The Department of War (DoW) has launched the OASW(SO/LIC) Accelerator Event July 2026 under the ONIX Other Transaction Authority (OTA) framework, hosted on the GoColosseum Marketplace. This initiative seeks prototype solutions to address critical gaps in counternarcotics, intelligence, and tactical communications. The challenge encompasses nine distinct problem statements, with the explicit intent of awarding prototype agreements across all areas following a competitive pitch and demonstration event (One Nation Innovation, 2026).
The challenge is managed by One Nation Innovation (ONI) and is currently open for submissions. The submission window opened on June 11, 2026, and closes on July 1, 2026, at 08:00 PM. Following the down-select phase, up to six vendors per problem statement will be invited to pitch and demonstrate their solutions to a specialized panel on July 24, 2026. The panel intends to select one to three vendors per problem statement for same-day prototype agreement awards. Vendors not invited to the in-person event may still have their submissions evaluated for potential awards (One Nation Innovation, 2026).
Challenge Areas and Technical Requirements
The nine challenge areas span a wide range of operational domains, from intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) to advanced communications and alternative navigation systems. A notable inclusion is Challenge Area 9: Open Topic Challenge — an active, open opportunity for vendors to propose innovative solutions for emerging operational gaps within the Special Operations Forces (SOF) enterprise.
| Challenge Area | Focus | Key Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| 1: Low-Cost, Long-Dwell ISR | Counternarcotics detection and monitoring | Minimum 12-hour dwell for airborne platforms; multi-sensor payloads (EO/IR, radar, AIS/ADS-B); cost materially lower than legacy systems. |
| 2: Deanonymization of Illicit Internet Activities | Counter-threat finance | IP tracking across Tor/VPNs; blockchain analytics for major cryptocurrencies; real-time alerting; legally compliant intelligence products. |
| 3: Advanced Geospatial Intelligence | Near real-time reporting on drug trafficking | AI-enabled change detection; all-weather multi-phenomenology collection; unclassified sharing mechanisms. |
| 4: Illicit Drug Crop Estimation | Multi-modal detection and yield modeling | AI/ML spectral analysis of commercial imagery; automated area estimation; multi-source yield modeling; scalable global coverage. |
| 5: Multi-Modal WAPS Payload | Wide Area Persistent Surveillance for Group 3 UAS | Integrated EO/IR WAMI and broadband SIGINT; onboard edge compute for autonomous cross-cueing; weight under 20 lbs; peak power under 250 W. |
| 6: Open-Architecture GOTS Group 3 UAS | Tactical edge adaptability | Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA); zero FSR requirements; payload swaps under 30 minutes using standard tools. |
| 7: BLOS PACE Communications | Beyond Line of Sight architecture without pLEO | Four distinct pathways (Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency); voice, PLI, and data support; man-portable or vehicle-mountable. pLEO solutions are immediately disqualified. |
| 8: Alt-PNT Payload | Alternative/Augmented PNT for Group 2 UxS | Modular payload providing continuous PNT data without GNSS; Signals of Opportunity (SOOP), MAGNAV, Celestial Navigation, or advanced MEMS IMUs. |
| 9: Open Topic Challenge | SOF enterprise key operational problems | OPEN TOPIC — Active opportunity open for submissions. Novel technologies across advanced communications, human performance, survivability, intelligent systems, and novel tactical equipment. |
Challenge Area Detail
Challenge Area 1: Low-Cost, Long-Dwell ISR for Counternarcotics Detection and Monitoring
The DoW Counternarcotics enterprise requires persistent ISR coverage across land, air, and maritime drug trafficking corridors. Current ISR platforms are described as too costly, too limited in dwell time, and too few in number to maintain adequate coverage. The challenge statement calls for platforms and sensor systems spanning air, land, maritime, and space domains, capable of identifying, tracking, and cueing interdiction of drug trafficking activity. Solutions must demonstrate operational effectiveness at a significantly lower cost per hour than current legacy systems. This is explicitly not a request for kinetic finish capability. Commercial space-based ISR options — including electro-optical (EO), synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and radio frequency (RF) — are among the desired capabilities (One Nation Innovation, 2026).
Challenge Area 7: BLOS PACE Communications Architecture Without pLEO Infrastructure
This challenge area is notable for its explicit exclusion of proliferated Low Earth Orbit (pLEO) infrastructure. DoW requires a modernized, cost-effective beyond line of sight (BLOS) PACE architecture providing four distinct communication pathways — Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency — without relying on pLEO constellations. The architecture must support voice, position location information (PLI), and data; demonstrate automated failover where possible; and operate within a man-portable or light tactical vehicle SWaP-C envelope in contested electromagnetic environments. The challenge statement specifies LPI/LPD/LPE consideration across all pathways and ATAK/WINTAK interface compatibility (One Nation Innovation, 2026).
Challenge Area 9: Open Topic Challenge — OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS
This is an active, open opportunity. Challenge Area 9 invites submissions from industry, academia, and non-traditional defense partners.
The Open Topic Challenge seeks innovative prototype solutions capable of addressing a wide range of emerging operational gaps within the SOF enterprise. The challenge does not prescribe a specific technology domain; instead, it encompasses advanced communications, human performance, survivability, intelligent systems, and novel tactical equipment. Proposed solutions must demonstrate a clear path to operationally relevant prototyping and highlight how they address a specific, critical need or vulnerability within current SOF mission sets. The challenge statement emphasizes rapid prototyping, open architecture, and a clear understanding of the austere and contested environments in which SOF operate (One Nation Innovation, 2026).
Acquisition Structure and Timeline
The ONIX OTA framework governs this challenge. The three-phase structure is as follows:
| Phase | Activity | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Submission | Challenge open for vendor proposals | June 11 – July 1, 2026 |
| Phase 1: Down-Select | Evaluation team selects up to 6 vendors per problem statement | Following July 1, 2026 close |
| Phase 2: Pitch & Demo | Selected vendors pitch and demonstrate to a specialized panel | July 24, 2026 (SOLIC Accelerator Event) |
| Phase 3: Same-Day Awards | Panel selects 1–3 vendors per problem statement for prototype agreements | July 24, 2026 |
Vendors are encouraged to submit proposals for multiple problem statements if they possess applicable solutions. Vendors not selected for in-person pitching may still be evaluated for awards (One Nation Innovation, 2026).
Apply here: https://marketplace.gocolosseum.org/public/challenges/96c4e97f-5ea2-406f-88be-7b7b477add64
References
One Nation Innovation. (2026). OASW(SO/LIC): ACCELERATOR EVENT JULY 2026. GoColosseum Marketplace. https://marketplace.gocolosseum.org/public/challenges/96c4e97f-5ea2-406f-88be-7b7b477add64
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