(RFI): Validation of Emerging Defense & Detection Equipment for Readiness (VEDDER) Prototype Accelerator

The United States, through the Department of Defense and the Portfolio Acquisition Executive-Layered Protection & Integration, is pursuing an unprecedented public-private innovation model to counter the strategic technological threat posed by the People’s Republic of China, particularly through its Military-Civil Fusion strategy. This effort is embodied in the Validation of Emerging Defense & Detection Equipment for Readiness (VEDDER) Prototype Accelerator, an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) initiative governed by 10 U.S.C. § 4022 and Section 236 of Public Law 118-159, designed to bypass traditional seven-to-fifteen-year acquisition timelines that fail to keep pace with advancements in biotechnology and artificial intelligence. The program will be executed through a 501(c)(3) non-profit partner that will act as a dynamic, continuously operating accelerator, independently scouting and contracting with commercial entities—including biotechnology startups, AI developers, and non-traditional vendors—using a system-of-systems framework to rapidly prototype medical countermeasures. The Government will provide funding via a master OTA, enabling the NFP to implement commercial-style sub-agreements that shield innovators from burdensome FAR/DFARS accounting requirements while ensuring stringent alignment with national security objectives. Core deliverables include the establishment of an operational hub, quarterly scouting reports, executed B2B prototyping agreements, a high-performance computing integration plan leveraging LLNL or equivalent resources for in silico testing, and final prototype demonstration reports for AI-driven medical countermeasures. The program enforces strict domestic manufacturing safeguards through mandatory march-in rights if any partner offshores production or sells exclusive rights to a strategic competitor, alongside comprehensive flowdown clauses that protect U.S. government interests, data rights, and supply chain integrity. Intellectual property arrangements adopt commercial-style mechanisms to preserve private-sector viability while guaranteeing government access to critical technologies. All software and systems must comply with Executive Order 14028, NIST SP 800-218, DoD RMF (DoDI 8510.01 and 8500.01), NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, and DISA STIGs/SRGs, with mandatory Software Bill of Materials submission and DAST/SAST testing. CUI and mission-critical data must be protected under DoD Impact Level 5 protocols, with all infrastructure, data residency, and personnel access restricted to the Continental United States and U.S. citizens only, using