WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) – AFWERX AFVentures, the commercial investment arm of the Department of the Air Force, has issued a Notice of Opportunity within the Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) program for air and space projects.
The newly issued notice marks the availability of the application documents and guidance for the STRATFI Notice of Opportunity for air and space. There will be a small window of time to submit a capability package. The deadline for government champion-led capability package submission is noon EDT on Sept. 18, 2024.
STRATFI is open to small businesses with an awarded Phase II Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer, or SBIR/STTR, contract. The company must either have a current Phase II contract, with a minimum of 90 days of performance executed, or have completed a Phase II contract within two years of submitting a capability package.
Once a submission is selected for SBIR/STTR funding, the partnering government organization works to award and execute the contract with the selected small business. The ultimate goal is to transition the technology to a Phase III contract that will allow the effort to be fully deployed and leveraged within the supporting customer’s organization or any other federal agency with an operational use case. Throughout the life of the contract, the AFVentures STRATFI Execution Team works with the technical point of contact to track contract progress, milestones and performance.
In an era of Great Power Competition, AFWERX provides the DAF an efficient and effective pipeline of disruptive, dual-use air and space technologies necessary to outpace strategic competitors. The AFWERX and SpaceWERX Ventures are crucial to this effort. Through the SBIR/STTR programs, they work to transform not only the nation’s service capabilities, but also its industrial base.
“The STRATFI program underscores our commitment to transitioning dual-use commercial technologies into the hands of our Airmen and Guardians, ensuring that our military forces have access to the most advanced state-of-the-art capabilities that are emerging in our private sector. It is essential to maintaining a competitive advantage as a global leader in aerospace innovation,” said Col. Elliott Leigh, AFWERX director and chief commercialization officer for the DAF. “This Strategic Funding Increase is not just an investment in hardware; it’s an investment in our national security, safeguarding our values and interests for generations to come.”
The Ventures programs attract technology, talent, and capital from the nation’s leading investors, companies, universities, and research institutions. This approach brings private investment to bear on military capabilities as a robust force multiplier. Using the $1.5 billion SBIR/STTR budget, the Ventures programs identify scalable small business technologies poised for success in both military and commercial markets while ensuring our nation’s industrial base is not influenced by adversary foreign investment.
Air Force acquisition officials first introduced AFVentures and the STRATFI program in March 2020 during a virtual Pitch Bowl and Spark Collider. The Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) program was introduced the following year.
Both programs are designed to bridge the “Valley of Death” between SBIR/STTR Phase II efforts and Phase III scaling efforts, to facilitate delivery of strategic capabilities for the DAF. The program initiates relationships between the U.S. Air Force and Space Force end-users and acquisition professionals, private-sector innovators and investors.
The two programs differ based on award sizes, matching fund requirements and performance periods. For STRATFI, the matching SBIR/STTR funding amounts range from $3 million to $15 million for up to a 48-month period of performance, while TACFI funding amounts range between $375,000 and $1.9 million for up to 24 months.
The TACFI ceiling limit is currently under review. AFWERX AFVentures will issue a separate PY25 Notice of Opportunity for the TACFI program later in the year and will announce any future adjustments to the PY25 TACFI opportunity.
There will only be a small window of time to submit a proposal. Prepare now and learn more about the program here.
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at five hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed over 6,100 new contracts worth more than $4 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: afwerx.com.
About SpaceWERX
As the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a unique division within AFWERX, SpaceWERX inspires and empowers collaboration with innovators to accelerate capabilities and shape our future in space. Headquartered in Los Angeles, SpaceWERX employs 40 military, civilian and contractor personnel executing an annual $457 million budget. Additionally, SpaceWERX partners with Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office (COMSO) as a collaborative program. Since it was aligned under AFRL in Aug. 2021, SpaceWERX has executed 906 contracts worth more than $690 million to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: spacewerx.us.
