Defense Acquisition Challenge Program (DACP) and Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) Program

Program overview
The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Comparative Testing Office (CTO) provides direction to and administers the Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) Program and the Defense Acquisition Challenge Program (DACP). OSD CTO provides funds for and oversees the test and evaluation of innovative technologies or products that demonstrate potential to benefit Department of Defense (DOD) acquisition programs and increase warfighter capability 

Authorized by Title 10, USC, Sec 2359b and the 2003 Defense Authorization Act, the DACP provides opportunities for the increased introduction of innovative and cost-saving technology in DOD acquisition programs. To this end, the DACP provides any person or activity within or outside the DOD an opportunity to submit proposals that would improve the performance, affordability, manufacturability, or operational capability of that acquisition program at the component, subsystem, or system level of an existing DOD acquisition program.

Foreign items are nominated by a sponsoring organization within the Department of Defense for testing in order to determine whether the items satisfy U.S. military requirements or address mission area shortcomings. The OSD Comparative Testing Office funds testing and evaluation; the Services fund all procurements that result from a successful test.

DACP and FCT activities are authorized to begin and operate without formal Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) review and may waive OSD and Department of Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) requirements in the best interest of rapidly fielding equipment to the warfighter.

Each Military Department/Service has one or more offices that manage their respective DACP and FCT Program and report to OSD CTO for programmatic. The Department/Services are the U.S. Air Force (AF), U.S. Army, U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), and Department of the Navy. The AF, Army and USSOCOM each have one Service CTO. The Department of the Navy has four Service CTOs at Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIRSYSCOM), Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM), Space and Warfare Systems Command (SPAWARSYSCOM) and Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEASYSCOM).

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES. The DACP Program objectives are to improve the U.S. warfighter’s capabilities and reduce expenditures through: 

• Rapidly fielding quality military equipment
• Eliminating unnecessary duplication of research, development, test, and evaluation
• Reducing life cycle or procurement costs
• Enhancing standardization and interoperability
• Promoting competition by qualifying alternative sources
• Improving the U.S. military industrial base

Program entry requirements

Any person or activity within or outside the DoD interested in participating can submit a DACP proposal along with a quad chart using the templates provided in the BIDS website.

Data and supporting information requirements
Completed DCAP/FCT proposal form and quad charts 

Schedule
The schedule for DACP/FCT is governed by a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) which is available through the BIDS website.

Links
For more information on the DACP/FCT program visit the Comparative Testing Office website - this links to a Power Point Presentation