USSOCOM Collider/Disrupter Event

What is a Collider Event?
A Collider Event is a multi-phased, competitive opportunity focused on identifying, developing and demonstrating technologies and capabilities aligned to USSOCOM’s specified Technology Focus Areas (TFAs) for Government Stakeholder review.

What is a Disrupter Event?
A Disrupter Event is a multi-phased, competitive opportunity focused on discovering the latest, most disruptive and transformational technologies/capabilities in line with USSOCOM's modernization priorities for Government Stakeholder review.

Objective
USSOCOM will use the Collider/Disrupter event with Government, Industry, Venture Capital/Startups, Academia, National Laboratory, and other non-traditional participants to identify and develop solutions for specified TFAs and to discover disruptive and transformational technologies/capabilities for consideration and potential adoption by Special Operations Forces (SOF).

Collider Technology Focus Areas
Proposals in the following areas will be considered based on technical merit and diversity of focus area coverage among the submissions. Please see link at the bottom of the webpage for Collider assessment criteria.

1) TFA #1. Laser-Augmented Midwave Imager (LAMI) Demonstrator
          Technology Focus Area Advocate: USASOC, NSW, PM-SOF Lethality, Visual Augmentation Systems
          Modernization Priority: Battlespace Awareness
2) TFA #2. Acoustic Sensor 
          Technology Focus Area Advocate: TVS/RSTA, PM TCC, PEO-TIS
          Modernization Priority: Battlespace Awareness
3) TFA #3. C5I / Sustainment and Protection / “Digital” Camouflage
          Technology Focus Area Advocate: SOF AT&L-ST
          Modernization Priority: Battlespace Awareness, Multi-Domain Communication and Computing

Disrupter Categories
Emplacement and Access, Scalable and Precision Effects, and Multiple Domain Communication and Computing
Please see link at the bottom of the webpage for Disrupter assessment criteria.

Why You Should Participate
USSOCOM seeks to enter into non-FAR or FAR-based agreements with Industry, Venture Capital/Startups, Academic, National Laboratory and other non-traditional partners whose solutions are favorably evaluated by USSOCOM Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). As such, the follow-on events are considered competitive, and solutions will be evaluated independently of one another primarily for technical merit. This serves dually as notification of the intent to research the feasibility of an agreement under 10 U.S. Code, Section 4022 and/or Section 4022(f), and as notice of pre-solicitation activities IAW FAR 5.204.

Event Timeline
Phase 1 - 27 February 2024 - 22 March 2024 Submissions for the Collider / Disrupter Event Open:  Interested respondents who could potentially provide solutions that meet the needs of USSOCOM are encouraged to submit their white paper for USSOCOM review. To submit your technology for potential Phase 3 attendance, please review the technology focus areas above and follow the submission instructions that will be near the bottom of this webpage on/around 27 February.

                  Phase 1a - 05 March 2024 - 08 March 2024 Q&A Telecon: Interested offerors may participate in a virtual Q&A session to better understand USSOCOMs TFAs and objectives. The telecons will take place on 5-8 Mar. RSVP to the Q&A Telecon below.

Phase 2 - 25 March 2024 - 05 April 2024 Downselect: USSOCOM will downselect those respondents/submissions they feel have the highest potential to satisfy their technology needs or are considered “game changing” for SOF. Favorably evaluated submissions will receive an invitation to attend the One-on-Ones on/around 8 April. 

Phase 3 - 10-12 April 2024, 15-19 April 2024 One-on-Ones: During the One-on-Ones, selected participants will be allotted a session with the USSOCOM evaluation panel to pitch, demonstrate, and/or discuss their solutions for the Collider TFA and Disrupter Categories.  The forum will include a Q&A portion and discussions may continue outside of the event. Presentation guidelines will be outlined in the event invitation. USSOCOM will announce the winners during SOF Week.  Negotiations for Phase 4 may immediately begin. 

The one-on-ones will be held in person/virtually at SOFWERX. The winners will be announced at the Tampa Bay Convention Center during SOF Week. Prior notification and coordinating instructions will be provided.

Phase 4 - Path Forward: Successfully negotiated awards may fall under any combination of these categories:

• Business to business research and development agreement as a sub-award through the SOFWERX Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) (15 U.S. Code Section 3715)
• OTA for research or prototype projects (10 U.S. Code Sections 4021, 4022)
  • An award under 10 U. S. Code, Section 4022 may result in the further award of a follow-on production agreement without additional competition based on successful prototype completion. The Government may make this follow-on production award based upon successful prototype criteria, which will be determined for each prototype project.
• Procurement for experimental purposes (10 U.S. Code Section 4023)
• Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (15 U.S. Code Section 3710a)
• Prizes for advanced technology achievements (10 U. S. Code Section 4025) and/or prize competitions (15 U.S. Code 3719)
• FAR-based procurement contract 

NOTE: Awardees may need to be compliant with NIST SP 800-171, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in Non-Federal Systems and Organizations

How You Can Participate
Government, Industry, Academia, National Labs, and Non-Traditional Attendees

*If you have multiple capabilities to submit, please submit separately. 

1. RSVP to Attend the 05-08 March 2024 Q&A Telecon: Click SWX Event Link to Request to RSVP 
2. Review Collider TFAs*/ Disrupter Categories: Click SWX Event Link to Review
3. Review Collider TFA Assessment Criteria: Click SWX Event Link to Review
4. Review Disrupter Category Assessment Criteria: Click SWX Event Link to Review
5. Download the Collider TFA / Disrupter Category White Paper Template: Click SWX Event Link to Download
6. Download the Collider TFA / Disrupter Category Quad Chart Template: Click SWX Event Link to Download
7. Collider TFA / Disrupter Category OTA Eligibility Assertion: Click SWX Event Link to Review
8. Complete the Collider TFA / Disrupter Category Submission Form: Click SWX Event Link to Submit (NLT 22 March)

Questions?

For event-related questions, please contact Gabby Robles See SWX Event Link