The London Tech Bridge is a joint U.S. Department of the Navy and U.K. Royal Navy partnership for innovation, development, and acquisition. This notice announces the first in the London Tech Bridge Pathfinder Challenge Series – APEX Undersea Challenge.
The APEX Undersea Challenge is open to academia and industry, with Novel and Small to Medium Size Enterprises strongly encouraged to participate alongside the traditional Defense suppliers.
Challenge grant proposals are sought with a value up to £50,000 (~$70,000) for a 6-month period of performance.
Challenge Problem Statements
1. High Bandwidth Long Range Underwater Cooperative Network
True practical acoustic or other, high bandwidth underwater network to meet the needs of exploiting UUVs in support of naval operations. The solution would allow heterogeneous communication (UUV platform to platform and platform to C2 node) for collaborative mission management, mission monitoring and data transfer to decision maker.
2. Sense and Avoid of underwater obstacles for UXV (UUV and USV)
Detect, classify, and automatically defeat/avoid static underwater obstacles, such as nets, and uncharted wrecks, and dynamic surface and near surface obstacles, such as props, keels, and containers, which pose mission fail threats to UUV and USV operations.
White Paper Submission
White papers are highly encouraged for all applicants seeking funding from this APEX Undersea Challenge. London Tech Bridge will invite those teams submitting white papers with the most promising concepts to submit a full proposal.
White papers due Friday 5 March 2021 at 23:59 GMT.
Important Dates
05-Mar-21, 23:59 GMT – White Paper Submission Date
12-Mar-21, 17:00 GMT – Notification of White Paper Valuation*
09-Apr-21, 23:59 GMT – Full Proposal Submission
19-Apr-21, 17:00 GMT – Notification of Selection: Full Proposals*
17-May-21, 17:00 GMT – Grant Awards*
Note: * These are approximate dates.
