Description
A. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this request for information (RFI) is to identify technologies from private industry, Government research and development (R&D) organizations, and academia for inclusion in the Thunderstorm 23-5 field technology discovery event. Thunderstorm 23-5 is an invitation-only technology showcase event taking place in an operationally relevant environment, with a collaborative atmosphere in which Government end users discover innovative technologies through hands-on engagement. The Department of Defense (DoD) and U.S. interagency partners use Thunderstorm to discover new technologies, enhance collaboration, and provide developers with immediate feedback to accelerate maturation of innovative capabilities. Thunderstorm 23-5 focuses on innovative solutions for medical and casualty care logistics . Time is critical when caring for casualties suffering traumatic injuries, and the challenges stemming from operating over extended distances and in extreme conditions must not impede prompt medical treatment. Capabilities of interest will reduce the logistical burden by accelerating the evacuation of casualties and/or transportation of medical supplies to the point of injury, enabling immediate tactical combat casualty care remotely, or prolonging the window for care to evacuate casualties from the field. The Innovation & Modernization (I&M) office within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD (R&E)) sponsors and coordinates the Thunderstorm series of events. Thunderstorm 23-5 will take place on 23 – 27 October 2023, At Red Springs, North Carolina Interested parties are welcome to submit their applications addressing their proposed technologies for the Thunderstorm 23-5 event by following the instructions and guidance provided in the following sections. The Application Deadline is 5:00 PM EDT on 28 July 2023. This RFI is NOT a solicitation for procurement or other acquisition proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for the information solicited. B. BACKGROUND The I&M Innovation Discovery program coordinates the Thunderstorm event series with the goal of fostering engagement between Government stakeholders and technology developers. Thunderstorm field technology discovery events are opportunities for developers to showcase their solutions in an operationally realistic environment in order for the Government attendees to discover potential new defense capabilities. The technology discovery environment provides opportunities for end user observations and feedback to be interjected early in the prototyping process, with the goal of informing and accelerating delivery of future capabilities needed by the DoD and U.S. interagency partners. Participation and attendance at the Thunderstorm 23-5 event is by invitation only. This event will take place at the Unclassified level. Participating in Innovation Discovery events like Thunderstorm may lead to follow-on collaboration, support for further development, and/or fielding of matured capabilities. Industry, academia, and Government R&D organizations are encouraged to submit applications addressing their innovative technologies for consideration to participate at Thunderstorm 23-5. C. DESCRIPTION Thunderstorm 23-5 will take place on 23 – 27 October 2023 at Red Springs, North Carolina. The event structure provides technology developers an opportunity to showcase their prototype performance in a realistic operational environment. The ‘Golden Window’ is a term for the limited opportunity to resupply critical medical supplies, provide prompt treatment, and/or evacuate causalities following a traumatic injury to prevent death in a contested environment. In a conflict in which forces and resources are distributed, it is imperative that solutions exist that overcome logistical delays, enable extended immediate casualty care, or prolong the ‘Golden Window’. The I&M Innovation Discovery program seeks to discover technologies that, at maturity, help the United States save the lives of Warfighters by overcoming logistics challenges that otherwise impede prompt medical treatment and casualty care. Technology developers are encouraged to submit their prototype solution if it meets one or more of the listed capabilities. Austere Environment Evacuation/Resupply Logistics: Transport solutions that expedite safe delivery of medical supplies and/or evacuation of casualties, including across long distances or in extreme and varied multi-domain environments (e.g., confined spaces, varying levels of submersion, extreme weather or elevations). Solutions may come in a range of sizes to accommodate a variety of payloads (e.g., emergency provisions delivery, patient transport, or bulk resupply). DoD is seeking to discover solutions capable of: Autonomous, semi-autonomous, or remote manual operation; including offering non-line-of-sight (NLOS) and on-the-move functionality. Supporting last mile materiel delivery (e.g., whole blood, vehicle components, etc.) Accommodating varying payload configurations and delivery methods (e.g., airdrop) Providing payload protection and temperature regulation Employing dynamic, point-to-point tracking and monitoring systems for transport logistics (e.g., vehicle deployment, delivery, inventory monitoring, etc.) Additives or methods for prolonging the shelf-life of life-saving supplies such as stabilizers to maintain the viability of blood products and medicines or less energy-intensive ways for preserving supplies (e.g., alternatives to freezing or refrigeration) Extended Casualty Care: Under certain circumstances, it may not be possible for combat medic specialists to arrive at the point of injury and directly treat casualties. Solutions, including telemedicine and telehealth capabilities, enable immediate casualty care by circumventing challenges associated with distance and logistics. Solutions should integrate across various networks to facilitate multi-domain and joint communications, and show resilience operating in denied, disrupted, intermittent, and limited (DDIL) environments. DoD is seeking to discover solutions capable of: Enabling remote individuals and/or team personnel access to training solutions (e.g., surgical procedures) that offer a realistic and responsive user experience to provide a defensible, acceptable replacement for in-person trainings Leveraging Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) to assess patient’s vital signs, triage patients, and predict changes in patient needs (i.e., propose preventive treatments or changes in classifications) Employ Artificial or Virtual Reality (AR/VR) simulation and visual overlay techniques to facilitate casualty or materiel analysis (e.g., Battle Damage Assessment) Using AI/ML and vision augmentation technology to facilitate conducting remotely-supported procedures (e.g., advanced injury care) Casualty Care Sustainment: In instances in which casualties cannot be immediately evacuated, or receive full medical care at the point of injury in extreme and contested multi-domain environments, solutions are required that extend the ‘Golden Window’ until life-saving treatment is feasible. Solutions need to be portable, ruggedized, and interoperable with existing resources (e.g., power sources) so they reduce logistics and maintain functionality until additional resources arrive. DoD is seeking solutions capable of: Regulating patient temperature in extreme multi-domain environments (e.g., exposure to salt water, high humidity, extreme cold/heat) and resistance to physical dangers that could cause abrasion, puncture, and/or slashing damage Offering apportionment, augmentation, or other customization options to accommodate individual needs (e.g., patient/load size, power limitations) Providing temporary shelters for safely performing stabilization operations, including surgery, under challenging environmental conditions (e.g., low light/visibility, rain) Employing monitoring logistics systems to optimize and document patient assessments, supply inventories, treatments, and procedural care Technologies beyond the scope of the primary topic areas described above will be considered on a case-by-case basis and potentially admitted based on strength of application and relevance to the mission area. Technologies brought to the event should be at a technology readiness level (TRL) of 4 or greater (https://api.army.mil/e2/c/downloads/404585.pdf ) although lower TRL capability will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Under the direction of I&M, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) will execute Thunderstorm 23-5, with support and participation from the Pennsylvania State University Applied Research Laboratory (PSU/ARL). These organizations may also support the Government in the review of technology submissions (See Section H: Special Notice). After reviewing developer applications, the Government may contact candidates to invite them to Thunderstorm 23-5 or request additional details of their prototype technology to support the selection process. The Government may contact technology developers to participate in additional discussions or events with the Government beyond the Thunderstorm 23-5 event to support future development and DoD acquisition activities. Industry participation in Thunderstorm 23-5, and communications with the Government or its event contractors associated with the event, does not suggest or imply that the Government will endorse, procure, or purchase selected technology solutions. D. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS I&M invites industry, academia, and Government R&D organizations to submit applications detailing their innovative technologies. Please use the application template provided in Appendix I. The application deadline is 5:00 PM EDT on 28 July 2023 . All applications must be submitted via email to and include the following information: Subject: Thunderstorm 23-5 Application Company name/business division/address Capability name Primary POC: name, email & phone number Applications shall be clearly marked with RFI number: I&M-23-5-RFI-01. You will receive an email within two business days verifying your application was received. Any application not meeting the criteria outlined above will not be considered. Each application must address only one technology solution; technology developers may submit multiple applications addressing multiple systems for consideration. Applications submitted under this RFI shall be limited to five pages. The first page must be a stand-alone Executive Summary and include a photo or diagram of the technology . Four additional pages are allowed for pertinent information. The application shall be formatted to print as typewritten on single-sided paper with one-inch margins on all sides and 1.5-spaced text. 12-point font or larger with normal (uncondensed) spacing. All applications shall be submitted in MS Word file format. The first page must be an executive summary and as such stand alone for distribution to stakeholders. If selected, technology developers must provide the capability for showcasing their technology. This includes delivery of their prototype to the venue showcase and personnel for installation and integration into the overall event. The technology developer operates the system during the event and uninstalls the system upon completion. The GTRI and PSU/ARL staff plans, coordinates, and assists with the associated logistics of the technology showcase, and provides limited assistance for the installation and integration efforts based on available resources. The team will not assist with engineering changes to the showcased technology or system. The Thunderstorm team will provide venues, supporting infrastructure and personnel for assessment (operational and technical), based on availability of resources. Costs specific to running the technology developer’s equipment, as well as the technology developer’s travel costs will be at the technology developer’s expense. Invited technology developers must be prepared to be self-sufficient during the execution of their showcase and not dependent on venue resources. If you have questions regarding the submittal, please contact: . DO NOT SUBMIT CLASSIFIED INFORMATION in the application. Thunderstorm 23-5 will be held at the Unclassified level. Capabilities may contain Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and may be subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or Export Administration Regulations (EAR) restrictions. It is incumbent upon the developers to ensure that these restrictions are identified in their application and adhered to during the event. DO NOT SUBMIT ACQUISITION PROPOSALS. The Government does not award contracts based solely on this announcement. Submission of an application does not guarantee an invitation to participate in Thunderstorm 23-5 or any other DoD event. E. BASIS FOR SELECTION TO PARTICIPATE Submissions will be reviewed by I&M, appropriate supporting Government organizations, and support contractors. I&M will determine whether a submission will be accepted for invitation at the field technology discovery event. The selection of respondents to participate shall be based on the extent to which the technology represents a particular class or level of capability that can be provided to interested DoD organizations, interagency partners, or both. Other considerations include: Relevance to event focus area Completeness of application and supporting information Technology Readiness Level (Technical maturity) Relevance of, or adaptability to, DoD or interagency partner operations/missions Relevance to current or future operational needs F. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Technology developers shall ensure that all proprietary information, documentation, and equipment are appropriately and clearly marked. Be advised that lessons learned from these showcases may be broadly disseminated through official channels within the Federal Government and partner Government agencies associated with the Innovation Discovery program. If selected for participation, technology developers may be requested to provide additional information that will be used in preparation for the event. G. USE OF INFORMATION The purpose of this notice is to gain information for potential use at Thunderstorm 23-5 and/or during future collaboration for development of technology capabilities. Developers are responsible for clearly marking all proprietary information contained in their application submission. Any proprietary information contained in the response to this request will be properly protected from any unauthorized disclosure. The Government will not use proprietary information submitted from any one firm to establish future capability requirements. H. SPECIAL NOTICE University affiliated research centers (UARCs), federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs), and/or contractor consultant/advisors to the Government may review and provide support during evaluation of applications. When appropriate, non-government advisors may be used to objectively review a particular functional area and provide comments and recommendations to the Government. All advisors shall comply with procurement integrity laws and shall sign non-disclosure and rules of conduct/conflict of interest statements. The Government shall take into consideration requirements for avoiding conflicts of interest and ensure advisors comply with safeguarding proprietary data. Submission in response to this RFI constitutes approval to release the submittal to Government support contractors. I. FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (FAR) 52.215-3 Per FAR 52.215-3 Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (Oct 1997): 1. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI notice or to otherwise pay for the information. 2. Although "proposal" and "technology developer" are used in this RFI, your responses will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal. 3. In accordance with FAR Clause 52.209(c), the purpose of this RFI is to solicit technology candidates from R&D organizations, private industry and academia for inclusion in future Thunderstorm innovation technology discovery events sponsored by OUSD(R&E) I&M.