Partnership Intermediary Agreemetns Concerning Improving Technology Transfer and Non-Traditional Defense Industry Engagement | AFCYBERWORX 0001

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This opportunity is a Department of Defense, U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) initiative focused on setting up one or more Partnership Intermediary Agreements (PIAs) to strengthen technology transfer and expand engagement with non-traditional defense organizations, especially small businesses and educational institutions. The effort is tied to the mission of Air Force CyberWorx, a USAFA-associated organization that works to connect Air Force needs with external innovation communities. The core goal is to make collaborative and joint activities between AF CyberWorx and outside partners more likely to succeed, particularly activities that stimulate technology development and enable both outbound and inbound technology transfer (often abbreviated as T2) among USAFA, academia, industry, and federal laboratories.

Rather than being a conventional grant or procurement contract, the mechanism being pursued is a PIA authorized under 15 U.S.C. 3715. That statute allows federal laboratories and related organizations to work with a "partnership intermediary" to help bridge government innovation assets and external innovators. In practical terms, a partnership intermediary is typically an organization with experience convening cross-sector partners, building innovation networks, scouting and vetting technologies, and helping translate lab or government-developed capabilities into real-world applications. Under this opportunity, USAFA is looking for an intermediary that can provide services that support and operationalize AF CyberWorx objectives, especially where success depends on relationship-building, coordination, and navigating the frictions that often slow collaboration between government entities and non-traditional partners.

A key point in the announcement is that any resulting agreement would be non-Federal Acquisition Regulation (non-FAR) based. That means it is not being issued as a standard FAR contract vehicle, and it is not presented as a typical financial assistance award like a grant or cooperative agreement. Instead, it is a specialized agreement instrument enabled by statute for partnership support and technology transfer facilitation. The listing also makes clear that responding to the request for information (RFI) or even entering into a PIA does not itself commit or obligate funds from either party. In other words, the Air Force is signaling interest in establishing the partnership framework and intermediary services, but not promising funding simply by virtue of participation at this stage or through the existence of the agreement. Any later funding, if it occurs, would be handled through subsequent actions consistent with the agreement structure and applicable authorities.

From the published source data, the opportunity title is "Partnership Intermediary Agreemetns Concerning Improving Technology Transfer and Non-Traditional Defense Industry Engagement" and the funding opportunity number is AFCYBERWORX 0001. The opportunity category is listed as discretionary, and the funding instrument type is "Other," which aligns with the non-FAR, statutory-agreement nature of a PIA rather than a standard grant or contract. The activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development, and the associated CFDA number is 12.800, which is generally tied to Department of Defense research and development-related assistance listings. The agency is the Department of Defense, Air Force Academy. The posting shows a creation date of January 17, 2019, and an original closing date of February 28, 2019. It lists an award ceiling of $0, reinforcing the point that this is not being presented as a traditional funded grant competition with a defined maximum award amount. The expected number of awards is listed as 6, suggesting USAFA was considering multiple intermediaries or multiple agreements to cover different needs, regions, or capability areas.

Eligibility is described broadly as "Others," with a note to consult additional eligibility information in the full text/attachment. That phrasing is commonly used when the agency expects eligible applicants to include non-traditional entities that do not fit neatly into standard categories, such as nonprofits, consortia managers, tech-based economic development organizations, university-affiliated research foundations, or other entities that can meet the statutory definition of a partnership intermediary under 15 U.S.C. 3715(c). In general, the most competitive respondents for a PIA role tend to be organizations that can demonstrate an established network across startups, small businesses, universities, investors or accelerators, and government labs, along with credible processes for sourcing problems, matching partners, and accelerating technology maturation and transfer.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as USAFA seeking an enabling partner (or partners) to serve as connective tissue between AF CyberWorx and the broader innovation ecosystem. The intermediary services are meant to reduce barriers to collaboration, increase the throughput and success rate of joint projects, and improve the practical movement of technology and know-how between the Academy and external organizations. The notice repeatedly points readers to an attachment for full details, which likely contains the specific scope of services, desired qualifications, response instructions to the RFI, and any reporting, performance, or coordination expectations envisioned under a PIA.

• The Department of Defense, Air Force Academy in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Partnership Intermediary Agreemetns Concerning Improving Technology Transfer and Non-Traditional Defense Industry Engagement" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.800.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 17, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 28, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 6 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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