Helping companies access private capital is one of the key features of the Defense Business Accelerator (DBX) program, led by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy (OASD(IBP)). Since it was announced last fall, companies that received DBX awards are reporting they have received an additional $46.6 million in private capital, largely due to the spark provided by the initial $9.6 million DBX investment. Participants have also credited DBX with helping boost their visibility and standing within the Defense market, leading to several new contract awards directly from DOD, as well as through other Defense contractors.
“The Defense Business Accelerator is a great example of how we are harnessing market forces to accelerate the growth of a resilient defense industrial ecosystem,” said Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy. “This program is already demonstrating the value of its approach to scaling production of defense-relevant technologies.”
The DBX positions the DOD as a leader in dual-use technology development and helps stimulate the growth of a robust dual-use industrial base. Within just ten weeks of announcing the DBX, the DOD received 279 entries and selected seven companies to produce dual-use technologies. Focusing on microelectronics technologies, this initial cohort of seven companies is being measured against a control group to quantify program success and identify opportunities for program enhancement.
DBX is also working with the Military Services to apply DBX-generated technologies to DOD problem sets. One program participant, Gigantor Technologies, is using its award to accelerate development of its reconfigurable Application-specific integrated circuit technology, to meet performance needs for AI-powered devices.
“DBX is an example of a new way of doing business, one that aligns with commercial market norms in terms of speed and process efficiency,” stated Anthony Di Stasio, Director, Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP). “Flexible acquisition is one of the four priorities of the National Defense Industrial Strategy, reducing timelines and cost while increasing scalability, and DBX is helping us do that.”
Additional details on the DBX program and its initial cohort can be found at the following link, where awardees will also be sharing more information about their experience in the program: www.uspae.org/dbx/
For more information, visit MCEIP or visit NDIS
The OASD(IBP) works with domestic and international partners to forge and sustain a robust, secure, and resilient industrial base enabling the warfighter, now and in the future. OASD(IBP) also utilizes a new Defense Industrial Base Consortium Other Transaction Agreement (DIBC OTA) to solicit new ideas for research or prototype project solutions for critical Supply Chain Resiliency Focus Areas. It underscores the DOD's ongoing dedication to safeguarding the integrity of our crucial supply chain and promptly furnishing our warfighters with requisite materials and technologies. To learn more at the DIBC OTA, please visit: www.dibconsortium.org/oa-24-01/