AFWERX SBIR Phase II Selection Announcement
AFWERX has selected Rise8 for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract for just under $1.1 M in support of the TRACER product to automate the documentation, monitoring, inheritance, and reporting of security and compliance within the US Air Force (USAF) Cloud One environment. The innovative solution addresses the most pressing challenges of the Department of the Air Force (DAF), enabling rapid deployment of new capabilities to Warfighters worldwide while ensuring heightened security through continuous, automated monitoring.
The current compliance landscape within the Department of Defense (DOD) poses significant challenges, with lengthy timelines and high costs associated with achieving Authority to Operate (ATO). TRACER addresses these challenges by automating the compliance process, reducing the time and resources required for ATO, and enabling faster deployment of critical capabilities to the Warfighter.
TRACER has the potential to become the industry standard for compliance and security assessment tools. The product extends beyond the DOD with applications in highly regulated industries and government agencies facing similar compliance challenges. Rise8 anticipates significant demand for TRACER as organizations seek to enhance security and streamline compliance processes in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
About the Open Topic SBIR/STTR Program
The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small businesses, and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now, as of February 1, 2024, Rise8 will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our Air, Space, and Cyberspace Forces. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at five hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed 6,028 new contracts worth more than $4 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com.
The views expressed are those of Rise8 and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.
