Robins Air Force Base, Ga., hosted its inaugural Spark Cell Pitch Day last Friday in an effort to cut the installation’s average 100-day advanced technology contracting process down to six days, according to a press release.
The event, held at the Advanced Technology and Training Center alongside Air Force Sustainment Center Contracting (AFSC) at Robins AFB, provided an opportunity to assess the capabilities of commercially available virtual reality (VR) training systems in a military environment.
Virtual Reality systems are particularly applicable within the 461^st and 116^th Air Control Wings at Robins, according to the release.
The assessment team seeks to rapidly procure commercially available VR technology for the 461st and 116th Aircraft Maintenance Squadrons working with E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) aircraft. The technology would allow aircraft maintenance training scenarios and modules for JSTARS members, the release said.
Robins AFB Pitch Day engaged 15 VR technology companies to submit proposals from which a short list was invited to give a 15-minute presentation to a committee of subject matter experts on why their technology will best fill the needs of aircraft maintenance personnel within JSTARS.
The Pitch Day also included awarding Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contracts which are often used to engage industry and academia for research and prototyping activities. They also help streamline the acquisitions process, an important factor for the Air Force particularly with information technology that advances rapidly advances, according to the release.
“The innovation and responsibility Other Transactions give back to the contracting officer and the evaluation team is refreshing and just what is needed to be able to execute an award faster and more efficiently,” said Elizabeth Midkiff, Robins AFSC Operational Services Contracting chief. “Pitch days allow the customer and contractors to interact, have live dialogue about the proposed solution, and receive meaningful feedback. Combing an OT with a pitch day was the perfect chemistry.”
At the Inaugural Air Force Pitch Day held this year in New York City, the Air Force awarded companies 51 contracts valued at $8.75 million, according to the release.
After the presentations, the committee worked with Robins AFB OT contracting officers to award one same-day contract.
“The combination of innovation initiatives and rapid agile contracting is the trend in the Air Force as a whole,” said Lt. Col. Jay Vizcarra, Robins AFB Spark Innovation chief. “The innovation hub intends to work closely with AFSC Contracting at Robins (AFB) to bring warfighter capabilities here today and the future faster for Robins.”
Air Force photo by Tommie Horton