Seeking novel concepts for low-cost, high-production, accelerated development hypersonics!

Applications Due: 1/17/2024

Challenge Chat: Monday, December 11, 2023 | 2-3pm EST (Register here)

Application Portal: Hypersonic Accelerated Manufactured Prototype Demonstration (Hyper-AMPD)

Purpose

The Joint Hypersonics Transition Office (JHTO) is seeking innovative ideas and solutions to enable the rapid delivery of hypersonic test and weapon prototypes for national defense and operational utility. The principal goal of the Hyper-AMPD! Challenge is to seek out novel ideas for the rapid development and flight testing of hypersonic prototypes that can rapidly transition to integrate with existing Department of Defense (DOD) platforms. Timely delivery of prototypes is an essential element of this effort, as is an established path to affordably manufacturing the prototype at scale. Maximum design trade space and implementation will be exercised and only those approaches with sufficient military utility will be invited to submit a Feasibility Study.

Hyper-AMPD! is looking for ideas from not just the traditional defense industrial base members, but also university applied research centers (UARCs); federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs); venture capitalists; other federal laboratories; companies or groups who have not done business with the government before; entrepreneurs; small businesses; talented individuals with the expertise and experience to bring a product online; and anyone else with unique solutions to this Challenge. Teaming across organizations is encouraged and multiple concepts may be submitted by the same participant(s) and/or team(s).

The following needs should be considered when creating and proposing a solution:

• Approaches that enable an achievable Mach 4+ high-speed/hypersonic system performance using only mature (technology and manufacturing readiness levels of TRL6+ and MRL7+) materials, components, and subsystems;
• Production rates and costs equivalent to traditional systems (while these production rates are not intended to be supported by this call, the study, prototype development, and testing is intended to prove the feasibility of this production rate); and
• Plans to implement accelerated development, defined as 24 months from design to first flight demo.

Submissions should include estimates on achievable system performance (i.e., addressable target types, ranges, speeds, trajectories, etc.) as well as envisioned key subsystem details (i.e. guidance, navigation, and control; propulsion methods, payload details, etc.). While maximal use of off-the-shelf components is expected in order to meet the aggressive schedule, cost, and manufacturing rate targets, a cost Pareto front of each subsystem’s relative contribution to overall system is also requested in order to identify potential areas for government investment, or less desirably, performance concession. ?

Background

Hypersonic strike systems are emerging weapon systems that provide key capabilities in multiple conflict scenarios and have the potential to revolutionize warfare by providing a standoff capability to strike distant time critical targets. Hypersonic missiles can travel at extreme speeds, covering large distances in minutes instead of hours, and can maneuver within the atmosphere, which presents challenges to existing missile defense systems. This rapid response time and maneuverability provides the military with the ability to respond quickly to emerging threats. ?However, the development of hypersonic missiles presents technical challenges associated with design, testing, and production.

Challenge

Brian McCue argued in his book, U-Boats in the Bay of Biscay, that “…the introduction and assimilation of new hardware proceeded so slowly that an inherently defeatable device could have a useful career while the other side spent time realizing that the device had been deployed, arguing about what it was, and introducing a counterdevice." McCue’s observation still applies today-- the competitor that can rapidly field a sufficiently capable innovation can gain at least a temporary advantage over their fellow competitors and impose cost upon them as they seek to understand the nature and implication of a new disruption on the battlefield. JHTO seeks innovative plans for hypersonic solutions that can be quickly developed and flown as military prototypes with clear transition paths as deployed weapons that can be built cheaply and rapidly deployed at scale. A key element of any potential solution is the military utility and flexibility that it can offer Combatant Commanders and their staffs. All solutions will be evaluated in part for the military utility that they can provide.

Challenge Chat- A Virtual Q&A

Join us for a virtual webinar with JHTO leadership to learn more about the organization, the prize challenge, and answers to previously submitted questions. Participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance using the registration form or the Contact tab. To register, please visit: Hyper-AMPD Challenge Chat (theari.us)

Phase I

Phase I will be the submission of White Paper Concepts. The delivered Phase I White Paper Concept will serve as the basis of a Feasibility Study, executable in Phase II.?

The White Paper Concept should describe, in plain language, the details of the technical approach in response to the Challenge. The White Paper Concept should include the following:

• Identification of a breakthrough solution to a low cost high-speed/hypersonic (HSH) need;
• Summary of the participant’s technical approach to include a description of the methods used, materials, etc.;
• Identification of the technology and manufacturing readiness levels of the existing technology;
• Description of the aspects of the solution that are unique and novel;
• Rough order of magnitude (ROM) budget, including a general approximation of the cost to prototype the concept and conduct flight testing;
• How does this White Paper Concept deliver military capability to Combatant Commanders?
• State the intended launch platform and provide a high-level operation concept graphic (OV-1).
• If selected for Phase II, how do you expect to conduct your feasibility study.

At the conclusion of Phase I, the resulting Phase I White Paper Concepts will be reviewed by the Judging Panel in order to determine the top scoring ideas to be selected for a Feasibility Study.

Up to five winners may be selected for monetary prizes and will be invited to submit a Feasibility Study.

Phase II

JHTO seeks to deliver novel, capable hypersonic strike capability within a compressed timeline; therefore, the focus of a Feasibility Study should emphasize meeting capability at the time of need. Selected Phase II studies will build a Feasibility Study on the low cost HSH concept defined in the Phase I White Paper Concept, and should include the additional following detail:

1. The definition of an HSH concept combined with the supporting engineering analysis to demonstrate the feasibility of the concept and the scalable manufacturability of the approach;
2. The cost of the development of a prototype system including flight testing;
3. Technical milestones including flight testing, technical and programmatic risks with corresponding mitigation strategies, expected system performance and limitation, and projected system costs;
4. Responses to the specific following questions:

• How do you envision this capability in its deployed configuration including the systems performance, limitations, and integration requirements?
• What do you require to achieve this deployed capability at scale?
• How will this capability integrate with existing deployed systems?
• What is the range of operational environments for the envisioned system?
• What new infrastructure or technological developments are required to enable production at scale and enable an affordable capability?

At the conclusion of Phase II, the resulting Feasibility studies will be reviewed by the Judging Panel in order to determine winner(s). Up to two winners will be selected for non-monetary and monetary prizes. All winner(s) will be determined at the end of this phase.

Timeline

12/11/23 02:00 PM EST: Challenge Chat: A virtual Q&A, register here: https://rsvp.theari.us/HyperAMPDChat

01/17/24 05:00 PM EST: Phase I White Paper Submissions Due

05/22/24 05:00 PM EDT: Phase II Feasibility Studies Due

Prizes

Total cash prizes

$1,000,000

Prize description

Phase I-

An award amount up to $100,000 per entry will be disbursed to the top five (5) White Paper Concepts; total prizes available for Phase I is $500,000.

Phase II-

An award amount up to $250,000 per entry will be disbursed to the top two (2) Feasibility Studies; total prizes available for Phase II is $500,000.

Phase II-

As funding is available, Other Transactions Authority agreement for prototyping, or other procurement agreement, will be pursued with the winner(s) dependent on identified funding and the winner(s) meeting all requirements as set forth by the Rules.

Rules

Eligibility requirements

• Eligibility is subject to verification by the Government before cash prizes are awarded. Participants (residents or entities) who are designated by the United States Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control are not eligible to receive any cash prize in the Challenge. Participants who are listed, or become listed, on the Excluded Parties List found on www.sam.gov or have any active exclusions may not be eligible to receive any cash prize in the Challenge.
• Only US citizens and entities incorporated in and maintaining a primary place of business in the United States are eligible to receive cash prizes in this Challenge.
• Federal employees, including NSWC Crane (NSWC-CR) employees, JHTO employees, NSWC-CR support contractors, and JHTO support contractors acting within the scope of their employment are not eligible to participate in the challenge. Likewise, members of their immediate family (spouses, children, step children siblings, step-siblings, parents, step-parents), and persons living in the same household, whether or not related, are not eligible to participate in any portion of this Challenge. Federal employees and contractors acting outside the scope of their employment should consult their ethics official and appropriate management before participating in the Challenge.
• Individuals and organizations that are funded by NSWC-CR or JHTO but not limited to, any Federally Funded Research and Development Centers and University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs), or private-sector personnel whose scope of work includes NSWC-CR or JHTO development or administrative support are eligible to participate in the challenge.
• Previous and current NSWC-CR and JHTO prize challenge contestants are eligible to enter.
• Multiple submissions from the same participant(s) are encouraged and eligible.

Rules

These terms and conditions apply to all participants in the Challenge.

Agreement to Terms. By responding to this announcement, the participant agrees to comply with and be bound by the rules (including these terms and conditions) of this prize challenge and the decisions of the Government. The final scores and final determination of Winner is final and binding on all Participants. The final scores of the Judging Panel and the final determination of Winner may not be challenged by the Participants.

Security Requirements. By responding to this announcement, the participant agrees to comply with the DoDM 5200.01 (all volumes) and any revisions to this manual.

• Participation by Government Support Contractors. Government support contractors will assist in the review of any data provided by participants. A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) has been signed by the support contractors with the Government that precludes them from disclosing any proprietary data outside of the Government. If participants desire a separate NDA with the Government support contractors, participants should submit a NDA form, along with instructions, with their initial qualification application.

Follow-On Acquisition. At the Government’s discretion, the Government may choose to award a FAR-base procurement contract, Other Transaction Authority (OTA) award (under 10 U.S.C 2371 or 2371b), a procurement contract for experimental purposes (10 U.S.C. 2373) or a combination of awards under those authorities to any chosen participant in this prize challenge. If the Government chooses to award an OTA award under 10 USC 2371b, the Government may also decide to award a follow-on production OTA award using the same authority.

Malware. Each participant warrants that any submission is virus free and free of malware.

Data Rights and Marking. All data submitted under the Prize Challenge will be made available to NSWC-CR and parties authorized to act on behalf of the NSWC-CR as discussed below. By accepting these Terms and Conditions, the Participant consents to the use of data submitted to NSWC-CR. Any materials submitted to NSWC-CR as part of a prize challenge submission become NSWC-CR records and will not be returned. The use of protective markings such as “Do Not Publicly Release – Trade Secret” or “Do Not Publicly Release – Confidential Proprietary Business Information” in the Header or Footer of the Submission is strongly encouraged where appropriate. However, Participants should be aware that the use of protective markings is not dispositive as to whether information will be released publicly pursuant to a request for records under the Freedom of Information Act, (FOIA) 5 U.S.C. §552, et. seq., as amended by the OPEN Government Act of 2007, Pub. L. No. 110-175. Any information received from the Participant is considered to be a federal agency record, and as such, subject to public release under FOIA. Decisions to disclose or withhold information received from a Participant are based on the applicability of one or more of the nine FOIA exemptions, not on the existence or nonexistence of protective markings. All FOIA requests received by NSWC-CR are processed in accordance with 10 C.F.R. Part 1004. Participants will be notified of any FOIA requests for their submissions in accordance with 29 C.F.R. § 70.26. Participants may then have the opportunity to review materials and work with a NSWC-CR FOIA representative prior to the release of materials.

By participating in this Challenge, each individual (whether participating singly or in a group) warrants and assures the Government that any data used for the purpose of submitting an entry for this Challenge, were obtained legally through authorized access to such data.

Upon submission, the Participant hereby represents and warrants that:

1. It is the sole author and copyright owner of the submission; that the submission is an original work of the Participant and that the Participant has sufficient rights to use and to authorize others, including NSWC-CR, to use the submission, as specified throughout the Official Rules; that the submission does not infringe upon any copyright or upon any other third party rights of which the Participant is aware; and that there are no known or pending patents on or related to the technology proposed within the submissions or, if there are known or pending patents, that the patent holder grants to the Government a fully paid, nonexclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license to use, or have used on the Government’s behalf, reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies to the public, and perform and display publicly copyrightable works of the patented material. Except as provided above, any submission shall be accompanied by a statement delineating which intellectual property rights and licenses will not be extended to the government for this challenge.
2. The submission, and any use thereof by NSWC-CR is not defamatory or libelous in any manner; does not constitute or result in any misappropriation or other violation of the publicity rights or right of privacy of any person or entity, or infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any intellectual property rights, privacy rights or any other rights of any person or entity.
3. It is free to enter into this challenge without the consent of any third party and has the capability to fully perform its obligations as stipulated by the Prize rules.
4. There is no suit, proceeding, or any other claim pending or threatened against the Participant, nor does any circumstance exist, to its knowledge, which may be the basis of any such suit, proceeding, or other claim, that could limit or impair the Participant’s performance of its obligations pursuant to the Prize rules or Terms and Conditions.
5. It will not infringe, violate, or interfere with the intellectual property, publicity, privacy, contract or other right of any third party in the course of performance of this agreement or cause NSWC-CR to do any of the same.

By participating in this Challenge, each individual (whether participating singly or in a group) warrants and assures the Government that there are no known or pending patents on or related to the technology proposed within the submissions or, if there are known or pending patents, that the patent holder provides the Government a description of the patented material and its use in the proposed Challenge solution.

Relationship of the Parties. Nothing contained in these Terms and Conditions is intended to create or constitute a relationship between NSWC-CR with the Participants. Participation in the Prize Challenge does not imply any form of sanction, endorsement or support of the Participant by the NSWC-CR, nor does it grant either party any authority to act as agent, nor assume or create any obligation, on behalf of the other party. Participant may not use the NSWC-CR logo or official seal in their submission.

Taxes. Tax treatment of prizes will be handled in accordance with U.S. Internal Revenue Service guidelines. The winners must provide a U.S. taxpayer identification number (e.g. a social security number) to receive the cash prize.

Payment. Winner(s) agree to accept payment via electronic funds transfer. Participants selected as monetary prize winners must submit all required taxpayer identification and bank account information required to complete an electronic payment of the monetary prize. Failure to provide the Government required documents for electronic payment within 30 days of notification by the Government may result in a disqualification of the winning entry. Each Winner, will be required to sign and return to NSWCCR, within 30 days of the date the notice is sent, a completed Standard Form 3881 (Automated Clearing House – Miscellaneous Payment Enrollment) showing bank routing number for payment purpose and a completed IRS Form W-9 (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irspdf/fw9.pdf). At the sole discretion of NSWC-CR, a winning participant will be disqualified from the challenge and receive no prize funds if:

1. The person/entity cannot be contacted
2. The person/entity fails to sign and return the required documentation within the required time period;
3. The notification is returned as undeliverable;
4. The submission or person/entity is disqualified for any other reason.

Government Right to Cancel, Suspend or Modify Challenge. The Government reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, suspend or modify the Challenge. These rules may be changed without prior notice, and all participants should monitor https://challenge.gov for the latest information. The Government further reserves the right to select no winners and award no prize money if the Government determines, in its sole discretion, that an award is not in the best interest of the Government.

Responsibility for Costs Incurred. Nothing in these rules, to include information on the websites publicizing the award, may be interpreted as authorizing the incurrence of any costs, or modifying the statement of work or authorizing work outside the terms and conditions of any existing agreements or contracts with the Government. Participation in this prize challenge is at participant expense. The Government will not be responsible for any costs incurred by the participant, to include submission costs, travel costs, technology demonstration or development costs or any associated costs.

Release of Claims. The participant agrees to release and forever discharge any and all manner of claims, equitable adjustments, actions, suits, debts, appeals, and all other obligations of any kind, whether past or present, known or unknown, that have or may arise from, are related to or are in connection with, directly or indirectly, this prize challenge or the participant’s submission. Liability. By participating in this challenge, the participant agrees to assume, and thereby has assumed, any and all risks of injury or loss in connection with, or in any way arising from participation in this challenge, or development of any submission. Based on the subject matter of the prize challenge, the type of work that it will require, as well as the unlikeliness of claims for death, bodily injury, property damage, or loss potentially arising from or related to participation in the prize challenge, no individual or entity participating in the prize challenge is required to obtain liability insurance.

Indemnification. The participant agrees to indemnify the Government and its affiliates, directors, officers, employees against all liabilities, damages, losses, costs, fees (including legal fees), and expenses relating to any allegation or third-party legal proceeding arising from:

• the participant’s acts or omissions in relation to the Challenge (including the participant’s use or acceptance of any prize and the participant’s breach of these Terms); and
• the participant’s submissions violating any rights of any other person or entity or any obligation the participant may have with them.

Compliance with Laws. The participant agrees to follow and comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations, and policies.

Disclaimers. All content provided by the government is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. The government disclaims all representations and warranties (express or implied), including any warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The government is not responsible for any incomplete, failed, or delayed transmission of your application information or submissions due to the internet, including interruption or delays caused by equipment or software malfunction or other technical problems. Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the united states government.

Severability. If any term (or part of a term) of these terms or rules is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the rest of the terms or rules will remain in effect.

Translations. In the event of any discrepancy between the English version of these terms and rules and a translated version, the English version will govern.

Governing Law. This prize challenge is subject to all applicable federal laws and regulations. ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS WILL BE GOVERNED BY THE FEDERAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Availability of Funds. The Government’s obligation for prizes under 10USC2374a is subject to availability of appropriated funds from which payment for prize purposes can be made. No legal liability on the part of the Government for any payment of prizes may arise unless appropriated funds are available to the United States Navy for such purposes.

Judging

Phase 1: White Paper Conceptsopen until 01/17/24

Judging Panel

• Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of subject matter experts including employees of JHTO, NSWC-CR, and government support contractors.
• Government support contractors will assist in the review of any data provided by participants. A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) has been signed by the support contractors with the Government that precludes them from disclosing any proprietary data outside of the Government. If participants desire a separate NDA with the Government support contractors, participants should submit a NDA form, along with instructions, with their initial qualification application.

Judging Criteria

The Phase I Judging Criteria:

• The Judging Panel will evaluate all entries for compliance with the submission rules, eligibility requirements, and quality of the submission. The panel will select up to five (5) submissions to progress to Phase II.
• Eligible entries meeting the submission rules will be evaluated on the technical approach as it demonstrates appropriate, realistic, innovative, and cost effective solution to resolve the problem statement.
• The subcategories above are listed in priority order. However some subcategories have the same weightings for score. Also the difference in weighting between some sets of subcategories may not be linear.

All decisions by the Judging Panel are final and binding in all matters related to the prize challenge.

Phase 2: Feasibility Studiesopens on 02/08/24

Judging Panel

• Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of subject matter experts including employees of JHTO, NSWC-CR, and government support contractors.
• Government support contractors will assist in the review of any data provided by participants. A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) has been signed by the support contractors with the Government that precludes them from disclosing any proprietary data outside of the Government. If participants desire a separate NDA with the Government support contractors, participants should submit a NDA form, along with instructions, with their initial qualification application.

Judging Criteria

The Phase II Judging Criteria

• At the beginning of Phase II, evaluation criteria will be given to those teams selected to participate in the Feasibility Study.

All decisions by the Judging Panel are final and binding in all matters related to the prize challenge.

How to enter

Phase 1: White Paper Concepts open until 01/17/24

Entry details: Entries for Phase I must be submitted by 5:00PM ET on January 17, 2024. Submissions received after the deadline may not be considered. To submit, please e-mail [email protected]. E-mails must state a classification level preference and provide contact information for a response.

• For CUI submissions, a link to DoD SAFE will be generated and sent to the provided contact.
• For SIPR or higher classifications, contact information will be provided for submissions to be e-mailed.

Submissions shall reference both the challenge name and participant name in the subject line in the following format: JHTO Hyper-AMPD Participant_Name Phase I White Paper Submission

Phase I Submission of White Paper Concept

The White Paper shall not exceed five (5) pages and is required to be in the following format:

• Text size shall be no smaller than what is equivalent to Microsoft Word, Times New Roman, 10 point, uncompressed font.
• Pages shall be single sided, one and one half line spaced, with a minimum of one inch margins on all sides.
• Pages shall be dated and numbered sequentially.
• Legible tables, charts, graphs, and figures shall be used when necessary to depict organizations, data, drawings, systems, layouts, implementation schedules, plans, etc. For tables, charts, graphs, and figures, the text shall be no smaller than 8 point, Times New Roman. These items WILL be included in the page count.
• Electronic files shall be formatted for Microsoft Windows Office 2010. Text shall be prepared using Microsoft Word compatible formats including, but not limited to, spreadsheets, worksheets, or workbooks shall be prepared using Microsoft Excel 2010 compatible formats, and documents prepared using Microsoft Word 2010 compatible formats. All scheduled shall be prepared in Microsoft Project 2010 Compatible applications.
• A glossary shall be included of all abbreviations and acronyms used with an explanation for each that will NOT be included in the page count.
• A cover sheet should be included with the following information:
• Challenge Title
• Name(s) of company(ies) and POC individual(s)
• Address(es)
• If a company, CAGE or DUNS Code
• Point of contact telephone and e-mail address
• State if the participant is a US Company (an entity incorporated in and maintaining a primary place of business in the US) or a US citizen
• If applicable, provide verification that the individual currently maintains a DOD security clearance or the company has a Facilities Clearance (per DOD 35220.22-M, 28 Feb 2006)
• A description of the participant’s previous experience and expertise with JHTO
• A description of the participant’s experience in collaborating with other companies to design, manufacture, and field relevant products.

The cover sheet will NOT be included in the page count for each submission.

Phase 2: Feasibility Studies opens on 02/08/24

Phase II Submission of Feasibility Study

Entries for Phase II must be submitted by May 22, 2024 no later than 5:00PM ET. Submissions received after the deadline may not be considered. To submit, please e-mail [email protected]. E-mails must state a classification level preference and provide contact information for a response.

• For CUI submissions, a link to DoD SAFE will be generated and sent to the provided contact.
• For SIPR or higher classifications, contact information will be provided for submissions to be e-mailed.

Submissions shall reference both the challenge name and participant name in the subject line in the following format: JHTO Hyper-AMPD Participant Name Phase II Feasibility Study Submission The Feasibility Study is required to be in the following format:

• Text size shall be no smaller than what is equivalent to Microsoft Word, Times New Roman, 10 point, uncompressed font.
• Pages shall be single sided, one and one half line spaced, with a minimum of one inch margins on all sides.
• Pages shall be dated and numbered sequentially.
• Legible tables, charts, graphs, and figures shall be used when necessary to depict organizations, data, drawings, systems, layouts, implementation schedules, plans, etc. For tables, charts, graphs, and figures, the text shall be no smaller than 8 point, Times New Roman. These items WILL be included in the page count.
• Electronic files shall be formatted for Microsoft Windows Office 2010. Text shall be prepared using Microsoft Word compatible formats including, but not limited to, spreadsheets, worksheets, or workbooks shall be prepared using Microsoft Excel 2010 compatible formats, and documents prepared using Microsoft Word 2010 compatible formats. All scheduled shall be prepared in Microsoft Project 2010 Compatible applications.
• A glossary shall be included of all abbreviations and acronyms used with an explanation for each that will NOT be included in the page count.
• A cover sheet should be included with the following information:
• Challenge Title
• Name(s) of company(ies) and POC individual(s)
• Address(es)If a company, CAGE or DUNS Code
• Point of contact telephone and e-mail address
• State if the participant is a US Company (an entity incorporated in and maintaining a primary place of business in the US) or a US citizen
• If applicable, provide verification that the individual currently maintains a DOD security clearance or the company has a Facilities Clearance (per DOD 35220.22-M, 28 Feb 2006)

The cover sheet will not be included in the page count

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Article Source: Challenge.Gov

The cover sheet will NOT be included in the page count for each submission.