PEO MLB's Naval Applications and Business Services (NABS) portfolio issued the challenge, seeking generative AI and machine learning (ML) solutions that will enable Navy users to use secure AI capabilities in a practical, real-world way. NABS delivers enterprise business applications and services that support Department of the Navy personnel and other Department of Defense (DOD) customers using best practices and common naval solutions.
Secure Al/ML solutions stand to be game changers for the Navy. These tools promise to increase operational efficiency by easing the burden of routine task loads and freeing up resources for mission-critical work -- making them a key area of interest for NABS in their support of warfighters and civilians.
Organized by NIWC Atlantic and its Palmetto Tech Bridge, the competition was one of two PEO MLB's prize challenges awarded at EDS, formerly known as the Charleston Defense Contractors Association (CDCA) Defense Summit. Finalists for the other competition -- PEO MLB's Marine Corps Logistics Integrated Information Solutions (LI2S-MC) portfolio's AI Portfolio Optimization initiative -- also presented at the conference.
These were the first two PEO MLB-sponsored prize challenges, said Mary Thoms, executive director of PEO MLB. "We initiated these challenges to harness industry's innovative spirit to help us solve difficult problems, while building partnerships with organizations that have not historically worked with the DOD or the federal government."
Over 50 participants from a diverse array of companies submitted proposals for PEO MLB's two challenges. Five finalists were selected to present their proposed solution to a panel of government experts during the Innovation Pitch Jam of the CDCA's annual EDS. Each presentation was followed by a government Q&A session.
CNXN Helix won first place for their air-gapped AI platform that supports large AI models, while empowering users with no-code and low-code interfaces.
CNXN Helix's Jeff Minushkin and Rai Basharat delivered the winning presentation, highlighting several use cases in which their team successfully deployed scalable, flexible versions of their platform within the defense environment.
Alltius came in a close second for their AI environment, which allows non-technical users to quickly create chatbots that automate tasks.
The other three companies that competed were Defense Unicorns, Unstructured and dMetrics, who earned an honorable mention for their presentation on a secure enterprise knowledge management platform.
PEO MLB Technical Director Brandon Wehler announced the prize winners during CDCA's closing Award Ceremony on Dec. 12.
"We are blown away by the presentations we heard and are so grateful to every company that participated," Wehler said. "Collaboration with industry partners is essential to ensuring our Sailors and Marines have the best technology at their back."
Michael Brown, the competition's lead judge and NABS Principal Assistant Program Manager, said PEO MLB's first foray into the world of government prize challenges was a tremendously positive and rewarding experience.
"AI is a functionality our users sorely need, but it's not a capability they necessarily know how to ask for," Brown said. "Our two winners nailed the intent of this prize challenge, which was to help make AI tools more accessible to Navy users who are not coders or technology experts. Our winners truly considered how to deliver an AI platform that just works -- and all within the constraints of the defense environment."
Government prize challenges allow federal agencies to leverage the power of competition to deliver innovation for the public good. Live events like the Innovation Pitch Jam at EDS heighten awareness of commercial sector solutions and promote the flow of innovative ideas in a dynamic environment. These events carry the potential to drive collaborative research and development agreements among public problem solvers.
NIWC Atlantic Executive Director Peter C. Reddy emphasized how the warfare center's prize challenges represent a new way of approaching problems and getting things done.
Shifting conversations into the context of a specific problem or need has the effect of supercharging collaboration between government and industry, he said. "Whether you win or lose, the insights you gave us and the awareness and the connections we made will hopefully lead to follow-on collaboration so we can move forward and solve these important challenges for the Department of the Navy."
About PEO MLB
The Program Executive Office for Manpower, Logistics and Business Solutions (PEO MLB) is the Department of the Navy's (DON) acquisition agent for manpower, logistics and business solutions information technology. The systems and solutions PEO MLB develops, acquires and delivers enable the DON's day-to-day business and financial operations. PEO MLB provides Sailors, Marines, DON civilians and their support systems with the services needed to complete their missions and tools to manage their careers. PEO MLB's portfolio includes MyNavy Portal, Navy Personnel and Pay (NP2), Ready Relevant Learning, Navy Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Global Combat Support System - Marine Corps (GCSS-MC) and more. Follow them on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/peomlb/.
About NIWC Atlantic
As a part of Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, NIWC Atlantic provides systems engineering and acquisition to deliver information warfare capabilities to the naval, joint and national warfighter through the acquisition, development, integration, production, test, deployment, and sustainment of interoperable command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, cyber and information technology capabilities. Follow them on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/navwar/.
About Palmetto Tech Bridge
With strong partnership from the Office of Naval Research and NavalX, the Palmetto Tech Bridge fosters a culture of collaboration in South Carolina and beyond by connecting Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic and other government labs with hubs of tech innovation in the private and public sectors in order to address warfighter challenges with solutions that can scale globally in the following technology areas: Autonomy, Assured Communications, Cybersecurity, Applied AI/ML, ISR and LVC. Follow them on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/palmetto-tech-bridge/.