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  5. Innovation Funding Programs
  6. Silicon Valley Innovation Program

Silicon Valley Innovation Program

SVIP is keeping pace with the innovation community to tackle the hardest problems faced by DHS and the Homeland Security Enterprise. SVIP expands DHS S&T’s reach to find new technologies that strengthen national security with the goal of reshaping how government, entrepreneurs and industry work together to find cutting-edge solutions. Based in California’s Silicon Valley, the program reaches out to innovation communities across the nation and around the world to harness the commercial R&D ecosystem for technologies with government applications and to co-invest in and accelerate technology transition-to-market. We offer U.S. and international start-ups up to $2M in non dilutive funding over 24 months to carry out prototype projects and possibly transition successful projects to production. 

Watch the Video

A video link for Silicon Valley Innovation Program. #startups welcome

Funding Mechanism

SVIP utilizes the Innovation Other Transaction Solicitation (OTS) — SVIP OTS 70RSAT21R00000006 to engage with organizations that do not usually work with the government in order to carry out prototype projects and possibly transition successful projects to production. This engagement is intended to assist new companies so they have more opportunities to work with DHS through targeted non-dilutive funding and provide opportunities for operational testing and market access. Through SVIP, DHS intends to incentivize product developers to open the aperture of their development road maps to include homeland security solutions.

Program Phases

Total $200K to 2 Million over 24 months; 3-4 tranches of non-dilutive funding ($50-$500K/3-6 months). Total funding amount determined by each topic all. Phase 1: Proof of Concept Demo; Phase 2: Demo Pilot-ready Prototype; Phase 3: Functional and Red Team Testing; Phase 4: Pilot/test in an Operational Environment. Phase 5: May be awarded if the government determines that further operational testing is required, and/or the technology is applicable in additional DHS use cases. Phase 5 Other Transactional Agreements will be scaled to fit the cost and length of time for the mission need/requirement and are not restricted by Phases 1-4.

 

Eligibility Requirements. While the Department's "Other Transaction" authority extends to "non-traditional government contractors." SVIP targets only a subset of those performers that meet the following requirements: Blue circle logo with world map. Phase I applicants may be based in U.S. or internationally. Blue circle logo with the & sign. Phase 1 applicants must register for a Unique Entity ID (UEID) in SAM.gov prior to award. Blue logo with three persons with less than 200. Phase I applicants must have fewer than 200 employees or full-time equivalents (FTEs). Calculations for FTEs must account for and include affiliated businesses- such as parent companies and subsidiaries-that are either in or outside of the U.S.. Flag with stars and stripes. Phase 1 applicants must not have been a party to any Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) - based contract and/or federally awarded grant or cooperative agreement with a combined total of more than $1,000,000 in the past 12 months whether as a prime contractor or a subcontrator.

For more details on eligibility, please refer to SVIP's Innovation Other Transaction Solicitation (OTS) — SVIP OTS 70RSAT21R00000006

SVIP is accepting applications for the Privacy Preserving Digital Credential Wallets & Verifiers topic, which calls for solutions that catalyze, develop, enhance, and operationalize a set of privacy preserving building blocks that can support the needs of a privacy preserving digital credentialing ecosystem and ensure that solutions support and enable an ecosystem that is accessible, open, competitive, diverse, and vibrant. View the topic call on SAM.gov for submission requirements and how to apply. Applications are due September 15, 2023, by 12 noon PT. 

The SVIP solicitation seeks technical capabilities needed to support DHS’s operational missions. Applications must focus on at least one of the following technical topic areas:

  1. Digital Wallet: DHS is seeking digital wallets that are useful across contexts and jurisdictions, can support the broad range of credentials possible with W3C VCDM/DID standards that include verified support for DHS issued credentials, and are portable, highly secure, privacy-preserving, standards-based, interoperable, and multi-functional.
  2. Mobile Verifier: DHS is seeking software-based Verifier implementations that can be deployed on mobile devices, including on iOS and Android based devices, that can support the broad range of credentials possible with W3C VCDM/DID standards to include verified support for DHS issued credentials.

This SVIP Call seeks privacy preserving technical capabilities that directly support and integrate with the three-party digital identity model (issuer, holder, verifier) that could serve the mission needs of DHS Operational Components and Offices including:

  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
  • DHS Privacy Office (PRIV)

On August 18, 2023, SVIP will host the Privacy Preserving Digital Credential Wallets and Verifiers Industry Day—a hybrid event with in-person discussion panels and Q&A, networking, and office hour opportunities in Birmingham, AL. Industry Day participants will hear from SVIP and DHS Operational Agencies about this funding opportunity, the operational use cases, the technical requirements for submissions, and how to apply. Register here.

Prior to applying to a specific call, please review SVIP’s Innovation Other Transaction Solicitation (OTS)—SVIP OTS 70RSAT21R00000006. The OTS describes the overall program framework and eligibility criteria. Individual calls describing specific technical areas and use cases will be issued under the Innovation OTS in the future.

Benefits

 

Blue circle logo with clipboard and checklist. Equity Free Performance-based contracts: Up to $800K in non-dilutive funding available. Blue circle logo with three people connected by lines. Network: Instant access to DHS public/private sector partnerships and the greater homeland security enterprise, a $444B market. Blue circle logo with silhouettes of three people. Mentorship: Learn from the best. We have a deep bench of government and private sector partners who can offer guidance and make introductions. Blue circle logo with checkmark. Market Validation: Find market fit through prototype testing and pilot opportunities. Blue circle logo with megaphone. Amplify Your Reach: Opportunity to demo your product to government, industry, and investors around the world. Blue circle logo with bag of money. Follow-on Funding: Our portfolio companies have received follow-on funding by venture capital investors.

Press Releases and Media Advisories

S&T Snapshots

USST-SVIP Related Blogs

For more information or to be added to our mailing list, email dhs-silicon-valley@hq.dhs.gov.

Last Updated: 09/15/2023
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