Podcast: No time to waste for defense innovation with BMNT’s Pete Newell
I was pleased to have Pete Newell back on the Acquisition Talk podcast to discuss the urgency of getting innovative defense prototypes into the field […]
AFWERX
USD R&E unveils a new Office of Strategic Capital
USD R&E has created a new Office of Strategic Capital (OSC), which will be led by former Acquisition Talk podcast guest Jason Rathje. Jason was […]
Data on tech transition success to SBIR Phase III in the Air Force
Here’s an article in the Defense Acquisition Review Journal, Innovation Transition Success: Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect. A SBIR project is considered successful when the product […]
SBIR mills, dual-use tech, and the case for reform with Ben Van Roo
I was pleased to have Ben Van Roo on the Acquisition Talk podcast to discuss his recent blog posts on the Small Business Innovation Research […]
AFWERX companies starting to transition, but jury’s still out scaling transformation
It’s been an incredible year for #afventures and #afwerx companies. While we’re still finishing our end of year reports, I’m thrilled to be able to share a preview of […]
How can the SBIR/STTR process be more welcoming to startups?
Here are some good recommendations from USAF contracting officers Steven Groenheim and John Diekel, Restructuring the SBIR/STTR process: First, we should consider overhauling the application […]
Podcast: The next-generation of combat UAVs with Joseph Murray and Andrew Van Timmeren
I was pleased to have on the Acquisition Talk podcast Joseph Murray and Andrew Van Timmeren. Joe is the co-founder of Blue Force Technologies, a […]
Podcast: eVTOLs, Agility Prime, and AFWERX with Col. Nathan Diller
Colonel Nathan Diller joined me on the Acquisition Talk podcast to discuss the Agility Prime line of effort that seeks an innovative acquisition approach to […]
Roper on opportunity- vs. requirements-based contracting
Here’s Air Force acquisition chief Will Roper making a very nice distinction between a “requirements” and an “opportunity” approach to defense programs. At the Strategic […]
AFWERX and innovation in the Air Force
Here’s a short bit from my feature on Government Matters: In 2019, they [AFWERX] brought in about $1 billion of matching funds. That’s something going […]
Bringing the frozen middle along with you
It takes a teams-of-teams that’s cross functional in nature. In very broad terms, Apple is always the classic example. There’s Steve Wosniak and Steve Jobs. […]
Can the Air Force scale small companies into a program of record?
Remember the dreaded “valley of death” in technology transition? The Air Force plans to bridge the valley by progressively scaling up its pitch days. A […]
AFWERX first of its kind increase in SBIR funding
Companies may apply to increase the Phase II funding for a maximum period of 48 months, with a minimum funding increase amount of $3,000,000. There […]