Air Force invites 59 small businesses, start-ups to Air Force Pitch Day Published March 1, 2019 By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) -- The Air Force is inviting 59 small businesses and start-ups to pitch live at the first Air Force Pitch Day hosted in New York March 6 and 7. Air Force contracting officials reviewed 417 submissions received during the 30-day application period. Submissions called for ideas furthering national security in air, space and cyberspace with a special emphasis on battlefield air operations technologies, digital technologies and command, control, communications, intelligence and network technologies. The Air Force plans to invest up to $40 million through this Pitch Day as part of a larger rapid contracting effort. The event is modeled after commercial investment pitch competitions to deliver a faster, smarter approach to compete for ideas in the accelerating technology ecosystem. The process is a major departure from the lengthy contractual processes typically expected of the military. Air Force Pitch Day is designed as a fast-track program to put companies on one-page contracts with same-day awards via the swipe of a government credit card. The opportunity affords small businesses access to the defense market and non-dilutive capital, which is funding that does not require a company to share its ownership. A full list of attending companies can be viewed in the related links section. For more information about Air Force Pitch day visit https://www.afsbirsttr.af.mil/Program/Air-Force-Pitch-Day/.