Other Key Offices & Programs
Below are other offices and programs that are most relevant to new entrants in the Defense Market. We provide some basic information on each, along with a link to the official site (where available). We have included some offices and programs that have received media attention and where we believe there is value in clarifying their role and relevance (if any) to new entrants.
- www.cto.mil/
- Managed by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering (OUSD(R&E))
- Focused on transitioning pilot programs, prototype projects, and research projects into production
- Emphasis on small businesses and companies not typically working with DOD
- Initial set of awards in 2022: 10 projects each awarded $10M
- More info on 2022 project awards is available here
- www.xtech.army.mil/
- While officially overseen by the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology (ASA)(ALT), xTech is administered by the Army Research Laboratory
- Manages Army prize competitions, with goal of spurring innovation and accelerating technology development
- Cash prizes generally max out at $250,000 for first prize, with total awards for each round generally ranging $100,000-$500,000 across all awardees
- In addition to cash prizes, xTech provides exposure to Army experts and potential Army customers along with commercial stakeholders, and offers networking, education, and mentorship support
- www.darpa.mil/
- Defense Agency focused on developing breakthrough technologies
- 2023 budget is just over $4 billion
- Managed by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering (OUSD(R&E))
- Program Managers are the key people to engage, as they have significant autonomy and decision authority in how they execute their programs
- innovation.defense.gov/
- Advisory group providing the Secretary of Defense and other key DOD leaders recommendations on innovative means to address future challenges
- Board members are generally successful entrepreneurs or thought leaders, who typically have little background in DOD
- Website includes recordings and materials from public meetings
- Has no ability to issue contracts or provide funding to companies
- Managed by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering (OUSD(R&E))
- www.businessdefense.gov/
- Focused on ensuring a resilient domestic industrial base, with programs across three priorities:
- Sustaining the defense industrial base (historically, this is the primary or even sole focus)
- Scaling emerging technologies (programs growing in this area starting in 2022)
- Commercializing R&D (some new programs in this area starting in 2023)
- 2023 budget of $373 million
- Has some unique authorities, such as the ability to provide loan guarantees and issue advance purchase commitments (committing DOD to purchase a pre-negotiated quantity of a product)
- Priority investment areas are listed on their website
- www.businessdefense.gov/
- R&D program focused on ensuring a healthy domestic industrial base, with workforce development as a key focus
- 2023 budget of $830 million (has grown substantially over the past few years)
- Priority investment areas are listed on their website
- Small team fielding requests from USD(R&E) and DOD senior leaders related to innovation activities across DOD (especially the innovation offices)
- Established and manages the Innovation Pathways website (more info on this under the Other Helpful Resources section below)
- Does not control innovation budgets or have management authority over innovation offices
- Has no ability to issue contracts or provide funding to companies
- Managed by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering (OUSD(R&E))
- www.cto.mil/osc/
- Established in late 2022 with a goal of leveraging private capital to shape and scale critical technologies
- No appropriated budget in 2023; Congress removed references to OSC from the 2023 Defense bill
- Unclear how this office will evolve or what (if any) opportunities it will provide to new entrants at this time
- Managed by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering (OUSD(R&E))
- ac.cto.mil/pe/rder/
- Established in 2021 as a mechanism of funding Combatant Command needs in collaboration with the Military Services and industry
- Industry can submit ideas directly to the RDER office, who then tries to match their technologies to know needs by the Combatant Commands
- Managed by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering (OUSD(R&E))
- Website includes templates and information about requests for proposals
