DESCRIPTION

The U.S. Army is seeking innovative technology solutions from eligible small businesses across the U.S. through the Expeditionary Technology Search (xTechSearch) competition. This platform offers participants the opportunity to pitch novel technology solutions—whether a new application for an existing technology or an entirely new technology concept—to the Army, engage with the Department of Defense (DoD), earn prize money, join an accelerator program, and winners will have the opportunity to submit a Phase I Army Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) proposal.

The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology (ASA(ALT)) recognizes the importance of strengthening partnerships with U.S. small businesses by (1) understanding the spectrum of ‘world-class’ commercial technologies that could benefit the DoD identifying and assessing a broad spectrum of cutting-edge commercial technologies with potential defense applications; (2) expanding the integration of non-traditional innovators into the Army and broader DoD Science and Technology (S&T) ecosystem; and (3) offering expert guidance, resources, and actionable feedback to accelerate development, increase technology maturity, and enable transition pathways into operational use.

The xTechSearch 9 competition will consist of three rounds:

1. Call for concept white papers;
2. Final pitch event; and
3. Opportunity to submit a Phase I Army SBIR proposal.

The competition will award up to $900,000 in cash prizes throughout the competition to selected participants. Up to 60 finalists will receive a cash prize of $5,000 each and an opportunity to pitch their innovative technology solutions to a panel of Army and DoD subject matter experts (SMEs). The Army intends to select up to 24 final winners of the competition to receive an additional cash prize of $25,000 each. Final winners of the competition may submit a Phase I Army SBIR proposal worth up to $250,000 that should support proof-of-concept demonstrations with a period of performance not to exceed six months. Additional details on prize structure can be found in Section VII.

The xTechSearch competition aims to accelerate the integration of small businesses into the Army’s S&T ecosystem by facilitating research engagement opportunities with Army labs, including authorized access to the Army’s organic intellectual and technical capital. Throughout the competition, participants will receive detailed, constructive feedback from Army and DoD stakeholders. Finalists will have an opportunity to participate in an xTech Accelerator, offering access to training, mentorship and transition-focused support to help align technology solutions with end users and acquisition stakeholders across the Army and broader DoD.

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 Phase I 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 xTechSearch 9 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 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 xTechSearch 9 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. These reports are intended to support the potential acceleration of technology transition by offering insights into relevant Army applications, recommendations for refinement to better meet Army needs, and suggested next steps for further development. Please note that while this feedback is provided as a resource, the government may not respond to individual questions or inquiries related to the content of the report.

Army Focus Areas:

xTechSearch is an open-topic competition designed to identify groundbreaking technologies with strong commercial traction that may also provide game-changing capabilities for the Army. This competition will be used to competitively down-select up to 24 winners who can submit a Phase I Army SBIR proposal under topic “A254-P039 – xTechSearch 9 SBIR Finalist Open Topic Competition” for a potential follow-on award of up to $250,000. By partnering with the Army SBIR|STTR Program, technologies that are selected from this competition to have the highest potential impact on the Army will have a structured pathway to continue developing those solutions for Army systems alongside Army customers. xTechSearch encourages submissions that may not be familiar with the Army problem your technology can solve, but can clearly articulate the solution’s advantage, the technical viability, and commercial potential. The xTechSearch competition is supported by a wide range of subject matter experts across the Army and DoD to help evaluate the potential of your technology to improve operational effectiveness, reduce lifecycle costs, and accelerate the transition of cutting-edge technology into Army systems.

The SBIR|STTR Program has aligned technologies that are experiencing rapid commercial traction with critical Army priorities into five portfolios of priority interest for this competition, each with core technology components identified. While xTechSearch encourages submissions aligned to the following SBIR|STTR portfolios and the associated core technology components, the program also welcomes proposals in any other technology domain with the potential to provide a disruptive advantage to the Army:

• Sensors: Devices that detect stimuli and produce an output, as well as onboard processing technologies that handle the output prior to transmission.
• Immersive and Wearables: Immersive focuses on the simulation or extension of the real world, such as XR. Wearables focuses on devices, garments, or equipment for readiness, performance, recovery, or protection.
• AI/ML: Technologies designed to enhance the full spectrum of Army operations and supplement decision-making capabilities. Includes advanced tools designed to augment business analytics and warfighting capabilities across multi-domain operations.
• Energy Resiliency: Focuses on expeditionary applications of energy technologies designed to produce systems that maximize efficiency, adapt Army systems to reduce net energy demand or reliance on logistic fuel supply, and meet the power demands of future Army systems across echelons.
• Contested Logistics and Sustainment: Strategic and operational technologies that involve planning and executing the movement and maintenance of forces and materials under adversarial conditions. Includes logistical operations, supply chain management, and sustainment activities.

Additional information on the TBTs can be found in the RFI in Appendix A: TBT Core Competencies.

Technologies that fall exclusively within the portfolio of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, which include military infectious diseases, military operational medicine, chemical biological defense, and clinical and rehabilitative medicine, are excluded from xTechSearch.  

If you missed the Ask Me Anything session, you can watch the recording 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 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 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.

Companies that have previously participated in xTechSearch competitions are eligible to apply with new technology concepts or improvements to previously submitted proposals.