Dr. Matthew Willis, Director, Army Applied SBIR Program and Prize Competitions, honored Fastport as a finalist from about 500 submissions in the Army xTechPrime Competition. Dr. Willis recognized Fastport for “outstanding technology achievements and collaboration efforts during the xTechPrime Competition and the potential for impact to the Army.”
The xTechPrime competition is aimed at discovering groundbreaking and disruptive ideas and technology solutions that can meet the current requirements of the Army and align with its existing concepts. The main objective is to deliver innovative technology solutions that promote creativity and cost savings throughout the entire life cycle of Army systems. The competition is specifically focused on small businesses that possess Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) capabilities, to assist in reducing the cognitive load on humans and enhancing overall performance through human-machine collaboration.
Fastport CEO Bill McLennan was impressed by the competition stating, “This has been a terrific process to bring unique value-added solutions to the Army from small businesses. It is humbling to be positioned in the top 5% of the xTechPrime cohort and to be highlighted as a potential leader in solving one of the Army’s most visible challenges: the recruitment and retention of its Soldiers.”
Fastport has proposed an innovative technology called the Soldier For Life Benefits Platform (SFLBP) to improve the recruitment and retention efforts of the Army. The SFLBP is designed to help the Army win the war for talent and meet its end-strength needs. It achieves this by providing a highly personalized web experience for each candidate, while generative AI/ML technologies increase recruiter productivity. The SFLBP ensures better recruiting, higher quality candidates, and improved retention rates.
“Our vision for the SFLBP is to provide a platform for recruiters and career counselors to create a personalized plan to help Soldiers achieve their lifetime education, career, and financial goals through serving and continuing to serve in the Army,” said Fastport COO Colin Dunlap. “The Army is facing its most challenging recruitment environment in 50 years. We hope that with innovations like the SFLPB, we can work with Army leaders to improve both recruitment and retention for the Army’s total force.”
