The U.S. Air Force has unveiled the Squadron Innovation Fund Marketplace, an initiative intended to enhance the process of funding innovations and nurturing them within the service.
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What Is the SIF Marketplace?
The SIF Marketplace is a virtual platform that enables airmen to actively develop ideas to support operations and other processes in the service, the Air Force said Friday. Under the new platform, squadron commanders receive $100 worth of virtual coins that can be allocated to innovative ideas. These virtual funds enable the commanders to have more control over the resources and work with other units to have more resources to fund larger initiatives.
How to Join the SIF Marketplace
Any Air Force member with a promising idea and commanders allocating resources can participate by creating an account on the VISION Joint Innovation System platform to participate in the SIF Marketplace. They can send their proposals any day of the year while funding windows are available every quarter to ensure continuity in providing and receiving support.
An idea or initiative that has been entered into the SIF Marketplace can be seen by commanders and other members of the service. This enables them to learn about the idea and send virtual tokens as support. Interested parties can also track the development of potential projects through the SIF Marketplace.
Senior Master Sgt. Brett Kiser, senior enlisted leader at the Office of Disruptive Thinking, said the SIF Marketplace’s main objective is to create a collaborative system for solving problems at every level of the Air Force.
“One key benefit of the SIF Marketplace is its ability to break down traditional funding barriers, allowing Airmen from different units and MAJCOMs to collaborate and support each other’s initiatives,” Kiser said.