DESCRIPTION

The U.S Army xTech Program selected two small businesses to receive a ash prize of $300,000 and an invitation to advance to Part 3: Final Demonstrations, where the teams will conduct an in-person-proof of concept demonstration of their technologies for a Precision Grenadier System (PGS).

The U.S. Army would like to invite interested entities to participate in the xTechSoldier Lethality competition to showcase their innovative concepts for a Precision Grenadier System (PGS). This is an opportunity for eligible U.S. based small and large businesses to engage and pitch their novel technology solutions directly to the Department of Defense, earn prize money and potentially receive a contract award or agreement of up to $2 million.

The U.S. Army Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier has partnered with the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology) (ASA(ALT)), to deliver the xTechSoldier Lethality competition. The Army recognizes that we must enhance engagements with industry by: (1) understanding the spectrum of ‘world-class’ technologies being developed commercially that may benefit DoD in the soldier lethality space; (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 DoD in support of the Soldier.

The xTechSoldier Lethality competition will consist of three-rounds:

1. Call for concept white papers;
2. Technology Pitch; and
3. Final Proof-of-Concept Demonstration

The competition will award up to $975,000 in cash prizes to selected entities throughout the competition. Up to five winners will be selected from the concept white paper round, awarded $15,000 each and invited to participate in the technology pitch round. Up to three companies will be selected from the virtual technology pitch round and receive an additional $300,000 each in cash prizes and the opportunity to come back in 6 to 18 months to conduct a final proof-of-concept demonstration. One final winner may be selected and awarded up to $2M in a follow-on contract or agreement. Details regarding prize structure and phases are listed further in this announcement. In addition to non-dilutive cash prizes, participants will have an opportunity to engage with experts within PEO Soldier and across the DoD during each phase of the competition.

The efforts described in this notice are being pursued under the authorities of 10 U.S.C. § 4025 (formerly 2374a, Prizes for Advanced Technology Achievements) to award cash prizes as described in this announcement and potential follow-on contracts or agreements (10 U.S. Code §4023) to only those eligible and selected entities as described in this announcement. While the authority of this program is 10 U.S.C. § 4025, the xTechSoldier Lethality competition may generate interest by another U.S. Army, DoD or USG organization for a funding opportunity outside of this event. Interested organizations may contact the participant to provide additional information which may or may not result in partnership opportunities.

Competition finalists may be invited to submit a proposal for further development of their proposed technology innovation based on Army needs. The Army may use a contract mechanism of their choice and will notify participants accordingly. The efforts described in this Notice are being pursued under the authorities of 10 U.S.C. § 4025.

All xTechSoldier Lethality competition submissions are treated as privileged information and contents are disclosed to Government employees or designated support contractors strictly for the purpose of evaluation and program support.

Feedback and results from the judge panel will be provided to participants throughout each phase of the competition. The purpose of providing this feedback is to help accelerate 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 will not respond to inquiries regarding this feedback.

SCHEDULE AND PRIZES

PHASE 1: Concept White Paper Submission Period

Jun 14, 2023 - Jul 12, 2023

Up to 5 Winners

$15K/each

PHASE 2: Technology Pitches

Aug 29, 2023 - Sep 1, 2023

Up to 3 Winners

$300K/each

PHASE 3: Final Demonstration

Mar 1, 2024 - Mar 31, 2025

Up to 1 Winner

$2M/each

PHASE 4:

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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.
• Is required to have or must 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 xTechSoldier Lethality registration page.
• Entity eligibility shall be at the sole discretion of the Government.