Early-stage ventures with technologies to protect vital industrial control systems (ICS) are invited to join NSIN Maritime Digital Defense to explore dual-use markets. Selected companies will build a foundation for doing business with the DoD and may gain access to a network of private investors and commercial partners.

Overview

The 2024 NSIN Propel Maritime Digital Defense accelerator, held in partnership with the U.S. Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR), will see startups collaborate with industry and government to enable the U.S. Navy to sustain operational resilience of mission-critical ICS aboard its platforms and in its facilities. The program aims to recruit a cohort of early-stage ventures that will provide innovative technologies to enhance and secure ICS, ensuring they can withstand cyber incidents with minimal impact on commercial and DoD critical infrastructure (CI).

The cohort will directly engage with DoD end-users to better understand real-world challenges, build a foundation for doing business with the DoD, and work closely with the accelerator team to design pilots around the national security applications of their technologies. Selected companies will also gain access to a robust network of private investors and commercial partners.

Areas of Focus

NAVIFOR is responsible for the integrated deployment of information-based capabilities and ensuring that personnel are equipped with cutting-edge technologies to maintain superior technical advantage over adversaries in the cyber and information warfare domain.

Much of our nation’s critical infrastructure depends on ICS such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Distributed Control System (DCS) architectures, which rely on field components like programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and remote terminal units (RTUs) to manage essential physical operations. With the prevalence of new threats, these systems are increasingly at risk in the rapidly evolving cyber landscape. For the Navy, ICS often control mission critical components of Hull, Mechanical, and Electrical (HM&E) systems.

NAVIFOR seeks novel software and hardware solutions that deliver new capabilities in the protection of ICS and enable cyber operators to more efficiently mitigate, detect and hunt threats within ICS architectures and field components.

Prospective solutions shall demonstrate a capability to strengthen and secure ICS and may include but are not limited to the following verticals:

1. Resilient Endpoints: Solutions that provide self-isolation and self-restoration for endpoint devices (such as programmable logic controllers) to enable resilient operations in the event of a cyber threat.

2. Data Collection and Exploitation: Intelligent sensors or artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) solutions for data aggregation and monitoring, threat prediction and proactive threat mitigation, or decoy systems that gather information on threats and lure them away from critical assets.

3. Communications and Networks: Technologies that facilitate secure and resilient machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, information sharing, and 5G network security.

4. Advanced Edge Computing: Novel computing approaches or AI/ML for portable systems and cyber defense at the edge.

Key Dates

  • Aug. 15, 2024: Open Call

  • Sept. 4, 2024: Information Session

  • Sept. 15, 2024: Applications Due

  • Oct. 21, 2024: Startups in Program

  • Early Feb., 2025: Demo Day

Benefits of Participation

  • Defense-specific accelerator programming

  • Access to venture capital and government stakeholder networks

  • Test and evaluation opportunities

  • Tech interchange meetings with DoD stakeholders

Eligibility

Companies must be U.S.-owned and operated.

Who Should Apply:

Early-stage ventures seeking an opportunity to expand into the federal market with technologies developed for commercial applications. Companies with the following attributes are highly encouraged to apply:

  • Ability to experiment with a minimal viable product (MVP) for a DoD use case within the 12-months or program start
  • Commercial startups with applications for critical infrastructure in the energy, water and wastewater, transportation, communications, food and agriculture, financial services, chemical, healthcare, emergency services, government facilities, or defense and aerospace sectors.

Apply Now

Applications are being accepted through AirTable through Sept. 15.

Questions

Please direct your questions to propel@nsin.mil. A recording of the information session is available on YouTube.

About National Security Innovation Network

NSIN is a program office in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), nested within the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). We are set up to collaborate with a wide variety of innovators to include universities, researchers, students, entrepreneurs and start-ups. We create opportunities for collaboration across communities and connect those that might not traditionally work in national security. Together, we help drive national security innovation and develop technologies that directly support the individuals responsible for protecting our country.

For more information or interview requests with Team NSIN, please contact us at media@nsin.mil.

This NSIN Propel Open Call Announcement is considered to have potential for further efforts that may be accomplished via FAR-based contracting instruments, Other Transaction Authority (OTA) for Prototype Projects 10 USC 4022 and Research 10 USC 4021, Prizes for advanced technology achievements 10 USC 4025, and/or Prize Competitions 15 USC 3719. If a prototype OTA is awarded and considered successfully completed, follow-on production may be pursued in accordance with 10 USC 4022(f). The public open call announcement made at https://www.nsin.mil, https://www.decisivepoint.com/accelerator website is considered to satisfy the reasonable effort to obtain competition in accordance with 10 USC 4025(b), 15 USC 3719(e) and 10 USC 4022(b)(2). Any FAR-based actions will follow announcement procedures per FAR 5.201(b) accordingly actions will follow announcement procedures per FAR 5.201(b) accordingly.