DESCRIPTION

​​The U.S. Army is seeking innovative agile sustainment solutions from eligible small and large businesses across the globe through the xTech|Kinetic Reach 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. 

​The U.S. Army FUZE xTech Program, in partnership with the U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) and Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate (G-TEAD) is executing the xTech|Kinetic Reach competition as part of the G-TEAD Accelerated Capability Event (ACE) series.  

​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, and transition technologies to support operational forces; and (4) deliver attritable, scalable capabilities. 

​The xTech|Kinetic Reach competition will consist of three phases:  

​(1) Application, including the following:  

​a. Four (4)-page white paper; 

​b. Required five (5)-minute video; 

​c. Self-certification of minimum requirements; and  

d. ​Information on prior demonstrations with DoW or allied/partner nations  

(2) Soldier exercise. 

​(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 and will be provided the opportunity to participate in the Part 2 live Soldier exercise and pitch event, anticipated to occur in November 2026. Finalists who attend the Soldier exercise will receive a cash prize of $25,000, following the event. Finalists who also participate and have their technology integrated into the exercise will receive an additional $25,000, 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. Final winners may be considered for potential follow-on agreements and contracting opportunities.  

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

​Final winners that qualify as a U.S. Small Business will have the opportunity to submit a Direct to Phase II (DP2) Army Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) proposal worth up to $2,000,000, not to exceed 18 months in duration. Finalists and final winners selected from the xTech|Kinetic Reach competition that do not meet the U.S. Small Business eligibility requirements will be eligible to submit proposals for other follow-on opportunities. Eligibility to submit does not guarantee award. 

​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.  

​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 Army SBIR follow-on opportunities or 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 xTech|Kinetic Reach 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 – 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 xTech|Kinetic Reach competition may generate interest by other U.S. Army, DoW or U.S. Government (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|Kinetic Reach competition 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 

​The Army is seeking to evaluate capabilities that demonstrate performance in one of five (5) capability areas, and meet the following criteria for its capability area:  

• ​Capability 1: Autonomous container Handling/Movement System 
• ​Capability 2: Future Power Generation 
• ​Capability 3: Autonomous UAV/UGV Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) System 
• ​Capability 4: Uncrewed Aerial Payload Transportation 
• ​Capability 5: Uncrewed, Automated, Ground Recovery System  

​For details on the full capability areas, see Appendix A of the RFI. For details on GOAT-Net, see Appendix B.

​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, 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;
• ​Demonstrate successful data exchange with GOAT-NET by enrollment as a peer in the Government’s peer-to-peer WireGaurd mesh network via the Government-designated mesh control plane (Netbird) and applicable event driven or non-event driven system configuration, detailed in Appendix B of the RFI;
• ​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.  

​General Eligibility (All Applicants)  

1. ​Must be able to obtain a CAGE code (U.S. businesses) or NCAGE code (international businesses) to process payments and receive follow-on awards;  
2. ​Shall be incorporated in, and maintain, a primary place of business in the U.S. or an allied foreign country; 
3. ​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; 
4. ​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 
5. ​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.

​U.S. Small Business Eligibility (for potential SBIR Opportunity) 

​Small, for-profit, independent U.S. businesses. Restrictions exist about (1) the type of firm; (2) its ownership structure; (3) the firm’s size in terms of the number of employees; and (4) prior, current, or pending support of similar proposals or awards, as follows:   

​(1) Type of Firm: An eligible firm must be organized as a for‐profit concern and meet all the other small business requirements in 13 C.F.R. § 121.702. Non‐profit entities are not eligible.  

​(2) Ownership and Control: A majority (more than 50%) of an eligible firm’s equity (e.g., stock) must be directly owned and controlled by one (1) of the following:   

a. ​One (1) or more individuals who are citizens or permanent resident aliens of the U.S.;  

​b. Other for‐profit small business concerns (SBCs) (each of which is directly owned and controlled by individuals who are citizens or permanent resident aliens of the U.S.); or   

​c. A combination of (a) and (b) above.

​Note: If an employee stock ownership plan owns all or part of the concern, each stock trustee and plan member is considered an owner. If a trust owns all or part of the concern, each trustee and trust beneficiary is considered an owner.   

​(3) Size: An eligible firm, together with the affiliates, must not have more than 500 employees.  

​(4) Prior, Current, or Pending Support with Similar Technology: Proposals submitted in response to this prize competition must not be substantially the same as another proposal that was funded, is now being funded, or is pending contract award with another federal agency. Small businesses with any questions concerning prior, current, or pending support for similar proposals or awards must disclose those as early as possible to the xTech Program Office.    

​Other Eligible Entities 

​Eligible entities not qualifying as U.S. small businesses may include domestic and foreign for-profit organizations, non-profit organizations, and large businesses, provided they meet all general eligibility requirements listed above. 

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