INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY DISCOVERY EXPERIMENT (ITDX) 2026

Broad Agency Announcement

for

Intelligence Technology Discovery Experiment (ITDX) 2026

DISCLAIMER:

THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION: No award will be made because of this request. This RFI is for informational and planning purposes only.  This is not an Invitation for a Bid, a Request for a Proposal, or a Request for a Quotation. No solicitation document exists, and a formal solicitation will not be issued by the Government after receiving responses to this RFI. The Government will not be liable for payment of any costs incurred in response to this RFI, participation in the Intelligence Technology Discovery Experiment 2026, and is under no obligation to act in any way on the information received. No costs incurred by interested companies in response to this announcement will be reimbursed. The information provided may be used by the Army in developing a future acquisition strategy, Performance Work Statement, Statement of Objectives and/or Performance Based Specification(s). Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response.

PURPOSE:

The U.S. Army Futures and Concepts Center (FCC), through its Intelligence Concepts & Experimentation Division (ICED), will conduct an experiment to examine solutions for future requirements within the Artificial Intelligence (AI) domain. The purpose of this experiment is to identify and explore the development of specific algorithms necessary to create a Minimally Viable Product (MVP) for a future "AI Analyst." This AI Analyst will be a multi-technology AI tool designed to assist Military Intelligence (MI) Professionals by performing intelligence tasks to the same standard as a human analyst, ultimately enabling the Army to gain and maintain operational and tactical advantages.

BACKGROUND:

The Army Intelligence Enterprise needs to adopt and incorporate advanced AI technologies to keep pace with the complexities of the future battlefield. To address this, the ICED S&T team has been tasked to develop an AI Analyst. While many AI technologies currently exist, they have not been specifically tailored to the unique, multi-faceted tasks performed by intelligence analysts. This experiment, ITDX26, will explore the best existing and emerging technologies and inform how they can be adapted to build and test the specific algorithms required for the AI Analyst MVP. This effort is critical to developing a new capability that will enhance the speed and fidelity of the Army's decision-making process.

INFORMATION REQUESTED:

Interested parties with the ability to prototype and demonstrate emerging AI capabilities that answer the below technology focus area should submit a whitepaper not to exceed 10 pages in length. In addition, interested parties are required to submit a one-page PowerPoint technology quad chart depicting an image of the capability, a capability description, objectives for the event, and a point of contact. Templates for these documents will be provided as enclosures. The selected technologies will be integrated and presented to the Government during the ITDX26 execution.

Note: All correspondence including the Request for the Reference Design Document and Whitepaper shall have correct CUI markings in accordance with DoDI5200.48 –Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). 

INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY DISCOVERY EXPERIMENT 2026 FOCUS AREAS

The experiment is focused on developing and evaluating AI algorithms capable of performing the sixteen intelligence tasks listed below. Proposed solutions should address one or more of these tasks, with the goal of demonstrating how AI can automate or augment the analytical process. The key essential elements of analysis for this experiment are to determine the best AI algorithms for these tasks, identify current limitations, understand how different algorithms will interact, and assess the speed and efficiency of data processing

1. Prepare an Annex B (Intelligence)
2. Prepare an Annex L (Information Collection)
3. Build a Modified Combined Obstacles Overlay (MCOO)
4. Prepare a Terrain Effects Matrix
5. Prepare a Weather Effects Matrix
6. Prepare a Key Systems by Warfighting Function Assessment
7. Produce a Doctrinal Template
8. Produce Courses of Action
9. Produce a Situational Template
10. Prepare a Civilian Considerations Assessment
11. Conduct Battle Damage Assessment (BDA)
12. Perform Pattern Analysis
13. Perform Link Analysis
14. Produce products on a Map
15. Produce a Collection Plan
16. Prepare an Event Template

PLANNING TIMELINE

• PHASE 1:
  • Technology Selection. Technologies will be assessed for their applicability to the AI Analyst tasks and their potential to address key intelligence gaps. Selected partners will be notified and invited to participate in planning events and technical integration meetings. This phase begins with the receipt of this BAA and ends with notification to selected vendors in approximately August 2026.
• PHASE 2:
  • Technical Integration. In this phase, selected partners will work with subject matter experts from the Intelligence Concepts & Experimentation Division to design a demonstration of the technology in a controlled environment. A series of regular technical integration meetings will occur to develop an experimentation pathway and a data collection plan. This phase begins with vendor notification and ends with a detailed experimentation plan.
• PHASE 3:
  • Execution. This phase will take place from approximately 7-18 September 2026. All parties will arrive at the experiment site, and selected partners will begin setting up their technologies with government SMEs. The experiment will be conducted to evaluate the performance of the algorithms against the identified intelligence tasks.
• PHASE 4:
  • Evaluation and Reporting. This phase begins with the collection of all data elements from the experiment. Data will be collected on the performance, configuration, and usability of each system. Feedback will also be gathered from MI professionals interacting with the technology. After the conclusion of the experiment ICED personnel will publish a written report. No vendor proprietary information will be shared outside of government control.

CONTRACTOR SUPPORT.

The Government may use contracted personnel to provide administrative assistance to federal employees regarding all aspects of any actions ensuing from this announcement, including the evaluation of white papers. However, federal employees will be responsible for actual reviews and evaluations. Government support contractors will be bound by appropriate non-disclosure agreements (NDA) to protect proprietary and source-selection information. By submission of a white paper, offerors are hereby granting support contractors access to financial, confidential, proprietary, and/or trade secret markings.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Submitted White Papers are discouraged from being marketing in nature or previously submitted ideas. The ICED is looking for true innovative, out‐of‐the‐box thinking, conceptual approaches, and ideas with respect to the focus areas listed. White Papers must be in the following format:

1. All White Paper submissions must be UNCLASSIFIED.

1. No more than 10 pages in length, single spaced in Microsoft Word or .pdf compatible format including graphs, pictures, and analyses. Documents longer than 10 pages will not be considered in their entirety. White Paper Data Sheet, Cover page and table of contents, if included, will not be included in the page count.

1. Page size shall be 8.5x 11 inches; Margins one inch, font size shall be 12 point, legible for tables and figures.

1. The ITDX 26 Data Sheet (Appendix A) must be filled out and attached clearly outlining which “Focus Area(s)” the white paper pertains to. This ensures adequate and timely consideration.

Note: All correspondence including the Request for the Reference Design Document and Whitepaper shall have correct CUI markings in accordance with DoDI5200.48 –Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). 

POINT OF CONTACT INFORMATION:

BAA Point(s) of Contact are:

Primary: James Hess, Ph.D.

            Email: james.h.hess.civ@army.mil

            Phone: 520-713-8832