DHS seeks innovative solutions from startups to address digital forgery, counterfeiting

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is reaching out to startups as a means of bolstering anti-forgery and counterfeiting capabilities for digital documentation.

The request is being made through a new solicitation, “Preventing Forgery and Counterfeiting of Certificates and Licenses,” under S&T’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP).

“SVIP is a bridge between the early-stage startup community and the Homeland Security Enterprise. DHS has need of the innovations coming from this community to ensure we are at least a step ahead of national security threats,” Melissa Oh, S&T SVIP managing director, said. “By releasing this solicitation, we are asking the innovation community to contribute to this work through the application of commercial solutions to homeland security use-cases.”

The S&T endeavor seeks solutions that use Blockchain and distributive ledger technology to issue digital documentation in a way that prevents fraud, counterfeiting, and forgery, officials said. The department is open to startups and small businesses that have not had a government contract in the past 12 months totaling $1 million or more and that have under 200 employees at the time of application.

Proposed solutions must apply to one, some or all of the following mission needs, according to the solicitation: Identity Documents for Travel; Identity of Organizations and Organizational Delegates; Tribal Identity Documents for Travel Citizenship, Immigration and Employment Authorization; Cross-Border Oil Import Tracking; and Origin of Raw Material Imports.