This content is brought to you in partnership with the North Carolina Military Business Center.
The North Carolina Defense Technology Transition Office (DEFTECH) is a state-funded entity of the North Carolina Military Business Center. DEFTECH connects the North Carolina Innovation Ecosystem (business, university, community college, public/private partnerships, investors, and North Carolina military bases) with emerging and urgent technology requirements across the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to provide optimum, solutions for our country’s most pressing defense, health, first responder, and law enforcement needs.
DEFTECH aligns N.C. companies with the DoD S&T Communities of Interest and bridges the gap between requirement and solution. DEFTECH provides technology-related business counseling, teaming support, assistance with submissions, and one-on-one mentoring to help N.C. companies navigate the regulated federal buying system.
DEFTECH, serves as a connector or liaison between three basic components:
- Federal urgent and emerging needs that require innovative, cutting-edge solutions
- Federal outreach offices
- The N.C. Innovation Ecosystem
The Department of Defense has established Communities of Interest as a mechanism to encourage multi-agency coordination and collaboration in cross-cutting technology focus areas with broad multiple Component investment. These COIs include: advanced electronics, air platforms, autonomy, biomedical, C4ISR, counter IED, counter WMD, Cyber, directed energy, electronic warfare, energy & power technologies, ground and sea platforms, human systems, kinetic weapons, materials and manufacturing, sensors, and space.
To rapidly fund and acquire prototypes, the government uses Technology Transition: the process by which technology deemed to be of significant use to DoD or DHS is transitioned from a science and technology or a commercial off-the-shelf (COTs) innovation into a funded prototype, tested by government customer, and if successful, can then added as a modification to an existing program of record. These opportunities often use an Other Transactions Authority (OTA) acquisition process that minimizes the time and effort required to submit an idea or solution. The government spends billions of dollars a year using OTAs.
DEFTECH’s goal is to assist N.C. businesses in understanding, navigating, competing and winning a share of this lucrative market.
Want to learn more about DEFTECH? Visit deftech.nc.gov to get the latest news, recent opportunities and technology updates.