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The SECURE Program is an efficient and cost-effective program to foster cooperative win-win partnerships between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the private sector. The Department works with the private sector to develop products, systems or services aligned to the needs of its operating components, first responders and critical infrastructure/key resources owners and operators, representing in many cases, large potential available markets. The Department posts detailed operational requirements in the form of an Operational Requirements Document (ORD) on this site to articulate specific requirements in conjunction with a conservative estimate of the Potential Available Market (PAM) of a given product, system, or service.
Private sector entities possessing technologies or products aligned to these requirements can use this valuable information to generate a business case and develop (at their cost) a fully deployable product or service after their verification of market potential. The Department assures that a product or service has demonstrated operational performance that meets a given private sector entity's published specifications through our review of recognized third-party independent testing data. This enables the private sector, through the free market system, to develop products and services that capture significant revenue opportunities and demonstrates to potential purchasers that the product does what it claims to do.
The SECURE Program Overview (PDF, 6 pages - 79 KB) explains the process of becoming a Department partner in the SECURE program.
Question: How does one learn more about opportunities to work with the Department of Homeland Security?
Answer: It's simple. Just ask for a "Full Response Package" from the Commercialization Office at sandt_commercialization@hq.dhs.gov.
Upon receipt of your organization's overview, we make your non-proprietary information readily available to Science and Technology Directorate program managers, division directorate and many others throughout the Department.
The objective of the SECURE program is to establish a mutually beneficial working relationship with the private sector to cost-effectively and efficiently develop products and services to better secure the nation. In order to achieve this objective, the development of Operational Requirements Documents (ORDs) by the Department is critical to the effective communication of needs throughout the Department and externally to the private sector when appropriate.
Operational Requirements Documents are detailed operational requirements normally associated with capability gaps derived from our Capstone Integrated Product Team (IPT) process. Private sector organizations that possess or could develop solutions to meet needs articulated in published ORDs are eligible to apply for a partnership with the Department through the SECURE Program to develop products and/or services.
In addition to the Operational Requirements Documents (ORDs), conservative estimates of the Potential Available Market (PAM) for a potential solution to a given ORD are posted by the Department below. As previously mentioned, a private sector entity should develop, analyze, and verify its own business case for a possible partnership with the Department through the SECURE Program. Participation in the SECURE Program does not guarantee future sales nor do the estimated potential available markets guarantee a volume of potential users for a given ORD.
We appreciate your feedback on any published ORDs as ORDs are designed to provide a solution-agnostic detailed description of a need/problem in a way that encourages a full spectrum of solutions in an open and freely competitive environment. Therefore, if you believe that any ORD is over-confining to a given solution space, please contact us at sandt_commercialization@dhs.gov with your detailed feedback for review by Department technical staff. Thank you in advance for your input.
The following table lists Operational Requirements Documents (ORDs) currently in development by the Department. These ORDs range from 10 to 60 pages and cover a wide variety of Department mission needs.
ORD Broad Description |
Time to Public Release |
Chemical weapon trace detection system |
Less than 2 months to completion |
Asset tracking/theater awareness system |
Less than 1 month to completion |
Chemical weapon mitigation system |
Less than 3 months to completion |
Less-lethal threat incapacitation system (vehicles) |
Less than 2 months to completion |
Surveillance and reconnaissance system |
Less than 2 months to completion |
Critical infrastructure rapid repair system |
Less than 2 months to completion |
Handheld CBRNE detection system |
Less than 2 months to completion |
High throughput explosives trace detection system |
Less than 2 months to completion |
Less-lethal threat incapacitation system (human) |
Less than 2 months to completion |
Visit About the Commercialization Office for information and Commercialization Office Resources for valuable downloads.
For more information on how to get involved in the SECURE Program or to provide feedback to the Commercialization Office, please send an e-mail to sandt_commercialization@hq.dhs.gov or call 202-254-6749.
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This page was last reviewed/modified on April 20, 2009.