DIU OnRamp RFI Final.pdf

DIU NATIONAL ONRAMP REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), Office of the Secretary of Defense, serves as the principal liaison between the Department of Defense and individuals and entities in the national security innovation base, including entrepreneurs, startups, commercial technology companies, and private capital sources. DIU is exploring the possibility of developing a cooperative agreement to support its National OnRamp to enable non-traditional, dual-use, and/or commercial technology companies to rapidly support warfighter needs.

DIU’s National OnRamp strategy is predicated on a robust presence across the US, to include Flagship DIU offices, a physical presence via a distributed team, OnRamp Hubs, and other relationships with the academic, startup and commercial sectors. This could, in the future, include public-private partnerships.

Currently, DIU has five offices and eight geographic regions, with a commensurately distributed team.

Additionally, in the last year, DIU established five OnRamp Hubs in Phoenix, Arizona; Dayton, Ohio;

Honolulu, Hawaii; Seattle, Washington, and Wichita, Kansas. DIU is planning to stand up additional Hubs in the next year, and to grow the types of activities and impact at these Hubs, as well as continue to optimize other regionally-driven efforts.

The cooperative agreement DIU is exploring could manage the hubs, DIU presence, and digital efforts for the National OnRamp. The recipient would provide requirements analysis for government needs and then plan and award sub-award opportunities. The recipient would also review unsolicited applications from industry and academia for potential projects relevant to the OnRamp mission. DIU requests information regarding the characteristics for support and types of organizations for management as part of its exploratory phase. Please see the questions below and respond where possible.

INSTRUCTIONS

This Request for Information is for market research purposes only. It is not to be construed as an obligation on the part of Washington Headquarters Services/Acquisition Directorate (WHS/AD). In order to proactively plan for future requirements, WHS/AD is conducting market research to locate qualified, experienced, and interested parties who have the capability to provide National OnRamp Support Services, as well as to get input on the characteristics of a cooperative agreement..

This Request for Information is not a request for proposal (RFP) nor does it restrict the Government as to the final acquisition strategy. No award will be made from this announcement. No reimbursement will be made for any cost associated with providing information in response to this announcement. At this time, no notice of funding opportunity exists; please do not request a copy of the solicitation. Responses in any form are not offers.

All responses to this Notice shall be submitted electronically no later than Friday, 15 November close of business to nationalonramp@diu.mil.

The subject of the email must be titled Subject line: “Request for Information Notice: DIU National OnRamp | <Name of Your Organization>”.

mailto:nationalonramp@diu.mil

No telephone requests will be honored. No hard copy submissions will be accepted. Submission to any contact other than the one listed above will not be considered. Submission after this date will not be considered. Cover letters and extraneous materials (marketing, brochures, etc.) will not be considered.

The Government will not provide or acknowledge receipt of the information received, provide feedback with respect to any information submitted or provide any follow-up information well after the deadline of this notice.

Additional Information:

Proprietary information and trade secrets shall NOT be submitted as part of a response. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. All Government and contractor personal reviewing Request for Information responses will have signed non-disclosure agreements and understand their responsibility for proper use and protection from unauthorized disclosure of proprietary information as described in 41 USC 423. The Government shall not be held liable for any damages incurred if proprietary information is submitted, as it is clearly stated this type of information shall NOT be submitted.

Regional Defense Technology Ecosystem:

1. Please share specific examples of investments, interventions, or policies that support regional growth of the defense technology that DIU can take advantage of when designing its national footprint, and what has been valuable in each example. Examples may include the existing DIU footprint (E.g., OnRamp Hubs, offices, presence).

2. What are historical and existing examples of successful regional hub programs and what can be learned from these examples, in particular regarding how they are jointly administered and overseen as well as the type of impact they can have?

3. What is the indica for the management of a National OnRamp, to include the regionally based physical hubs?

a. What are the defining features of optimal coordination, collaboration, and administration between hubs, the regions they serve (e.g., local economic development agencies, startup ecosystem, universities), others in DIU, the Department of Defense, and other key stakeholders?

b. What existing assets and resources that enable the hubs’s success could be offered? How can the individual hubs leverage those assets and resources collaboratively?

c. What role could public-private partnerships play in the success of the National OnRamp, such as at Flagship offices, individual Hubs and/or collections of hubs?

d. When designing the overall National OnRamp, what additional factors or data should DIU consider?

e. Are there specific metrics DIU should consider?

4. Please share best-in-class ideas for inclusive and accessible competition processes for designing a National OnRamp

5. How can DIU ensure input from, and engagement with, local and regional economic development and other stakeholders in the administration of its National OnRamp program, or other forms of public-private-partnership?

6. What other factors should DIU consider in designing the optimal structure to oversee its National OnRamp?

Management:

7. Please describe your experience or capability to provide requirements analysis, execute competitions for sub-awards, review unsolicited proposals, coordinate with stakeholders, oversee public-private partnerships, and manage collaborative space requirements, both physical and digital.

8. Please describe your experience with managing research for dual-use technology.

9. Please describe any work with universities, start-ups or early stage ventures, local / regional economic development organizations and/or and other non-profit entities, especially with regard to talent and ecosystem development in the national security space.

10. Please describe your experience managing remote performers.

11. Please describe your experience with managing classified spaces.