DARPA-SN-25-13.pdf

SPECIAL NOTICE DARPA-SN-25-13

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) topic HR0011SB20254-04 Turbo Facility Clearance (TurboFCL) Industry Day EVENT DATE: January 7, 2025 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: January 3, 2025, 5:00 p.m. ET REGISTRATION WEBSITE: https://cvent.me/xbyZMq TECHNICAL POC: Dr. Greg Kuperman, STO Program Manager E-MAIL: DARPA‐SN‐25-13@darpa.mil

Industry Day: DARPA will host a virtual Industry Day in support of SBIR topic HR0011SB20254-04, on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 via Zoom.gov from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

ET. The purpose of this session is to promote additional discussion on this topic and address questions from potential proposers.

OBJECTIVE AND DESCRIPTION: The Department of Defense (DoD) aims to increase small business participation within the industrial base and has boosted small business involvement in goods, services, and research and technology to support national defense. However, significant obstacles persist that dissuade non-traditional vendors from entering the defense ecosystem of contracting and acquisition. Prominent among them is the complex industrial facility security clearance (FCL) process. The FCL process is instrumental in vetting businesses for their capability to handle classified information and bid on classified contracts. However, this process can be daunting for small businesses and nontraditional vendors due to fragmented information, heavy reliance on “government speak”, and the significant time and resources required to complete the process.

The goal of the TurboFCL SBIR is to develop a prototype software application, leveraging advancements in language model technology, that can assist small and nontraditional companies apply for their FCLs, as well as their associated personnel clearances (PCLs). This application should provide appropriate prompts to applicants, autofill all necessary forms, provide insight into submission deadlines and timelines, and be able to answer questions about the process. Similar to popular and commercially available tax software, this application should be user friendly and effectively guide users through the entire process. The end goal is to remove the FCL process as a barrier to entry for small businesses by reducing the time and resources required, removing misunderstandings and frustration, and removing errors from applications.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Participants must register NLT January 3, 2025, 5:00 p.m.

ET at the following website: https://cvent.me/xbyZMq. Registrants will be sent an email with a Zoom link and passcode 24 hours prior to the session.

This industry day is open only to registered potential proposers. The event is closed to the general public and media. Media inquiries should be directed to outreach@darpa.mil.

https://cvent.me/xbyZMq https://cvent.me/xbyZMq mailto:outreach@darpa.mil