AI-powered platform launched to streamline US defence procurement process
In boost to private sector
The US Department of Defense (DoD) is introducing an innovative digital platform enabling companies and academic institutions to match their technologies and products to real-world defence business opportunities in the United States.
The platform, DOD Digital OnRamp, will leverage cutting-edge generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools to connect private sector innovations with critical US military needs, providing a more efficient and secure way for users to discover relevant opportunities.
This new platform, a collaboration between America’s Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) and commercial tech companies, aims to bridge the gap between private sector capabilities and defence requirements.
By integrating advanced AI and large language models, the OnRamp platform streamlines the process of matching technologies to mission needs in a single, unified, and user-friendly digital location. This approach is expected to expedite and simplify the US Department of Defense’s collaboration with commercial and academic innovators.
Cheryl Ingstad, DIU’s Deputy Director of Digital Platforms and Developer Ecosystem, explained that OnRamp’s mission is to create a seamless and secure connection between commercial technology providers and the US Department of Defense.
Integrating datasets
By integrating datasets from various parts of the DoD, OnRamp will help users from the commercial sector discover the most relevant defence opportunities while making solutions visible to defence employees trying to solve mission challenges.
“For commercial innovators, this platform represents a low-barrier entry into defence opportunities,” said Ingstad. “We’re providing a free, intuitive pathway for companies to connect with DoD needs, offering both the technology and the training to succeed in this highly complex sector.”
Engaging with the US DoD has historically been a complex and time-consuming process. Many companies have struggled navigating multiple websites, each with requirements and search functions.
OnRamp addresses these challenges by consolidating opportunities into a single, unified platform. This will enable users to quickly and easily match their capabilities to US defence needs, significantly reducing the time and effort required to access these high-value opportunities.
The OnRamp platform’s AI-powered conversational search tools aim to instantly match commercial technologies with the most appropriate US DoD mission requirements. This shift could significantly speed up the adoption of commercial technologies at scale, which bureaucratic obstacles and disconnected systems have often hindered.
“Imagine the speed and scale of innovation that can be achieved when an AI-enabled platform connects companies, professors, and students to billions of dollars in DoD opportunities,” Ingstad said. “This platform will offer a simple, intuitive pathway for companies to find the right opportunities and for DoD employees to find commercial solutions to mission problems.”
Transformative tool
OnRamp is a transformative tool for the private sector that changes how the US Department of Defense historically shares its business opportunities. Like travel search engines that allow users to compare airline fares across various providers, OnRamp is a single entry point to an extensive range of data sources.
This approach eliminates the need for multiple logins and accounts and the cumbersome task of navigating different websites to find the most relevant opportunities.
The introduction of OnRamp also marks a shift in how the US Department of Defense engages with innovators. Instead of waiting for innovators to conduct individual searches for opportunities, the platform will actively push new opportunities to users, ensuring that no valuable technology goes unnoticed. Additionally, the platform will maintain a real-time repository of private sector capabilities in a secure environment, enhancing the department’s due diligence processes.
The US DIU is assessing user feedback and technical data from a December 2024 demonstration to refine the platform further. The next development phase will involve launching a minimum viable product later this year, which will expand OnRamp’s capabilities and support further collaboration with commercial innovators.
As the platform continues to evolve, Ingstad and her team remain optimistic about its potential to revolutionise how the US DoD and the commercial sector work together to solve complex defence challenges.
“Through the partnership of DIU and the broader defence innovation community, we’re excited to bring speed, scale, and innovation to the defence sector,” Ingstad concluded.
Hero image: US airmen assigned to the 190th Air Refuelling Wing engage in an interactive virtual reality simulator while touring Wichita State University’s Projection Innovation Hub as part of a Defence Innovation Workshop in Wichita, Kansas, on February 13, 2025. Credit: USAF Staff Sgt. Brook Sumonja
Last Updated on 5 days by Arnold Pinto
