Agencies know they can’t skirt the Federal Acquisition Regulation and deliver innovation with the flip of a switch. But government can position itself as an incubator — or entrepreneurial gateway — for innovative startups.

Rather than pushing Silicon Valley startups and nontraditional companies to pursue formal government contracts, some industry and agency experts suggest using broad agency announcements and prizes and challenges to drive the companies who have a good idea, but don’t regularly visit FedBiz Opps and might not have the resources to compete for a government contract.

“They don’t have a CAGE code or a DUNS number, they’re not interested in a contract,” Adam Tarsi, chief of staff of the Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office at the Defense Department, said at the Professional Services Council’s government innovation event in Arlington Oct. 29. “They just want to do neat things. How do I tap into that neat thing? Some way, it’s talent scouting, sometimes in product acquisition. I’m just trying illuminate something cool out there for my customers.”

Agencies can pay for a company’s individual idea —or pay for the startup to partner with another large, more traditional contractor to develop and deliver the idea.

Keep reading this article at: http://federalnewsradio.com/acquisition/2015/10/contracts-arent-gateway-government-innovation/