NIWC Atlantic Unveils Prize Challenge Seeking Technology Solutions from Public

Photo By Steve Ghiringhelli | Palmetto Tech Bridge  

CHARLESTON, UNITED STATES

11.23.2020

Courtesy Story

Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR)

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic announced in November its first-ever “Palmetto Tech Bridge Prize Challenge” under a partnership between the command and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)’s challenge.gov website.

The open public competition will accept white papers through Dec. 20 and a total of $20,000 will be evenly split between winners competing under two topics: Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT).

The NIWC Atlantic-funded prize challenge is organized by the Palmetto Tech Bridge and administered through the GSA’s challenge.gov platform. Only one white paper submission will be accepted per topic per participant/team.

“Prize challenges provide an agile, innovative approach to identifying technology solutions,” said Peter C. Reddy, NIWC Atlantic executive director. “In order to build ‘a more lethal, resilient and rapidly innovating Joint Force,’ as stated in the National Defense Strategy, it’s critical to implement these opportunities to turn the ingenuity of everyday Americans into the U.S. military's latest technologies.”

In recent years, more and more federal agencies are turning to prize challenges as a way to crowdsource technical concepts and software-based solutions directly from the public. Although an independent effort, the NIWC Atlantic prize challenge could lead to the prospect of a follow-on federal acquisition opportunity.

Following the Dec. 20 deadline, white papers will be assessed by a panel of judges. Five finalists and one alternate will be notified in January of their advancement. Prize candidates will deliver oral presentations before government evaluators at the Charleston Defense Contractors Association (CDCA) Summit on March 3, 2021, and winners will be announced on March 5.

The Palmetto Tech Bridge, which was established last year under the Naval Agility Office (NavalX), uses off-base facilities across South Carolina to encourage creative research, facilitate rapid acquisition actions and sponsor unique problem-solving events among diverse industry and academic partners. Dual-use technologies developed from these efforts meet the needs of both the national defense and regional economy sectors.

For further details on the challenge, including eligibility requirements, submission guidelines and CDCA protocols, please visit https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/palmetto-tech-bridge-prize-challenge-2021/

As a part of Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, NIWC Atlantic provides systems engineering and acquisition to deliver information warfare capabilities to the naval, joint and national warfighter through the acquisition, development, integration, production, test, deployment, and sustainment of interoperable command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, cyber and information technology capabilities.

• Date Taken: 11.23.2020
• Date Posted: 11.23.2020 20:20
• Story ID: 383621
• Location: CHARLESTON, US