Special Operations Forces (SOF) Simulation Technologies Capability Assessment Event (CAE)
05 December 2019
Submission Deadline: 07 November 2019 11:59 PM EST
SOFWERX, in collaboration with USSOCOM, is announcing a Special Operations Forces (SOF) Simulation Technologies Capability Assessment Event (CAE) during the Interservice/ Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) in Orlando, FL.
Event Overview:
Purpose: The USSOCOM Government Stakeholders will assess new, novel and provocative solutions for incorporating advanced technologies into SOF planning, preview, training, exercise, rehearsal, execution, after action review and analysis capabilities. Emerging simulation technologies will be assessed for their technology maturity and risk while providing insight for deciding next steps, such as experimentation, assessment and investment in rapid prototyping to tailor for training and operational use.
Topic Areas:
- Virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality that flow seamlessly across training, operational, live, virtual, synthetic and constructive environments
- Fused intel and ops capabilities that can be shared with partner Forces
- AI-enabled workflows that extend and accelerate human capabilities
- Standards-based solutions that enable machine-to-machine automation
- Objective metrics for quantitative analysis of team and individual performance
Why You Should Participate: USSOCOM will select up to eight (8) solution providers to pitch to USSOCOM leaders and SOF End Users during I/ITSEC in Orlando. Invited participants will be briefed on an operational vignette and discuss their capabilities with senior panel members. Companies will have five minutes to engage with panel members on how their product meets SOF training and operational requirements. Participating organizations presenting to the panel will receive a $1000 stipend.
Two (2) solution providers will be downselected to experiment with SOF and receive $41,918 for the next two events. The two sponsored recipients will rapidly iterate during an operationally realistic event in March 2020 and participate in SOF End User assessment during the Trident Spectre technology demonstration in April 2020. These events require standards-based solutions to ensure SOF interoperability and enable agile integration with other emerging technologies to create unconventional capabilities relevant to the Future Operating Environment.
Timeline Overview:
Phase I: 07 November 2019 – White paper submissions are due. USSOCOM Subject Matter Experts will review all submissions and downselect up to eight (8) awardees that will move to Phase II. Favorably evaluated submissions will receive an invitation on/about 15 November 2019.
Phase II: 05 December 2019 – 5-minute pitch. Phase I awardees will be provided an operational vignette and will have 5 minutes to brief senior panel members as to how their capabilities could be applied during the I/ITSEC Event in Orlando, FL. At the end of the Phase II event, all participants (no more than 8 from Phase I) will each receive $1,000 to offset their travel expenses. In addition, the Government will select two (2) final awardees from the Phase II 5-minute pitch event that will be awarded $41,918 and move on to Phase III. Favorably evaluated submissions will receive an invitation on/about 18 December 2019.
Phase III: The two (2) finalists from Phase II will use the awarded $41,918 to offset travel costs to attend the 23-27 March 2020 Technical Experimentation at Camp Atterbury / Mascutatuck, IN and to also attend the 27 April 2020 Trident Spectre Demonstration and Assessment at Fort Story, VA.
Priorities and Evaluations:
Priorities: Speed and agility. SOF is looking for lightweight solutions with flexibility for distributed integration at the point of need. We value a well-defined, well-managed Application Programming Interface (API) and re-use of code in components across the ecosystem. Individually deployable, cloud-native solutions that can scale are desired.
Evaluation Factors: Papers and oral briefings will be evaluated against the following criteria:
- Description and diagram of the workflow process enabled by the proposed tool
- Feasibility of implementation
- Degree to which the approach presents a new, novel or provocative solution
How You Can Participate:
1. Review White Paper Topics, Priorities and Evaluation Factors
2. Click Here to Download White Paper
3. Click Here to Submit a White Paper (NLT 07 November)
Questions?
Please contact Kinsey Crim, kinsey.crim@sofwerx.org, for any event and/or submission related questions.
Please contact Susan Raymie, susan.raymie@socom.mil, for any technical questions.