Rapid Reaction Technology Office announces fall pitch day for select 'innovative companies'

The Defense Department's Rapid Reaction Technology Office is planning a meeting this year with select companies to discuss potential prototyping plans for technologies that fall under the broad auspices of DOD's modernization priorities, including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and microelectronics.

The "virtual solutions meeting" will be conducted this fall, according to a federal notice released late last month.

"The meeting provides selected innovative companies with an opportunity to make short technical presentations to Government representatives about their technologies," the notice states. "There is a potential for companies to be selected for pilot prototyping, demonstration, or experimentation for the most compelling solutions."

Responses are due by April 21.

The RRTO is specifically focused on "highly innovative technologies that have the potential to provide leap-ahead capabilities against near-peer adversaries and fill gaps in critical joint mission needs no later than 2028," according to the notice.

DOD’s modernization areas, as listed in the notice, are artificial intelligence/machine learning; autonomy; biotechnology; cyber; directed energy; fully networked command, communication, and control (FNC3); hypersonics; microelectronics; quantum; space; 5G; and "other disruptive technologies."

"Solutions are expected to derive from companies' internal research and development (IR&D) or other research efforts and suitable for maturation through DOD prototyping funding, but not mature enough to be Commercial-Off-the-Shelf products," the notice states.

The office will consider technologies between Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3, or a "demonstrated proof of concept," and TRL 4, which is the "laboratory validation" stage, with the goal of advancing prototypes to TRL-6, a "relevant environment demonstration," or above. The details will be negotiated in a "transition agreement" with an interested military service or defense agency, which will be sponsored by the RRTO, according to the notice.