The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) strengthens our national security by accelerating the adoption of commercial technology throughout the military and growing the national security innovation base. DIU partners with organizations across the Department of Defense (DoD), from the services and components to combatant commands and defense agencies, to rapidly prototype and field advanced commercial solutions that address national security challenges. With offices in Silicon Valley, Boston, Austin, and the Pentagon, DIU connects its DoD partners with leading technology companies across the country.

DIU is the only DoD organization focused exclusively on fielding and scaling commercial technology across the U.S. military at commercial speeds. We are focused on six technology areas where the commercial sector is operating at the leading edge: advanced energy & materials, artificial intelligence, autonomy, cyber, human systems, and space.

The Defense Innovation Unit helps minimize up-front costs for commercial tech companies interested in working with the Department of Defense (DoD). We reduce the amount of time it takes from problem identification to prototyping a commercial solution and implementing it in the field. Our powerful DoD network, agile processes, contract authority, and diverse team of experts can accelerate a path to revenue for your company. Check our website today for open solicitations to see if your technology or product could not only solve a national security challenge but also scale to users across DoD.

We aim to move from problem identification to prototype contract award in 60–90 days whereas the traditional DoD contracting process often takes more than 18 months. Prototype projects typically run from 12–24 months and are administered according to Other Transaction (OT) authority. Upon completion, successful prototypes may transition to follow-on production-OT agreements or FAR-based contracts.