AI Assisted Triage & Treatment Challenge

DIU Presents: AI-assisted Triage & Treatment Challenge

Overview:

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), in partnership with Project Manager Soldier Medical Devices, and other Department of War (DoW) stakeholders, seek innovative, deployable solutions to monitor and assess hemodynamic status in forward combat medical environments. This challenge focuses on portable, network-capable systems that enable real-time medical triage and predictive warning of dangerous physiological conditions, while remaining usable by both medical and non-medical personnel in austere, contested, and Denied, Disrupted, Intermittent, and Limited (DDIL) settings.

Following submission, solutions will be evaluated through a government-led, multi-phase process, including pitch sessions with selected teams. Up to eight (8) finalists will be awarded a share of a total prize pool of $999,000 and invited to demonstrate their technologies during the Sword operational exercise scheduled for May 2026.

Prize challenges may be used to inform the selection of teams for subsequent prototype efforts. DIU has approved a budget and execution plan to negotiate prototype OT projects, pursuant to 10 U.S.C. § 4022, to eligible companies following the conclusion of Sword 26 without additional competitions. Top performers from Sword 26 will be considered to further mature solutions into operationally relevant capabilities that could be delivered at scale.

Benefits of Participating:

• $999,000 in total funding split among the top-performing finalist companies
• Selected teams may be invited by DIU to submit a proposal for an Other Transaction for Prototype Projects pursuant to 10 U.S.C. § 4022, without further competition 
• Engagement opportunities with mission partners and DoW leaders for selected teams, including potential participation in future exercises to demonstrate and integrate capabilities

Timeline:

All dates are tentative and subject to change

Prize Challenge (Phases 1-3)

1. Open Call Announcement & Downselect

• Feb 17, 2026: Open Call Release (DIU Website)
• Feb 26, 2026: AMA Session (11:00 AM ET) Register Here
• Mar 2, 2026: Open Call Submission Window Closes
• Week of Mar 9, 2026: Semi-finalists Notified

2. Pitch Event

• Apr 7-8, 2026: Virtual Pitches & Interviews
• Apr 10, 2026: Finalists Notified

3. Demonstration Event 

• May 8-12, 2026: Sword 2026 Demonstration Event
• Week of Jun 8, 2026: Winners Announced

Prototype Other Transaction

4. Proposal Submission

• June 2026: Top performers from Sword 2026 may be invited to submit a proposal for an Other Transaction Award for Prototype Projects pursuant to 10 U.S.C. § 4022, without further competition

Problem Statement:

The Department of War (DoW) currently utilizes an analog, paper-based triage system at point of injury in battlefield settings. This system is time consuming and severely limits real-time visibility for military care providers. This lack of a shared healthcare operating picture is inefficient and threatens force-wide survivability from point of injury to definitive care. To overcome this critical challenge, an AI-Assisted Triage and Treatment tool is required to establish a live, networked, common operating picture of all casualties, enabling commanders and medical personnel to prioritize, manage, and disposition patients effectively in real-time. The objective is to reduce and predict preventable deaths and improve the efficiency of combat medic personnel and first responders.

Background:

Current monitoring methods rely on frequent evaluation for subtle changes in vital signs (e.g., heart rate, systolic blood pressure) to assess for pending circulatory collapse from internal or external bleeding. Medical personnel conducting Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) at the point-of-injury are frequently overwhelmed, partly because existing triage approaches require manual and sequential assessments. Efficient triage and continued re-assessment is also a challenge for medical providers and teams during Mass Casualty (MASCAL) situations. These challenges are compounded with a loss of overall situational awareness and can result in delayed life-saving interventions and inappropriate resource allocation. Decreased situational awareness and inappropriate resource allocation is an even greater risk in austere and Denied, Disrupted, Intermittent, and Limited (DDIL) environments, where continuous and reliable communications are limited.

First responders and medical personnel require a ruggedized medical trauma sensing device to enable simultaneous triage and proactive intervention across multiple patients to improve survival rates during MASCAL events and Large Scale Combat Operations.

End User: DoW

Judging Criteria:

White Paper submissions will be judged on six (6) major criteria: 

1. Introduction: Clarity and conciseness of the innovation, capability, and relevance to Army needs.
2. System Effectiveness: Effectiveness in improving triage speed and casualty throughput, with operational and regulatory viability.
3. Technical Feasibility: Architecture clarity, security readiness, and technical risk.
4. System Scalability/Economics: Production scale, cost viability, and supply chain resilience.
5. Commercial Viability: Viability in non-defense markets and financial sustainability.
6. Submission Quality: Clarity and evidence quality.

Desired Capabilities Features:

The DoW seeks to procure a portable, network-capable hemodynamic status monitoring device optimized for use in forward combat medical environments. The solution should enable rapid reusability, simplified sterilization, and field serviceability to support high patient turnover and prolonged field care. Solutions should also provide predictive warning indicators of dangerous hemodynamic status. Successful solutions will prioritize usability by delivering a minimally-disruptive place-and-forget device for use by medical and non-medically-trained personnel. Additionally, information must be portrayed in a readily available and comprehensible way to users in the immediate vicinity.

Desired features for sensing hardware include: ruggedized for harsh, austere environments - to include airworthiness; lightweight; small; and functional for a minimum of 72 hours without recharge. Devices can be either wearable or standoff, but must have a means to transmit information wirelessly.

Desired features for software and networking include: integration into DoW and allied data systems (eg, the electronic health record), applications, and fielded products (e.g., BATDOK, ATAK); cloud and on-premise functionality to enable streamlined continuity of information across medical personnel in multiple contexts. Internal data logging should be possible for DDIL operations, and where network capability exists, data transfers should occur with minimal delay.

In addition to delivering capability for real-time medical triage, solutions that are extensible for other use-cases are a plus. These may include, but are not limited to, TCCC integration, medical resupply, casualty evacuation (CASEVAC), and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC). Regardless of the use-case, solutions must be capable of being rapidly fielded to multiple theaters and exportable to allies. 

Should the Government elect to award a transaction for a prototype project under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 4022, companies will be expected to provide up to 30 systems for battlefield testing as part of Phase 3.

Minimally viable products deemed medical devices must seek FDA 510(k) clearance for use (minimally, in trauma patients) and receive clearance before procurement and fielding to the force. Companies should also be capable of having manufacturing capabilities in place to deliver up to 15,000 units in the first year of production and be prepared to scale further in subsequent years. DIU may be able to assist in accelerating timelines for research approvals, subject to applicable processes and approvals.

Any prototyping effort resulting from this Challenge is expected to involve hardware, software, and networking components; these efforts may be executed by a single company bringing a comprehensive solution or by multiple companies working in a teaming arrangement and demonstrating interoperability. Companies are also welcome to present their own teaming arrangements in their submitted white paper.

Existing authority to operate (ATO) for device solutions and/or certification as a system of record are a plus. Vendors with a cloud solution must possess or be able to obtain Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) Moderate accreditation along with Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Impact Level (IL)-5 provisional authority (PA) or offer solutions that are compatible with services that have already attained an ATO and are DISA IL-5-compliant. Final product(s) must be compliant with FedRAMP High Impact Risk Level. 

Vendors possessing or able to obtain a U.S. National Security Facility Clearance are a plus.  

DIU requires that respondents to this Challenge acknowledge their familiarity with the Department of War (DoW) Ethical Principles for Artificial Intelligence and the DIU Responsible AI (RAI) Guidelines that implement them. Companies responding to this Challenge will be expected to align their work with the Responsible AI Guidelines, where applicable. Inability to align with these Guidelines may affect selection.

It is anticipated that human subjects research may be required in performance of any subsequent agreement(s). Therefore, offerors should be aware that compliance with 32 CFR 219, DoDI 3216.02 will be mandatory, as applicable.

Submission Requirements:

Entries that do not comply with these instructions will not be accepted. 

Companies must submit a white paper using the provided Word or PDF template that describes their proposed solution and addresses the features outlined above. Submissions may not exceed five (5) total pages and must use 11-point Calibri font with single-spaced formatting.

• Do not modify the template’s margins or formatting.
• Use the embedded prompts to structure your response. These prompts directly correspond to the evaluation criteria and should guide the organization of your white paper.
• An additional references section is permitted but must be included within the established page limit.
• Footnotes are not permitted.
• Delete the instructional text on the template prior to submission.
• Submit the final white paper as a PDF file.

About Project Manager Soldier Medical Devices

Project Manager Soldier Medical Devices (PM SMD) executes the modernization and advanced development of medical materiel for the Army. From cradle to grave, PM SMD is the Life Cycle Manager, managing the development, integration and distribution of medical devices, shelters, sets, kits & outfits (SKOs) from point of injury through all roles of care on the battlefield. 

About the Defense Innovation Unit

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) strengthens national security by accelerating the adoption of commercial technology in the Department of Defense and bolstering our allied and national security innovation bases. DIU partners with organizations across the DoD to rapidly prototype and field dual-use capabilities that solve operational challenges at speed and scale. With offices in Silicon Valley, Boston, Austin, Chicago and Washington, DC, DIU is the Department’s gateway to leading technology companies across the country.

Intellectual Property Considerations:

Applicants retain ownership of existing Intellectual Property (IP) submitted under this Challenge and agree that their submissions are their original work. Applicants are presumed to have sufficient rights to submit the submission. For any submission made to the Challenge, you grant DIU a limited license to use this IP for testing and evaluation for efforts specifically related to the Challenge. DIU will negotiate with individual competitors in the event additional usage, integration, or development is contemplated.

Other Transaction Authority:

This DIU Challenge public announcement is an open call to small businesses and non-traditional defense contractors seeking innovative, commercial technologies proposed to create new DoW solutions or potential new capabilities fulfilling requirements, closing capability gaps, or providing potential technological advancements, technologies fueled by commercial or strategic investment, but also concept demonstrations, pilots, and agile development activities improving commercial technologies, existing Government-owned capabilities, or concepts for broad Defense application(s). As such, the Government reserves the right to award a contract or an Other Transaction agreement for any purpose, to include a prototype or research, under this public announcement. The Federal Government is not responsible for any monies expended by the applicant before award and is under no obligation to award additional procurement transactions.

Satisfying Competition Requirements:

This DIU Challenge Open Call Announcement is considered to have potential for further efforts that may be accomplished via FAR-based contracting instruments, Other Transaction Authority (OTA) for Prototype Projects 10 USC 4022 and Research 10 USC 4021, Prizes for advanced technology achievements 10 USC 4025. The public open call announcement on DIU’s website is considered to satisfy the reasonable effort to obtain competition in accordance with 10 USC 4025(b), and 10 USC 4022 (b)(2). Accordingly, FAR-based actions will follow announcement procedures per FAR 5.201(b).

DIU reserves the right to cancel, suspend, and/or modify the Challenge, or any part of it, for any reason, at DIU’s sole discretion.