- Govcon
- tradewinds
- iarpa
- devx autonomy
- dod proposals
- video pitch
Tradewinds, IARPA, and DevX Autonomy video submission requirements
Direct funding programs where video is the submission requirement
Three government programs currently let you pitch your tech with a short video instead of a long written paper: Tradewinds (TSM), IARPA, and the Army's DevX Autonomy. All three want an unclassified video, judged by a panel of experts. Videos that pass are put into a repository for government buyers to award.
The number of government departments transitioning to video-based acquisition methods represents an opportunity for tech businesses to gain a new channel for distributing their products and services.
Keep reading to find out how to take advantage for your business.
Who this is for
Companies that have never sold to the government before. You don't need a proposal team, and you don't need a list of past contracts to point at. All you need is MotionBuff.
What you get out of it
Solutions the panel marks awardable are listed in the marketplace, where DoD buyers go searching for fundable projects. A buyer can start an award right from that listing without running a new competition. So the video keeps working for you even after the round closes. Submissions can lead to more than one deal.
See who got funded: Marketplace metrics
Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace (DoD)
The Defense Department's marketplace. It's run by the DoD's Chief Digital and AI Office; AI, data, and analytics solutions are the goal. You upload a five-minute video, fill out a short form and submit.
A small team with a good idea and one good video is on the same footing as a big one. Find answers to more questions here: Tradewinds FAQ
IARPA Solutions Marketplace (Intelligence Community)
The IC's version of the same idea. It opened August 1, 2026, with monthly review rounds through July 31, 2027. You send an unclassified video plus a short online form. Experts from the IC, industry, and academia review it, and solutions judged awardable get tagged by focus area.
Current focus areas: secure communications, cyber and AI security, automating the business of R&D, and biometric recognition and privacy. Search the marketplace: IARPA Solutions Marketplace
DevX Autonomy (Army Applications Laboratory)
Run by the Army Applications Laboratory. Same structure as Tradewinds, but a narrower subject: autonomous and unmanned systems, hardware and software. A single six-minute pitch video is required.
Focus areas: platforms (ground, sea, air), payloads (sensors, communications, mission hardware), mission-enabling solutions (perception, navigation, human-machine teaming), lethal capabilities, sustainment, subcomponents, microelectronics, and disruptive innovations.
The current open call is solicitation W911NF-26-S-0040, collected on a rolling monthly basis: DevX Autonomy
Submission rules
When to submit: Rounds run all year. The deadline is the last day of each month — DevX cuts off at 12:00 noon ET — and results come within about 30 days. One solution gets one video. (SAM.gov announcement)
How it's scored: A panel of government, industry, and academic experts rates four things: defining the problem, accelerating the mission, advancing the state of the art, and your business model. Mission impact and what's new about your tech carry the most weight, so spend most of your time there.
Write your script to fit
Most people write far too much. English speakers average about 150 words a minute, and a clear pitch pace is closer to 140. At that pace, five minutes is only about 690 words.
Split by the Tradewinds outline, that's roughly:
Your title card comes out of that first 45 seconds. Keep the opening to one sentence about the problem, not a company introduction.
Already have a capability deck? MotionBuff reads .pptx and .odp directly, so the content and speaker notes you have written become the starting outline. There is no export step back out to PowerPoint to lose the layout in, which is where AI-built decks usually come apart.
How MotionBuff helps
You won't go over the limit. A five-minute submission that runs 5:01 is denied. Most people write the words first and find out too late that it's too long. MotionBuff starts with the time and your video is built to fit.
You see the plan before you make the video. MotionBuff writes an outline first, and shows how much time each part gets. Changing a plan is easy. Changing a finished video is not.
It's ready to send. You get an HD .mp4 you download and keep, 16:9, with captions included. Judges watch a lot of these, and many watch with the sound off so your message still gets read.
One pitch can become many videos. Each program wants its own video, and so does each thing you're selling. With MotionBuff, a new version takes minutes, not a new project. That speed can be the difference between submitting today or waiting another 30 days.
Heads up
Rules and dates change. Check the current announcement on SAM.gov for the program you are filing to before you build a submission around it.
FAQ
How long can a Tradewinds video be?
Five minutes. Anything over 5:00 isn't scored.
What format does Tradewinds want?
HD 1920 × 1080 encoded for streaming as .mp4 file under 1gb, Frame rate: 23.98FPS, Audio: Stereo or MonoMix, Color Space: Rec709 or sRGB.
Are captions required?
No, but they help when reviewers watch with the sound off.
Do I need a separate video for each solution?
Yes. All three programs allow multiple solutions to be submitted.
Can one video work for all three programs?
No. Each program has its own format and requirements — Tradewinds and IARPA cap you at five minutes, DevX Autonomy gives you six — so always read the announcement.
Does a submission video have to be unclassified?
Yes — videos must be unclassified and non-proprietary.