The Department of Defense is now accepting applications for the fiscal year 2025 cohort of the Immersive Commercial Acquisition Program.
Launched in 2022 by the Defense Innovation Unit and the Defense Acquisition University, ICAP works to address the need for DOD acquisition professionals to adopt best practices for commercial procurement and keep pace with commercial product cycles, the DOD said Tuesday.
The program’s main goals include DOD contracting officers learning how to acquire commercial technologies from non-traditional contractors, how the commercial market operates and what drives organizations to do business with the government; and contracting officers being equipped with the tools to develop acquisition strategies that would lead to commercial and nontraditional vendors becoming part of the DOD acquisition ecosystem.
ICAP features classroom as well as experiential learning, where participants work on projects with commercial solutions providers and a team from the DIU. Topics covered include using other transaction authorities and the commercial solutions opening process.
Interested contracting officers have until Aug. 7 to submit applications. Up to six applicants will be accepted for the program’s upcoming iteration, which will begin in October and last for 12 months.