xTechSearch 5

The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT)) is announcing the fifth iteration 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 small businesses, by:

1. Understanding the spectrum of technologies being developed commercially that may benefit the Army;
2. Integrating the sector of small business innovators into the Army’s Science and Technology (S&T) ecosystem; and
3. Providing mentorship and expertise to accelerate, mature, and transition technologies of interest to the Army.

The xTechSearch program will also strive to integrate these small businesses into the Army’s S&T ecosystem by providing research opportunities with Army labs, including authorized access to the Army’s organic intellectual and technical capital. Every small business idea submitted will receive detailed operational and technical feedback from Army stakeholders. Participating companies will have access to training, mentorship and other support infrastructure as they progress through the contest to determine how best to align their technology solutions with real users and buyers within the Army. Finalists will be entered into the xTech Accelerator to receive intensive mentorship and access to networking events to help grow their companies for Army and commercial users. xTechSearch is an opportunity for businesses to pitch novel technology solutions – a new application for an existing technology or an entirely new technology concept – to the Army.

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

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 in the United States (U.S.) if selected to participate in this competition.

Each eligible entity:

• Shall be incorporated in, and maintain, a primary place of business in the U.S.;
• 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 (e.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.

Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of Army science and technology ecosystem including Warfighter, acquisition, and research and development subject matter experts.

Part 1: Concept White Paper

Concept White Papers will be evaluated and ranked using the following Scoring Criteria:

• Potential for Impact/Revolutionizing the Army – 35%
• Scientific and Engineering Viability – 35%
• Dual Use – 20%
• Proposal Quality – 10%

Part 2: Technology Pitches

Technology Pitches will be evaluated and ranked using the following Scoring Criteria:

• Potential for Impact/Revolutionizing the Army - 30%
• Scientific and Engineering Viability - 30%
• Dual Use - 20%
• Team Ability - 10%
• Presentation Quality - 10%

Judging criteria for the semifinals and finals will be sent out to participants invited to those rounds.

The xTechSearch program is voluntary and open to all entities that meet the eligibility requirements. There may be only one submission per eligible entity. The registration information and upload submission must be received by 11:59 PM PST on 31 March 2020. Submissions received after the deadline will not be considered.

All xTechSearch 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.

Detailed feedback will be provided to all participants at the end of each phase. The purpose of providing this feedback is to help accelerate transition of the technology to an Army user by providing insight on best applications for the technology within the Army, suggestions for product improvement for Army use, and recommended next steps for development.

However, the Government will not respond to questions or inquiries regarding this feedback. While the authority of this program is 15 USC §3719, a concept white paper submitted to the xTechSearch program may generate interest by another Army organization for a funding opportunity outside of this program (e.g., submission of a proposal under a Broad Agency Announcement). The interested Army organization may contact the participant to provide additional information.

Submission Format

The xTechSearch initial submission is a concept white paper. Please adhere to the following requirements:

• All concept white papers must be submitted using the template found on the registration page, “xTechSearch_5_WhitePaper_Template.doc”. Any proposals submitted in a format other than that provided by the template will not be reviewed.
  • Please list your company name, and proposal title EXACTLY how you would like them to appear on any contest marketing materials, recommend clear and concise proposal titles to give readers and potential stakeholders understanding of how your technology would benefit the Army.

Registered participants shall be required to assume any and all risks and waive claims against the Federal Government and its related entities, except in the case of willful misconduct, for any injury, death, damage, or loss of property, revenue, or profits, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, arising from their participation in this prize competition, whether the injury, death, damage, or loss arises through negligence or otherwise. Participants shall be required to obtain liability insurance or demonstrate financial responsibility, in amounts determined by the Army, for claims by—

• Third parties for death, bodily injury, or property damage, or loss resulting from an activity carried out in connection with participation in this prize competition, with the Federal Government named as an additional insured under the registered participant’s insurance policy and registered participants agreeing to indemnify the Federal Government against third party claims for damages arising from or related to prize competition activities; and
• Federal Government for damage or loss to Government property resulting from such an activity.

Intellectual property

The Army is a strong proponent of deliberate intellectual property (IP) rights and management by the private sector and the Department of Defense.

For the xTechSearch program:

• The Federal Government may not gain an interest in IP developed by a participant without the written consent of the participant;
• Nothing in this xTechSearch prize competition shall diminish the Government’s rights in patents, technical data, technical information, computer software, computer databases, and computer software documentation that the Government had prior to this xTechSearch prize competition, or is entitled to, under any other Government Agreement or contract, or is otherwise entitled to under law; and
• The Federal Government may negotiate a license for the use of IP developed by a registered participant in the prize competition.