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NEEDIPEDIA

The classified DIA NeedipeDIA site is now operational.  To view the list of needs visit the Ideas to Action website on Intelink and follow the NeedipeDIA link, or go to ACE and ARC.


To be an innovation leader, an organization must efficiently leverage ideas, practices, and capabilities created anywhere, especially outside the organization. DIA has enhanced its ability to efficiently leverage solutions from industry and academia. NeedipeDIA expands the ongoing dialogue between DIA and innovative solution providers (industry, academia, labs) to address mission critical needs, and creates a direct communication channel to the solution providers with emerging technology that enhances DIA's mission capabilities.

NeedipeDIA enables DIA to express capability needs, clearly and concisely, to a larger community of innovators and encourage participation from both establish partners and companies that have never before worked with federal agencies. The list of needs below is designed to communicate the solutions DIA is seeking, while providing an entry point into government acquisition through an Open Broad Agency Announcement (BAA).

The content on this webpage consists of a dynamic list of needs that is updated frequently. All individuals, companies, or academic institutions interested in receiving grants or contracts through the Open BAA, found on www.fbo.gov and www.grants.gov, must identify the specific need by number using the list below. Detailed instructions for expressing your solution(s) are found within the Open BAA. 


PROPOSALS NOT FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINED IN THE BAA WILL NOT BE EVALUATED.

We look forward to hearing from you. 

NEEDIPEDIA FAQs

WHAT IS NEEDIPEDIA?

Needipedia is a process using a website to communicate mission needs to innovators. It is an invitation to collaborative engagement with industry and academia. Needipedia is an unclassified website communicating needs to solution providers. It is a mechanism that enables:

  • Linkage of mission needs to innovative ideas and solutions.
  • Open engagement with industry and academia.

WHO ARE NEEDIPEDIA STAKEHOLDERS?

Stakeholders include:

  • Internal DIA workforce
  • Academic institutions
  • External industry solution providers
  • Other IC partners
  • Other government agencies

HOW ARE DIA NEEDS/ REQUIREMENTS DERIVED?

Needs and requirements map to DIA mission areas:

Strategic mission elements:

  1. Prevent Strategic Surprise
  2. Support Contingency Response
  3. Identify New Analysis Technologies and Methods
  4. Enhance Counter Intelligence and Security
  5. Develop Human Intelligence Capability
  6. Enhance Mission-Related Science and Technology
  7. Improve Mission Support Capabilities
  8. Enhance Technical Collection
  9. Increase Organizational Effectiveness
  10. Empower Partnerships

Unknown areas:

Other Innovative Capabilities - Not Listed Above

HOW ARE SOLUTIONS SUBMITTED TO DIA THROUGH THE NEEDIPEDIA PROCESS?

A Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) contains the instructions for submitting a proposal. This process meets Federal Acquisition Regulations and is an entry point for the acquisition process.

WHAT ARE THE INCENTIVES FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE NEEDIPEDIA PROCESS?

Incentives include:

  • Promotes an agile process for solution responses from industry and academia.
  • Enables mission elements to acquire mission solutions rapidly.
  • Enables mission elements to point industry and academia to a specific mission area or need, thus limiting responses to unsolicited communications.
  • Communicates clearly expectations of review timelines.
  • Clearly telegraphs to the interagency and Intelligence Community opportunities to partner on specific needs or existing solutions.

HOW IS NEEDIPEDIA DIFFERENT FROM CURRENT DIA PROCESSES AND DOES IT REPLACE EXISTING BAAS?

  • Needipedia is a rapid and agile process that is responsive to evolving mission needs.
  • It is dynamically updated significantly reducing the time required by traditional acquisition practices.
  • Needipedia does not replace existing BAAs or preclude the publishing of future BAAs by DIA. Needipedia is just one tool among many acquisition mechanisms available for satisfying DIA needs. It is meant to enable a legal and ethical conversation with industry and academia on needs in timely manner. Needipedia ensures an even playing field for conversations with industry and academia as needs are refined, possible solutions are investigated, and most importantly, mission practitioners discover what they did not know to ask for.

HOW DOES NEEDIPEDIA AFFECT THE CONTRACT PRACTICES THAT TAKE PLACE AFTER A FUNDING DECISION IS MADE?

Needipedia does not address the contract practices after a funding decision is made. It only provides a mechanism for transitioning to the next stage in the acquisition phase.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Email: Ideas2Action@dodiis.mil

SUBMITTING AN IDEA

OVERVIEW

Needipedia is an external website for identifying Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) needs. It embraces the full scope of "innovative ideas" from industry and academic sources. These ideas assist in supporting agile, technological and innovative capability for DIA mission-related requirements.

HOW TO INITIATE AN IDEA

Follow the steps below to initiate and submit your proposal.

  1. Review Needipedia categories.
    From the Needipedia website, review the needs categories.
  2. Map idea to DIA need.
    Map your idea to a category requiring a potential solution.
  3. Identify the need by number.
    Identify the category number listed on the webpage for future reference.
  4. Go to website for white paper instructions in DIA Innovation BAA.
    Go to www.fbo.gov or www.grants.gov for instructions in the DIA Innovation Broad Area Announcement (BAA). Use the BAA instructions and complete a white paper describing your idea.
  5. Submit white paper via email to DIA Innovation Office.
    Submit your white paper to the DIA Innovation Office via email Ideas2Action@dodiis.mil.
  6. If invited, orally discuss idea, and/or write and submit full proposal.
    If invited, orally present the idea in a DIA meeting and/or write a full proposal and submit it to Ideas2Action@dodiis.mil.

HOW TO MAXIMIZE PROPOSAL SUCCESS

Before submitting a white paper for a proposal, review these recommendations:

  1. Your success is enhanced by writing a clear and specific white paper that addresses a particular mission need.
  2. It is important to identify the need by number in your white paper. The need number qualifies you for an initial review.
  3. The more specific and “granular” the need, the greater the chance your white paper will be reviewed by the best-suited Subject Matter Expert (SME). This increases the chance of a positive review. For example, white paper responses to the more specific need “1.0U1 Enhanced Environmental Health Predictive Modeling” has greater specificity and chances of success than submissions for the more generic need “1. Prevents Strategic Surprise”.
  4. Reference to the need numbered 99, “Other”, is encouraged only when no other need is applicable.

HOW TO CONTACT DIA

Still have questions: Contact DIA using the email: Ideas2Action@dodiis.mil

HOW TO SUBMIT A WHITE PAPER

STEPS TO SUBMIT A WHITE PAPER

  1. Click to read the Open BAA instructions.
  2. Identify one of the Needs from the list below that best matches your proposed solution.
  3. Prepare a white paper following the format requirements starting on page 8 of the Open BAA and use the most current coversheet. 
  4. Send your unclassified white paper to Ideas2Action@dodiis.mil or your classified white paper to Ideas2Action@coe.ic.gov if you have access to a secure channel.  

HINTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL REVIEW

Properly aligning your capability to a mission need (below) is essential for successful review. Specifically:

  • If you can't articulate how your capability addresses the mission need, then you have probably selected the wrong mission need.
  • Section 4 of your white paper is used to route the proposed innovative method, process, or technology to the end-users closest to the mission need.  
  • The more specific the need, the better chance of aligning funds to support.  Specific needs are identified by longer strings of numbers, i.e., "3.1U1 Object Based Intelligence" is more specific than "3. New Analysis Technologies and Methods"
  • If you need clarity on a mission need, please ask and we will work to enhance clarity.
  • Mission relevance is the most important review criteria.
  • White papers should avoid technical jargon and product branding.
  • Mission review of needs 6 (Science and Technology) and 7.1 (Information Technology) is more technical. Feel free to expound on the technical merit of your approach.
  • For all other categories, white papers should speak to direct mission impact.  Technical merit will be formally established later during the proposal review stage.
  • NeedipeDIA is designed to support DIA's "Start Small. Scale Fast. Fail Cheap." approach.
  • Smaller (<$650,000) initiatives are preferred.
  • Quick win (within 6 months) initiatives are preferred.
  • For Category 6 (Science and Technology), longer projects (<18 months) may be warranted.
  • Other solicitations methods are used for Major Systems Acquisitions.
  • Open/Considering indicates a more general DIA mission area need, while Open/Active indicates an innovative solution is more urgent.

CURRENT NEEDS

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DIA seeks new and emerging technologies that can be developed, modified to be, or are ready for rapid transition to operational environments. Submissions to this need and sub-needs include research and development, modifications to meet mission needs, and proof of concept. Technologies submitted under NeedipeDIA Need 11, may be included in unique and independent technology demonstrations or exercises such as, but not limited to Trident Spectre. Coordination in regards to technology demonstrations or exercises does not supersede established project submissions process for respective technology demonstrations or exercises.

Response Type BAA

Status: Open/Active

Additional Evaluation Criteria: NONE

 

11.1 Advance Communications and Cyber Technologies

DIA Seeks new and innovative communications, RF, satellite, and cyber focused technologies to include, or related to: advance mobile communication, secure mobile communication, secure internet-based communications, mobile device hardening, communication obfuscation, Mobile Device exploitation, Internet of Things (IoT) exploitation, IoT Device Sensing and Simulation, Automotive Telematics Exploitation Capabilities, Electronic Surveillance and/or Tracking Detection, Threat Identification and Mitigation, Advance Cyber communication Capabilities, software defined radios and networks, advance architectures, understanding and identification of intercepted signals, geolocation and/or exploitation of signals in near real-time, PNT (positions, navigation, and timing), and waveform development.

Relevant technologies may have some or all of the following attributes or abilities: discrete, hard to detect, reliable, easy to use, device agnostic, capable of secure data transmission without linking destination and source, low profile, LPI (low probability of intercept), LPD (low probability of detection), LPE (low probability of exploitation), leverage multiple or unique transmission methods.

Response Type BAA

Status: Open/Active

Additional Evaluation Criteria: NONE

 

11.2 Advance Sensor Technologies

DIA seeks new and innovative senor technologies to include, or related to: Unattended Ground Sensors, Unattended Maritime Sensors, integrated technical surveillance, small/niche autonomous sensors, network sensors, miniaturized sensors, miniaturized tracking devices, data delivery systems and Unintended Radiated Emissions (URE) technology. Relevant technologies may have some or all of the following abilities: small size, light weight, low power consumptions, discrete, hard to detect, reliable and easy to use.

Response Type BAA

Status: Open/Active

Additional Evaluation Criteria: NONE

11.3 Innovative, Creative and Advance Topics

DIA seeks new innovative research and study of advanced technology applications. These technologies and application may include data gathering and analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, data dissemination and optimization, data processing “at the edge,” or other expanding fields. Proposals to these needs will be considered based on core mission functions of DIA and those we serve.

Response Type BAA

Status: Open/Active

Additional Evaluation Criteria: NONE

 

11.4 Classified Needs

Classified needs can be found on the NRO ACE or NSA ARC. Refer to the BAA for instructions to submit.

Response Type BAA

Status: Open/Not-Active

Additional Evaluation Criteria: NONE


Description: Invitation to participate in the TRIDENT SPECTRE (TS) 2019 exercise.

Submissions from industry will be evaluated on a weekly basis and prioritized for sponsorship. Technology sponsorship to the event is limited. Early submissions highly recommended for consideration.

Overview: The TS exercise brings together over 1150 participants representing 180 offices from Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and Federal Law Enforcement (FLE) communities including National Laboratories, Industry, and Academia. It incorporates cutting edge technology experiments, analysis and simulation to address tactical, theater, and strategic intelligence problems in a controlled field environment. Capabilities within each of the lines of effort are evaluated and formally assessed by operators, engineers, and vulnerability subject matter experts. This provides real time feedback, leveraged by operations and IC teams to innovate, develop and refine tradecraft, tactics, techniques and procedures.

For submitted technologies to be considered for sponsorship to the exercise, the proposed technologies should be able to demonstrate system level capabilities prior to the event. The system must be a complete prototype ready for demonstration in a relevant or operational environment by the time of the exercise (TRL 6 or higher). Selected contractors will work with the government sponsor to validate the capability.

TS success is based on the continual and incremental progression in the resolution of evolving problem sets with current operational exposure and relevance. Integral to this success is the fostering of: Operator involvement, Stakeholder Consortium Management, Real-Time Innovation, Hybrid Experiment/Exercise Environment, and Operationally Relevant Real-World Scenario Environment.

Contractors gain invaluable insights and feedback from end-users in a relevant environment. Additionally, contractors are enabled to integrate with other projects to fully develop innovative and unique solutions to real-world hard problems that require urgent solutions.

The main event will occur 29 Apr-10 May 2019 at JEB Fort Story – Little Creek, Virginia.

DIA is specifically interested in technologies that focus on unique, innovative, or creative communication capabilities, sensor capabilities, as well as emerging and innovative technologies that are ready for rapid operational transition. Submissions could include modifications to existing technology to meet mission needs as well as proofs of concept that are ready for demonstration in a relevant or operational environment.

All sponsored contractors for the event will be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) prior to participation. 

Contractors are responsible for all incurred expenses and sponsored project does not obligate the government for expenses and/or future contracts. The U.S. Government shall not be liable for any costs or expenses for the attendance of this event. If selected, it is HIGHLY ENCOURAGED that personnel with strong technical and engineering knowledge of projects attend the exercise.

Upon formal notice of government project sponsorship, access will be granted to the TS portal for project registration and instructions.

Submission to this announcement does not supersede established project submission processes for TS. Submission to this announcement is a method for DIA sponsorship to the event.

Security Clearance Level required to attend the event: SECRET//NOFORN 

Project submissions can be classified.

a.    Interested parties are requested to respond to this announcement by submitting a white paper through DIA’s NeedipeDIA process located at https://www.dia.mil/business/needipedia specifically, Need 11 Emerging and Innovative Technologies for Rapid Operational Transition.

b.    DIA reserves the right to review late submissions but makes no guarantee to the order of, or possibility for, review of late submissions. Responses shall be limited to requirements as defined by the NeedipeDIA process. If you plan to submit a classified response please notify natalie.yacoub-pugh2@dodiis.mil via an unclassified message, so it can be tracked appropriately.

c.    Responses for TS are due no later than 4:00 PM (local Eastern Time) on Friday, November 16, 2018. EARLY SUBMISSIONS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED. 

d.    Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED and completely separated. To help aid DIA, please segregate proprietary information. Be advised that no submissions will be returned. All submissions will be disposed of in accordance with the instructions provided in prospective sources response. If no instructions are listed, the DIA will dispose of submissions at their discretion. Additionally, ensure all classifications markings are correct on the submitted responses.

e.    Responses to this RFI may be evaluated by Government technical experts. The program office has contracted for various non-government scientific, engineering, technical and administrative staff support services, some of which require contractors to obtain access to proprietary information submitted by other contractors. All non-government contractor support personnel have signed and are bound by appropriate non-disclosure agreements and organizational conflict of interest statements. Prospective offerors are advised that only Government Contracting Officers are legally authorized to commit the Government.

f.     Upon favorable government evaluation the company will receive further instructions. No logistical or financial support will be provided to invitees to attend the Technology Demonstration.

Submissions from industry will be evaluated on a weekly basis and prioritized for sponsorship. Technology sponsorship to the event is limited. Early submissions highly recommended for consideration.

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