APFIT- What is it? And What Do You Need to Know About it?

Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) was first addressed in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2022, in Subtitle D: Provisions Relating to Software and Technology and Section 834.

The program is intended to be a resource to help innovative technologies pass over the infamous valley of death. It is similar to TACFI/STRATFI or Army SBIR CATALYST; however, where TACFI STRATFI & CATALYST are all SBIR programs with R&D funding, APFIT is Procurement funding.

APFIT is an OSD (Office of Secretary of Defense) level program. Its rollout happened quickly in the summer of 2022.

USD R&E Heidi Shyu was involved in selecting the winners, some of which included a technology for doubling the field of view of night-vision goggles, a new sensor for detecting underwater mines, and a low-cost actuation system for munitions to hit moving targets.

How to Start Preparing for the Next APFIT Release

What many don’t know about the 2024 version of APFIT is that it has already come and gone; the submission round is already over. If you’re just hearing about it now, you should start prepping for the FY25 program, which will likely start in mid 2024.

So what do you need to do to be ready for FY25?

Build the right relationships.
Have the right funding conversations as part of a program of record.
Research and plan for the application process.
Be on the lookout for the release of the next iteration (as we mentioned, it tends to be a quick turnaround).

How Much is Awarded

Nomination requests for funding are statutorily limited to $10M-$50M.

Congress funded $100M for APFIT in FY22, OUSD(R&E) selected 10 projects, each to receive $10M.

In FY23, APFIT funding increased to $150M. OUSD(R&E) made 11 selections with values ranged from $10-20M

FY24 APFIT funding doubled from the FY23 appropriations to $300M. To date (as of 18 April 2024) 17 selections have been announced with values from $10-22M and there is an additional $45M+ still available to be awarded.

Is Your Company Qualified for APFIT Funding?

Are you interested in pursuing APFIT funding in future rounds, but don’t know if you qualify?

If you answer yes to these four questions, you could be a candidate:

Do you have an established technology that can use procurement dollars (in other words, are you providing a solution, not further developing one)?
Have you won less than $500 million in DoD contracts?
Are you a small business or a non-traditional defense contractor?
Were you nominated by a DoD Program Office?
Do you have an authorized contract vehicle with $10-50M in available ceiling?

Want to improve your chances?

In FY24, the POM request and Contract Vehicle were both preferred but not mandatory.