ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —
The seventh annual Spark Tank event has launched with a call for innovative Airmen and Guardian idea submissions ahead of the Sept. 4 deadline.
Spark Tank is the flagship competition in which innovators from across the Department of the Air Force pitch their ideas to a panel of top leadership and industry experts in pursuit of sponsorship to realize their idea. This years’ Spark Tank competition encourages all Airmen and Guardians to participate in the program and share their best ideas for improving the department’s capabilities.
“The Spark Tank competition has produced some game-changing innovations,” said Brou Gautier, Spark Tank director. “Anyone could have the next great idea, so it’s vital that every Airman and Guardian, in each occupational specialty, decide to compete by letting us know what their idea would make possible.”
For Spark Tank 2024, the DAF’s Performance Management and Innovation office in the Pentagon, known as SAF/MG, and AFWERX Spark join forces again to co-produce this widely known innovation campaign. New for this year, SAF/MG and AFWERX are introducing a new element: an assigned consultant who will help ideators strengthen their submissions through five refinement steps. By connecting them to commercial contacts, providing training, and virtual collaboration, SAF/MG and AFWERX hope to improve Airmen and Guardians chances of turning their ideas into operational reality and result in a more effective Force.
“Spark Tank provides a public-facing platform to showcase innovative ideas across the DAF,” said Aaron Beebe, AFWERX Spark Tank project manager. “These are real problems experienced daily by those trying to do their jobs and accomplish the mission. We ask them to help us solve them through a more streamlined approach. That acknowledgment and empowerment can create a sense of pride and ownership that is difficult to replicate through the typical process.”
The campaign page lists scoring criteria, timelines, and all the information needed to compete. To submit ideas for the competition, use the Guardians and Airmen Innovation Network platform here.
To access GAIN, users will need to establish a second Front Game Warden account. If they don’t already have one, login here.
The submission deadline for Spark Tank 2024 is Sept. 4.
