War Department Innovation Unit

DIU strengthens our national security by accelerating the adoption of leading commercial technology throughout the military and growing the national security innovation base. We award scalable contracts to companies offering solutions to national security challenges across a variety of technology areas. **The "Why?"** Launched in August 2015 as DIUx by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter Commercial technology was advancing faster than defense R&D Adversaries were outpacing the U.S. in developing and adopting critical innovation The Joint Forces were stuck with slow acquisitions cycles Speed did not match operational needs **The Problem** Traditional DoW acquisition methods are too slow The barriers to entry into the DoW marketplace for first-time, nontraditional and small businesses are too high The DoW relies on long, requirements-driven acquisitions and procurement cycles This risk-averse environment blocks innovation before it can reach warfighters **The Approach** DIU is a DoW "Field Activity," allowing for nimble operations to meet real Joint Force needs Our open solicitations and OTA contracting authority awards prototype contracts in months, not years. Our team includes experts from the commercial sector, military and U.S. government. Our #1 goal is rapid prototyping, transition and delivering results The mission is urgent, and we are your pathway. Whether you're a startup with a breakthrough or a warfighter with a gap, let's deliver the overmatch our warriors deserve.