Last month, Authorium was awarded a $1.2 million SBIR Phase II contract with the U.S. Air Force to leverage AI to streamline procurement efforts. Read on to learn more about this Authorium milestone and why it has the potential to change the future of military spending and contracts.
Optimizing Government and Harnessing Innovation
In April 2015, the late Ashton Carter, Secretary of Defense, spoke in Silicon Valley to announce the Defense Innovation Unit, calling it the, “…first-of-its-kind unit for us… They’ll strengthen existing relationships and build new ones; help scout for new technologies; and help function as a local interface for the department. Down the road, they could help startups find new work to do with DoD.”
The Defense Innovation Unit calls themselves “the only DoD organization focused on accelerating the adoption of commercial and dual-use technology to solve operational challenges at speed and scale.”
Now, nearly a decade later, increased innovation funding and new acquisition pathways present new challenges. There are major bottlenecks in the acquisition lifecycle, and few examples exist that leverage AI to address these significant challenges.
Authorium Becomes a Part of the Solution
With the AFWERX SBIR Phase II award, Authorium is able to bring its most innovative AI-powered solutions to the teams that need them. We’re contributing to effective stewardship of public funds and helping ensure that our military is able to get the goods and services they need quickly, while staying in compliance. The award closes the gap between new technology development and deployment to warfighters.
Leveraging AI When Every Moment Matters
A three-year Air Force Research Lab Materials and Manufacturing Directorate (AFRL/RX) study found that ambiguous requirements, complex regulations, and inefficient workflows can delay procurements by 12 or more months. In the context of the Great Power Competition, these hold-ups can have far-reaching and significant impacts.
During this SBIR Phase II contract, Authorium collaborates with the Research Lab on a year-long proof of concept to dramatically reduce these timelines. Innovations include AI-enabled statement of work development, streamlined RFx package creation, and an AI chatbot to navigate complex federal acquisition regulations.
“The Air Force Research Laboratory is providing innovative technology to keep our warfighters ahead of our peer adversaries,” remarked Dr. Cherish Lesko, Assistant Chief Engineer at AFRL’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate and Technical Point of Contact for this project at a recent event. “If we can develop technology fast, but we can’t get it to the field because we can’t get it on contract, we can’t achieve our mission.”
Authorium Co-CEOs, Kamran Saddique and Jay Nath, view this effort as the start of a broader AI-driven transformation in defense procurement. In a rapidly evolving global landscape, it’s an essential move to strengthen military readiness and maintain a decisive edge over adversaries. With 60% of Authorium’s team having worked in government, Authorium is uniquely positioned to address the Department of Defense’s AI adoption and safety concerns.
Air Force and Authorium
The SBIR Phase II contract continues to build on our collaboration with the U.S. Air Force. In December 2023, we were selected by AFWERX for a SBIR Phase I award to focus on automating the development of complex RFP packages to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force.
Since then, we’ve continued to deliver innovative solutions to dramatically streamline government processes. In summer 2024, we hosted special guests from the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and the Air Force Research Lab Materials and Manufacturing Directorate for a webinar about the effective deployment of critical resources; watch the recording here and read about key takeaways. We look forward to continuing this momentum with the SBIR Phase II work ahead.
