DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Army is seeking information from eligible small businesses across the U.S. regarding innovative concepts for an advanced autonomous unmanned system (UAV, UGV, and/or sensor network). The xTechOverwatch competition provides an opportunity to engage with the Department of Defense (DoD), earn prize money and have the opportunity to submit a Direct to Phase II (DP2) Army Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) proposal.

The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology (ASA(ALT)) is partnering with Army Futures Command (AFC) to deliver the xTechOverwatch competition. The Army recognizes that the DoD must enhance engagements with U.S. small businesses by (1) understanding the spectrum of ‘world-class’ technologies being developed commercially that may benefit DoD; (2) integrating the sector of non-traditional innovators into the DoD Science and Technology (S&T) ecosystem; and (3) providing expertise and feedback to accelerate, mature, and transition technologies of interest to the DoD.

The xTechOverwatch competition will consist of three rounds:

1. Call for concept white papers;
2. Finals pitch event/demonstration; and
3. Opportunity to submit a DP2 Army SBIR proposal.

Collaborations between Small Business Concerns (SBCs) and between an SBC and another entity is encouraged for submissions to this competition. The submitting organization must be eligible in accordance with Section II of the request for information (RFI). SBCs selected may have opportunities to collaborate during the course of the competition and following the competition to integrate their technologies into comprehensive autonomous systems.

The competition will award up to $1 million in cash prizes throughout the competition to selected participants. Up to 40 applicants will receive a cash prize of $15,000 each and an opportunity to pitch and demonstrate their innovative technology solutions to a panel of Army and DoD subject matter experts (SMEs) at the Army Human Machine Integration (HMI) Summit in October 2025. The Army intends to select up to 20 final winners of the competition to receive an additional cash prize of $20,000 each. Final winners of the competition with technologies that demonstrate sufficient maturity for direct prototype development will have the opportunity to submit a DP2 Army SBIR proposal worth up to $2 million, not to exceed 18 months in duration. Additional details on prize structure can be found in Section VII of the RFI.

In addition to non-dilutive cash prizes, participants will have the opportunity to engage with Army and DoD representatives through information-sharing and networking opportunities.

The efforts described in this notice are being pursued under the authorities of 10 U.S.C. § 4025 to award cash prizes recognizing advanced technology achievements. Final winners will have the opportunity to submit a DP2 Army SBIR proposal under the provisions and requirements of 15 USC § 638.

While the authority of this program is 10 U.S.C. § 4025, the xTechOverwatch competition may generate interest by another U.S. Army, DoD or United States Government (USG) organization for a funding opportunity outside of this program (e.g., submission of a proposal under a Broad Agency Announcement). 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 be invited 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 xTechOverwatch competition submissions are treated as privileged information, and contents are disclosed to government employees or designated support contractors only for the purpose of evaluation and program support.

The xTech Program will provide a feedback report to participants during each part of the competition. The purpose of providing this report is to assist in potentially accelerating transition of the technology to an Army end-user by providing insight on best applications for the technology, suggestions for product improvement for Army use and recommended next steps for development. However, the government may not respond to questions or inquiries regarding this feedback.

Register now to join competition leadership for an informational webinar on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 1:00pm EDT to learn more about this opportunity.

Topics and Problem Statements

The U.S. Army is interested in innovative autonomous systems capable of conducting overwatch and terrain-shaping tasks by leveraging advanced AI, robotics, secure networking, and real-time data processing.

The competition seeks white papers for research and development efforts to produce well-defined prototype technology solutions for autonomous unmanned platforms (UAVs, UGVs, and stationary sensors) that can identify and occupy advantageous overwatch positions, adapt to terrain constraints, and execute mission objectives with minimal human intervention. These systems must integrate multi-modal sensor fusion, AI-driven target recognition, secure communications, and adaptive decision-making to enhance situational awareness and mission effectiveness.

Proposals are not required to address all technical areas listed below. SBCs with expertise in specific technical areas (listed below) are encouraged to apply, even if they do not provide a full-spectrum solution. However, it is the objective of this topic to provide selected SBCs opportunities to collaborate with additional selected SBCs, other Army partners, and Army research laboratories and engineering centers to cover any technical areas not addressed within their proposal.

The key technical areas of interest are:

• Autonomous Unmanned Systems (UAVs, UGVs, Stationary Sensors)
• Sensor Fusion, Data Integration, and AI-Driven Target Recognition & Classification
• Secure Communications and Networking
• Human-Machine Interface (HMI) for Effective Decision-Making
• Edge Computing for Onboard Processing
• Resilient Robotics for Adaptive Terrain Navigation
• Automated Self-Recovery Mechanisms
• Collaborative/Mission-Focused Autonomy
• UGV and UAS Payloads
• Modular & Open Architecture

Topic descriptions can be found in Appendix A of the RFI. Final winners will have the opportunity to submit a DP2 Army SBIR proposal worth up to $2 million to produce a prototype solution.

If you couldn’t attend the xTechOverwatch Informational Session, watch the recording here and view the presentation deck here. For a list of frequently asked questions, click here.

SCHEDULE AND PRIZES

ELIGIBILITY

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 of the following:

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

b. Other for‐profit 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 question(s) concerning prior, current, or pending support of similar proposals or awards must disclose those as early as possible to the xTech Program Office.