Advancing Assured Access: Integrated Digital Capabilities for the 2 SLS to Accelerate Mission Tempo and Readiness - SBIR Topic DAF26BX04-DV508

Funding Amount:

$2,000,000

Deadline to Apply:

August 19th, 2026

ITAR:

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws.

Objective:

The objective of this SBIR is to develop integrated digital capabilities that will assist spaceport operations in enhancing mission readiness. This effort will introduce modern tools for scheduling, information management, and historical data retrieval. Together, these capabilities will provide teams with improved information access to support training and official duties, thereby raising the overall baseline of operational readiness to meet accelerated demands. The objective of this project is to develop integrated digital capabilities to enhance space launch operations. This effort will combine advanced scheduling assistance, centralized information management, and an intelligent search tool for historical data. Together, these capabilities will provide teams with improved access to information, supporting training and official duties and enhancing overall operational readiness for future launch demands.

Description:

As launch cadences and mission tempos continue to increase, this topic seeks to modernize operational processes to maintain high levels of mission readiness.

The goal is to improve efficiency and enhance access to institutional knowledge to better sustain a high operational tempo.

This topic seeks integrated digital capabilities that combine intelligent scheduling assistance, centralized information management, and an advanced search function.

These capabilities will deliver scheduling optimization, synchronized information, and rapid access to historical data.

The tools will enable users to quickly search, retrieve, and apply knowledge across systems for training, mission planning, and official duties.

Together, these integrated capabilities will reduce manual workload, improve decision quality, and raise the baseline knowledge of the workforce to achieve a higher mission tempo and operational readiness.

Solutions must provide usable outputs for government operators and integrate securely with existing enterprise systems while meeting all security requirements.

PHASE I:

This topic is intended for technology proven ready to move directly into Phase II.

Therefore, Phase I awards will not be made for this topic.

The applicant is required to provide detail and documentation in the D2P2 proposal which demonstrates accomplishment of a “Phase I-type” effort, including a feasibility study.

This feasibility study must clearly identify potential stakeholders, describe the pathway to integrating with DAF operations (including core technology development, regulatory processes, and system integration), and explain how the solution can be used by other DoD or governmental customers.

In addition, applicants should demonstrate a framework design as proof of concept for integrated digital capabilities supporting launch operations.

This framework should illustrate how intelligent scheduling assistance, centralized mission information management, and an intelligent query search can work together to accelerate mission tempo and readiness.

The enhanced search tool is a critical component, enabling users to rapidly search, retrieve, and synthesize historical data across systems to support training, mission planning, and official duties, thereby significantly raising the baseline knowledge and preparedness of Space Force teams operating in a high-tempo environment.

PHASE II:

Phase II will focus on developing and refining the modernized software tools outlined in the feasibility study, with a primary goal of enhancing validation speed, user interface usability, recommendation accuracy, and expanding the scope of data sources and constraints.

Specifically, Phase II aims to deliver a cohesive software solution(s) capable of providing intelligent scheduling assistance for safety and reliability oversight shift operations, centralized mission integration information aggregation and distribution, and an intelligent search interface.

The intelligent search tool will serve as a key capability by enabling users to rapidly search, retrieve, and synthesize archived records across systems to support training, mission planning, and official duties.

This solution addresses the pressing need for improved operational efficiency and significantly higher operational pace and preparedness for local launch operators.

The development process will involve ingesting data from personnel systems, certification trackers, operational tasking tools, and mission integration repositories to deliver:

• Real-time scheduling optimization.

• Synchronized information management.

• Version control.

• Automated notifications.

• Past operational data access.

Phase II will also focus on seamless integration with existing Space Force workflows through secure APIs, conducting operational demonstrations with safety oversight and integration teams, and ensuring full compatibility with both unclassified and classified systems, as necessary.

The solution will be designed to provide actionable outputs for USSF schedulers, operators, and leadership.

Overall, Phase II will build upon the foundation laid in the feasibility study by refining the solution, improving performance metrics, and expanding its applicability across multiple sites, mission areas, and classification levels.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS:

Phase III will focus on scaling the modernized software tools developed in Phase II across all safety and reliability oversight and integration teams supporting local launch operators and the broader Space Force enterprise.

The primary goal is to expand the solution’s scope and impact to enable comprehensive support for high-demand mission profiles across multiple operational locations and classification levels.

Specifically, Phase III aims to deliver an enterprise-wide capability that matures intelligent scheduling assistance, centralized integration information management, and an intelligent search interface into a fully operational system.

The automated query assistant will be enhanced to provide rapid, context-aware access to archived records and institutional data, enabling Guardians to efficiently support training, mission planning, and real-time decision-making.

This solution addresses the critical need for a sustained operational pace, improved operational efficiency, reduced manual workload, and elevated preparedness across the digital launch facility.

Phase III will involve:

• Expanding data sources and analytical techniques.

• Advancing real-time notification systems.

• Enhancing system integration through secure APIs.

• Conducting operational evaluations with end users.

Collaboration with key stakeholders, including Space Systems Command (SSC) and other Space Force units, will be essential to ensure alignment with evolving operational requirements.

Overall, Phase III will build upon the foundation laid in prior phases by scaling the solution enterprise-wide, improving performance and usability, and expanding its applicability to additional mission areas.

The resulting capability will also have strong dual-use potential for other DoD components, federal agencies, and commercial organizations with complex 24/7 scheduling, information management, and knowledge access requirements.

Who will win?

If you can achieve the objective above better than any other company on the market, you have a very high-likelihood of success and should apply.

Who is eligible to apply?

Any company that meets the following criteria:

• For-profit company

• U.S.-owned and controlled.

• 500 or fewer employees (including affiliates)

How Can BW&CO Help?

1) End-to-end support including, strategy, writing of the full proposal, and administrative & compliance support.

2) Proposal strategy and review.

3) Administrative & compliance support.

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