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

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. Incumbent Analysis (see Incumbents section for more detail) This opportunity appears to have a closely related prior contract with Autonomous Therapeutics under W911SR2590004 (idv), covering 12/20/24–12/19/28, focused on optimizing a pathogen-agnostic platform to accelerate delivery of medical countermeasures to the warfighter. The described work for the current VEDDER Prototype Accelerator similarly emphasizes rapid prototyping and acceleration of MCM-related technologies using advanced computing and a public-private innovation model, suggesting continuity in platform development and MCM acceleration objectives.