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DOD, USPAE Announce Defense Business Accelerator to Aid Commercialization of Advanced Electronics
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DOD, USPAE Announce Defense Business Accelerator to Aid Commercialization of Advanced Electronics

The Department of Defense and the U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics have kicked off an experimental program aimed at innovating commercialization of advanced electronics.

Through the $10 million Defense Business Accelerator program, DOD and USPAE look to support companies working to speed up product development and commercialize their technologies, the organization said Thursday.

The program will solicit proposals for qualified electronics technologies and materials and will review and rank submissions to determine the finalists that will pitch their technologies at the Defense TechConnect Innovation Summit & Expo in November. A panel of industry, government and investment subject matter experts will determine awardees of $500,000 and $2 million in government funding.

It will focus first on commercialization in an effort to enhance product innovation, facilitate industrial base growth and draw private investment to benefit national security and government contractors.

“This experiment is an important effort for the electronics technologies industry,” remarked USPAE Executive Director Nathan Edwards. “If we prove it successful, we can radically change the funding process so that it encourages innovation and participation from a broader range of companies.”

For the program, USPAE is also collaborating with ATI’s TechConnect Division, a global research and innovation organization that works to connect funders and emerging technologies.

Navy Commissions Austal USA-Built USS Augusta Littoral Combat Ship
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Navy Commissions Austal USA-Built USS Augusta Littoral Combat Ship

The U.S. Navy has commissioned the USS Augusta (LCS 34), the service branch’s 17th Independence-variant littoral combat ship, during a ceremony held in Eastport, Maine, DVIDS reported Saturday.

The Austal USA-manufactured LCS is the second naval ship named after the capital city of Maine and is the latest vessel to join the Navy’s class of multi-mission ships capable of operating independently in near-shore and open-ocean environments.

Naval Inspector General Vice Adm. John Fuller said the ship will assist maritime operations that “provide presence and support both sea control and power projection.”

Austal USA delivered the USS Augusta to the Navy in May after completing acceptance trials for the vessel.

The company is constructing the service branch’s last two Independence-variant LCS, the future USS Kingsville (LCS 36) and USS Pierre (LCS 28).

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New NSA Cybersecurity Guidance Recommends Additional Requirements for Government IT System Purchases
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New NSA Cybersecurity Guidance Recommends Additional Requirements for Government IT System Purchases

The National Security Agency published a cybersecurity information sheet urging the implementation of a robust supply chain risk management strategy among government departments with national security systems.

The guidance is focused on the acquisition and acceptance testing of servers, laptops and desktop computers, and it encourages the use of platform certificates and trusted platform modules, or TPMs, NSA announced Thursday.

TPMs, which are small security chips that store certificate-related keys, are a required element in the enterprise computer systems purchased by the Department of Defense.

NSA is recommending that TPMs also be a requirement in NSS acquisitions by other agencies. The information sheet also underscored the importance of automated acceptance tests as a security and procurement validation tool for platform certificates from vendors and manufacturers.

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Commerce Department Opens Funding Opportunity for Smaller Semiconductor Supply Chain Projects; Laurie Locascio Quoted
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Commerce Department Opens Funding Opportunity for Smaller Semiconductor Supply Chain Projects; Laurie Locascio Quoted

The Department of Commerce has launched an opportunity for smaller supply chain projects and vendors to secure CHIPS for America funds to produce the equipment, chemicals and other materials that are critical to U.S. semiconductor manufacturing.

The funding opportunity has a two-phase application process and is open to projects with less than $300 million in capital investment focused on building, expanding and modernizing facilities for the semiconductor supply chain, the department said Friday.

Under the initial phase, the Commerce Department will accept — from Dec. 1 to Feb. 1 — concept plans describing how the proposed projects will address the strategic objectives.

With Phase 2, the department will assess the concept plans and ask the selected applicants to submit a full application for the CHIPS incentives.

“The smaller supply chain projects enabled by this funding will play a crucial role in creating a sustainable U.S. semiconductor ecosystem, providing large chipmaking facilities with access to the equipment, materials, and supplies required to boost U.S. domestic manufacturing,” said Laurie Locascio, undersecretary of Commerce for standards and technology.

“By investing up and down the supply chain, CHIPS for America will enable a diverse range of critical businesses to contribute to advancing U.S. technology leadership and fuel innovation for decades to come,” added Locascio, who also serves as director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

DOD, Small Business Administration Launch Critical Technology Investment Initiative; Lloyd Austin Quoted
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DOD, Small Business Administration Launch Critical Technology Investment Initiative; Lloyd Austin Quoted

The Department of Defense’s Office of Strategic Capital and the Small Business Administration’s Office of Investment and Innovation have launched a joint initiative to increase private sector investment in national security technologies.

DOD said Friday that the Small Business Investment Company Critical Technology program will match private capital with federally guaranteed loans to boost investment in critical technology areas and modernize the U.S. national security supplier base.

“In alignment with the National Defense Strategy, the SBICCT Initiative will further enable DoD to work with both government and the private sector to build enduring advantages for the warfighter and for the taxpayer,” said Lloyd Austin, secretary of defense and a 2023 Wash100 awardee.

The SBICCT program is the first initiative launched as part of the SBA-DOD partnership announced in December 2022.

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SEC Awards Chenega Subsidiary $47M Protective Security Force Services BPA
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SEC Awards Chenega Subsidiary $47M Protective Security Force Services BPA

A subsidiary of Alaska native organization Chenega Corporation has won a blanket purchase agreement worth an estimated $47 million from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for protective security force services.

Under the BPA, Chenega Integrated Security Solutions will outfit the SEC’s headquarters and 11 regional offices with security guard services including armed and unarmed enforcement administering access control and emergency response, the Chantilly, Virginia-based company said in an emailed statement to ExecutiveGov on Monday.

The guards installed by CISS — who must be trained and certified via the Force Protection Services smartbook — will additionally conduct screening and patrol duties at the protected SEC locations. The company’s team is also expected to carry out control center monitoring and offer locksmith capabilities.

The services provided by CISS are intended to keep SEC’s staff and their visitors safe.

In July, another of the corporation’s arms, Chenega Security California, landed a $61 million contract from the U.S. Space Force for fire protection, emergency management and emergency medical services.

Chenega Global Protection, which is headquartered in Chantilly alongside CISS, is still working under a $27 million contract from the U.S. Army to facilitate and man security and access control at the Garrison-Kwajalein Atoll / Reagan test site. The contract runs through early 2026.

SEC Awards Chenega Subsidiary $47M Protective Security Force Services BPA

If you want a thorough immersion into all of the ways various government agencies are working to protect the nation and the opportunities they’re giving contractors to assist in this daunting mission, be sure to register for and attend the Potomac Officers Club’s Nov. 15 Homeland Security Summit. This event will be bookended by delicious breakfast and lunch spreads and hosted at the Hilton-McLean in Virginia.

NSF Invests $35M in Research, Seed Grants to Support Biomanufacturing Sector; Sethuraman Panchanathan Quoted
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NSF Invests $35M in Research, Seed Grants to Support Biomanufacturing Sector; Sethuraman Panchanathan Quoted

The National Science Foundation has invested more than $35 million in new research projects to advance the domestic production of biological materials and create cybersecurity and sustainability approaches for the biomanufacturing sector.

Ten projects will each receive up to $3 million in research grants over four years through the Future Manufacturing program for fundamental research and workforce development and 11 projects will each get up to $500,000 in seed grants to develop multidisciplinary teams and generate preliminary results relevant to their proposed research grant proposals, NSF said Thursday.

“NSF will continue to push the frontiers of what is possible — advances such as the manufacturing of biological therapeutics, manufacturing in space and underwater, and optimizing manufacturing with AI — to improve our nation’s prosperity, competitiveness and quality of life,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan.

To date, the agency has invested more than $137 million in Future Manufacturing projects to overcome scientific, technological, economic, educational and social barriers to advancing manufacturing capabilities for U.S. companies.

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HJF’s Corey Hastings Discusses Career Background, Leadership Values & GovCon Business Challenges
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HJF’s Corey Hastings Discusses Career Background, Leadership Values & GovCon Business Challenges

As chief financial officer, senior vice president and treasurer of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Corey Hastings is responsible for more than $500 million military health-focused government contracts and grants.

Hastings recently participated in an interview with the Potomac Officers Club, in which he reflected on his career background, discussed his leadership strengths and shared his insights on the business side of the government technology landscape.

In this excerpt from the interview, Hastings describes his approach to empowering his team:

“While I do value self-awareness, especially in terms of weaknesses and limitations, I choose to support people and organizations by expanding the applicability of their strengths while mitigating – not constantly emphasizing – their weaknesses. I do this because I have seen talented people from all levels of organizations succeed beyond expectations when given the opportunity. I take every opportunity I can to listen to the stories of nurses, doctors and medics of all types who made tremendous sacrifices to care for wounded warriors in the field. Because they work hard in challenging environments, it inspires me to work hard in the challenging environments I face, and hopefully inspire others to do the same.”

Read the full Executive Spotlight interview on the Potomac Officers Club website to learn more about Hastings’ leadership style.

Interested in participating in your own Executive Spotlight interview? This brand-building opportunity — and numerous other benefits — are available exclusively for Potomac Officers Club members. To browse our membership options and discover which one is right for you, click here.

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SBA Names 15 Members of New Invention, Innovation & Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee; Isabella Casillas Guzman Quoted
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SBA Names 15 Members of New Invention, Innovation & Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee; Isabella Casillas Guzman Quoted

The Small Business Administration has named the 15 inaugural members of the Invention, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee, a newly established group that will provide the agency with information, advice and recommendations to enhance U.S. startup and small business innovation ecosystems.

The members bring to the advisory committee diverse experiences, work backgrounds and perspectives and will serve a two-year term, SBA said Thursday.

“The distinguished members of this newly launched advisory committee will serve as an important resource with insights and recommendations to help us build policies and programs that foster American ingenuity, innovation, and economic competitiveness,” remarked SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman.

Philip Gaskin, executive fellow and strategic advisor to the CEO at Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, will serve as IIEAC chair, while Julie Lenzer, chief innovation officer at Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute, will work as vice chair.

To further explore thee IIEAC and the other committee members, click here.

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Sen. Warner Seeks Update From OMB on Legally-Mandated IoT Policy Review
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Sen. Warner Seeks Update From OMB on Legally-Mandated IoT Policy Review

Sen. Mark Warner, D-VA, on Sept. 26 sent Shalanda Young, director of the Office of Management and Budget, a letter reminding her of the need to complete a review of her agency’s policies regarding the security of internet of things devices as required by law.

The review aims to ensure that OMB’s IoT policies are aligned with the cybersecurity guidelines endorsed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the office of Sen. Warner said Tuesday.

The OMB review and the issuance of NIST guidelines are mandated by the Internet of Things Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2020, which Warner sponsored.

NIST complied with the legal requirement in 2021, when it published Special Publication 800-213A, titled, “IoT Device Cybersecurity Guidance for the Federal Government: IoT Device Cybersecurity Requirement Catalog.” OMB was supposed to complete its review within 180 days afterward.

In his letter to Young, Warner expressed concern and disappointment over OMB’s lack of “significant progress” in the conduct of its review. The lawmaker also asked Young to answer within 60 days several questions to determine whether the office is taking the appropriate steps to fulfill its obligation.

These inquiries include how far along OMB is in its IoT policy review, what policies the office has issued to ensure compliance with NIST guidance and which agencies have yet to align their policies with the NIST guidelines.

Warner concluded his letter by applauding OMB for its work in strengthening the cybersecurity of the federal government.

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