DESCRIPTION

The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT)) is announcing the third cohort of the Army xTechSearch prize competition. xTechSearch will highlight opportunities for small businesses to collaborate with the Army to tackle the most critical Army modernization challenges.

The ASA(ALT) recognizes that the Army must enhance engagements with the entrepreneurial funded community, small businesses, and other non-traditional defense entities, by:

• • Understanding the spectrum of technologies being developed commercially that may benefit the Army;
  • Integrating the sector of non-traditional defense entities into the Army’s Science and Technology (S&T) ecosystem;
  • Providing mentorship and expertise to accelerate, mature, and transition technologies of interest to the Army.

The xTechSearch program will provide resourcing to select small businesses to demonstrate proof of concept for their technologies pertaining to Army challenges. The program will also integrate these small businesses into the Army’s S&T ecosystem by providing research opportunities with Army labs, including access to the Army’s organic intellectual and technical capital. xTechSearch is an opportunity for businesses to pitch novel technology solutions – a new application for an existing technology or a new technology concept entirely – to the Army. The Army will provide non-dilutive seed prizes for the small businesses to demonstrate proof of concept in an Army-relevant challenge area.

The authority of this program is 15 United States Code (USC) §3719.

SCHEDULE AND PRIZES

PHASE 1: Concept White Paper

Apr 30, 2019 - Jul 13, 2019

Up to 50 winners

$5,000/winner

PHASE 2: Technology Pitches

Aug 6, 2019 - Aug 15, 2019

Up to 24 winners

$10,000/winner

PHASE 3: Semifinals

Oct 14, 2019 - Oct 16, 2019

Up to 12 winners

$120,000/winner

PHASE 4: Finals

May 6, 2020 - May 7, 2020

Up to 12 winners

1st Place: $250K; All others: $10K/Finalist

ELIGIBILITY

The entities allowed to participate in this competition must be sole proprietors or small business concerns in accordance with Small Business Administration guidance under 13 Code of Federal Regulations § 121.201, or any entity willing and able to be registered as a small business if selected to participate in this competition.

Each eligible entity:

• • Shall be incorporated in, and maintain, a primary place of business in the United States;
  • May not be a Federal entity or employ a Federal employee acting within the scope of their employment

Sole proprietors may participate in xTechSearch if the individual is a citizen or national of the U.S. or a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. and the business is registered in the U.S. Foreign companies may participate in xTechSearch by establishing a U.S. domestic business relationship (g., wholly owned U.S. subsidiary) or partner with an U.S. based company. Companies that have previously participated in the xTechSearch competition are eligible to participate for new technology concepts or improvements to prior submitted proposals.