELIGIBILITY

​​Eligible entities include U.S. based nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations (i.e., large and small businesses) only.  

​Each eligible entity:  

• ​Shall be incorporated in, and maintain, a primary place of business in the U.S.; 
• ​Shall not be a U.S. Federal 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 to the Government for work described in the problem statement; 
• Must have or be able to obtain a CAGE code if selected to advance in the competition (instructions on how to obtain a CAGE code can be found on the xTech|Adaptive Strike registration page); and 
• Shall be at the sole discretion of the Government.​