Validation of Emerging Defense & Detection Equipment for Readiness (VEDDER) Prototype Accelerator

Project ID: W911SR-24-R-CWMD FederalOpportunitiesSources Sought

Overview

Agency	ACC Aberdeen Proving Ground
Deadline	05/27/26
Posted	05/21/26
Estimated Value	$15,000,000 - $75,000,000 (AI estimate)
Set Aside	None
NAICS	Not Provided
PSC	Not Provided
Location	Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD United States

Description

Primary Latest Change

The United States and the Portfolio Acquisition Executive-Layered Protection &Integration (PAE-LPI) is engaged in a critical, persistent innovation race against strategic competitors, most notably the People's Republic of China (PRC), which leverages Military-Civil Fusion to mandate the immediate transfer of commercial breakthroughs to military applications. Traditional Department of War (DoW) acquisition models operating on 7-to-15-year timelines are structurally incapable of pacing the threat in rapidly evolving domains like biotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI). To maintain technological overmatch and secure the United States' biotechnology ecosystem (projected to exceed $1.5 trillion), the Government requires an asymmetric response that harnesses the dynamic, free-market ecosystem of private capital, academia, and commercial enterprise. Drawing inspiration from venture-backed intelligence community models, this Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) establishes a public-private nexus. The objective of this OTA is to establish a technology accelerator with a 501(c)(3) partner. Supported by Government investment, this accelerator will speed the prototyping of new technologies; specifically medical countermeasures (MCMs), by bridging the private sector, elite national High-Performance Computing (HPC) resources, and the Government.

Summary (Newest Update)

Background The United States and the Portfolio Acquisition Executive-Layered Protection & Integration (PAE-LPI) is engaged in a critical innovation race against strategic competitors, particularly the People's Republic of China (PRC). The goal is to maintain technological overmatch and secure the U.S. biotechnology ecosystem, projected to exceed $1.5 trillion. This Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) aims to establish a technology accelerator with a 501(c)(3) partner to speed up the prototyping of medical countermeasures (MCMs) by bridging private sector resources with government needs. Work Details The Awardee Partner shall operate as a continuous innovation hub for bio-deterrence and rapid medical response priorities. Key tasks include: 1. Establishing and managing an innovation hub that connects private capital, commercial biotech, AI innovators, and Government stakeholders. 2. Conducting continuous market research to identify emerging dual-use technologies in biotechnology and AI-driven drug discovery. 3. Rigorous vetting of potential commercial partners for technical feasibility and alignment with PAE-LPI’s requirements, including security vetting against foreign influence. 4. Negotiating commercial-style B2B agreements for rapid prototyping efforts that integrate disparate capabilities into cohesive platforms. 5. Coordinating advanced in-silico testing using High-Performance Computing (HPC) resources. 6. Providing a cloud-based program management platform for real-time oversight of tasks and expenditures while ensuring compliance with security protocols. 7. Ensuring secure software development practices for any prototypes interfacing with Government networks, adhering to cybersecurity mandates. Place of Performance The work will primarily be conducted within the Continental United States (CONUS), particularly utilizing facilities like Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) or equivalent HPC infrastructures.

Contacts

Contact name	Aaron Skinner
Contact email	aaron.d.skinner.civ@mail.mil
Contact phone	(520) 671-4499
Secondary contact name	Lionel Love
Secondary contact email	lionel.d.love.civ@army.mil
Secondary contact phone	(520) 716-9636