The Defense Innovation Unit transitioned 17 commercial platforms to Department of Defense and civilian agency users in fiscal year 2022, up from eight transitions the previous year.
The figure is equivalent to contract awards valued at $1.3 billion.
According to DIU’s annual report for FY 2022, DOD’s innovation arm issued 36 solicitations, reflecting a 38 percent rise from the previous fiscal year, and received 1,636 proposals from commercial offerors.
During FY 2022, the organization also awarded 81 other transaction prototype contracts valued at approximately $204.8 million combined, a 12.5 percent increase from the prior-year period of 72 OT prototype contracts.
DIU took an average of 142 business days to award a prototype OT contract and transitioned 52 prototype contracts into follow-on contracts across the department, reaching a total value of $4.9 billion.
The Pentagon’s innovation arm is advancing 103 active projects across six technology areas: autonomy; artificial intelligence and machine learning; cyber; energy; human systems; and space, according to the report.
“As we move further along into FY 2023, DIU remains dedicated to accelerating commercial solutions to our DoD and U.S. government partners, strengthening our national security innovation base by lowering the barriers to entry and providing recurring revenue to non-traditional companies,” said Mike Madsen, director of DIU and a previous Wash100 awardee.
Madsen will deliver the morning keynote address at the upcoming 9th Annual Defense R&D Summit, hosted by the Potomac Officers Club. The event will be held on March 23 at Falls Church Marriott Fairview Park in Virginia. You can register here.
