IWTSD Innovation

Welcome to the CTTSO Innovation Showcase. Here, Solvers are provided with the opportunity to develop innovative solutions for the unique challenges facing CTTSO in achieving its mission to deliver capabilities to combat terrorism and irregular adversaries to Department of Defense components and interagency partners. We accomplish this through rapid research and development, advanced studies and technical innovation, and provision of support to U.S. military operations. The CTTSO provides a forum for interagency and international users to discuss mission requirements to combat terrorism, prioritize these requirements, fund and manage solutions, and deliver capabilities. The CTTSO accomplishes these objectives through rapid prototyping of novel solutions developed and field tested before the traditional acquisition systems are fully engaged. This low-risk approach encourages interdepartmental and interagency collaboration, thereby reducing duplication, eliminating capability gaps, and stretching development dollars.

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IWTSD Organization

CTTSO soldier

The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict (ASD(SO/LIC)) established Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO) in 1999 to consolidate its research and development programs. The Acting Secretary of Defense on November 18, 2020, authorized the ASD (SO/LIC) to transform the CTTSO to the Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate (IWTSD).

The IWTSD business model identifies and prioritizes requirements of the national interagency community including defense as well as international partners through rapid research, development, testing, and evaluation while providing operational support for demonstration and field testing of irregular warfare solutions. This process prioritizes user requirements and program budgets, employs flexible contracting strategies, and leverages funding resources from partnering agencies to enable effective project selection with the best solution for the resources available.

Here's how the Challenge process works:

Register

Sign up and complete your Solver profile

Review & Accept

Read the description of the Open Challenges in the Challenge Center and accept the Challenge Agreement

Submit

Upload proposed solution(s) you have developed for a specific Challenge

Win

Receive cash awards for solutions accepted by Seeker organizations