Silicon Valley Innovation Program 5-Year Other Transaction Solicitation

The mission of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) includes rapid identification and development of new technologies to counter emerging threats. Traditional procurement contracts are used to purchase supplies and services for the direct benefit and use of DHS, while assistance is provided through grants and cooperative agreements. Recognizing that those traditional instruments do not cover all the DHS needs, Congress provided DHS with authority to enter into Other Transactions in the same manner as the Department of Defense. DHS has developed a framework to utilize the flexibility of the Other Transaction Authority (OTA). This Innovation Other Transaction Solicitation (OTS) is a vehicle to engage with organizations that do not usually work with the Government in order to carry