Discover how the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace helps Government organizations find competitively assessed technologies, reduce acquisition delays, and access dedicated contracting assistance.
For Department of Defense program offices, identifying the right technology is often easier than getting it on contract.
Traditional acquisition can require months of market research, solicitation development, evaluations, and administrative coordination before a program can begin implementing a solution.
Tradewinds offers a better starting point.
Developed by the Department of Defense's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO), Tradewinds is an acquisition ecosystem designed to accelerate access to artificial intelligence, digital engineering, data analytics, and other emerging technologies.
Its centerpiece, the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace (TSM), lets Government buyers discover solutions that have already completed a competitive assessment.
Importantly, Government customers don't have to navigate the acquisition process alone. Tradewinds provides dedicated acquisition support when a program office needs help moving from an Awardable solution to a contract.
What Is the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace?
The Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace is a digital repository of competitively assessed technology solutions presented through concise, five-minute videos.
Industry providers submit their solutions for evaluation against established criteria. Solutions that successfully complete the assessment receive an Awardable designation and become available for Government customers to review.
For a program office, this changes the starting point of technology acquisition.
Instead of starting with a lengthy search for potential vendors, Government buyers can explore solutions that have already undergone a structured competitive assessment.
Find the technology. Review the solution. Engage the provider. Work with contracting to pursue an award.
It's a more direct path from mission requirement to acquisition.
Why Should Government Program Offices Use Tradewinds?
Tradewinds offers four particularly valuable advantages.
1. Accelerated Acquisition
Traditional procurement often requires extensive administrative effort before a Government customer can engage a solution provider.
Tradewinds lets acquisition teams leverage existing competitive assessments where appropriate, potentially eliminating redundant evaluation work and shortening the time to award.
The Marketplace has demonstrated meaningful results. As of June 2026, Tradewinds reported:
$3.67 billion in contracts awarded
186 participating Government activities
1,399 Awardable solutions
These figures demonstrate that Tradewinds is more than an innovation showcase. It is an established marketplace supporting real Government acquisitions.
2. Reduced Acquisition Workload
Program offices can review existing Awardable solutions instead of building every technology search from the ground up.
The Marketplace's five-minute video format also helps technical and acquisition personnel quickly evaluate whether a capability merits further discussion.
Government contracting officials remain responsible for the applicable acquisition requirements, but the prior assessment can help reduce duplicative work.
3. Direct Access to Innovative Solutions
Government buyers can search the Marketplace, watch solution videos, and contact providers directly.
This allows program offices to explore emerging capabilities, request technical discussions, and determine whether a solution meets mission requirements before proceeding with acquisition.
4. Dedicated Acquisition Support — Even When Your Contracting Office Is Unfamiliar With Tradewinds
This may be the most valuable feature for program managers.
Your program office does not need to become an expert in Tradewinds acquisition procedures before exploring an Awardable solution.
Government buyers can work through their existing contracting office. However, if that office is unfamiliar with Tradewinds, or the acquisition team has questions about using a Marketplace assessment, the Tradewinds acquisition support team is available to help.
That means unfamiliarity with Tradewinds does not have to end the conversation.
The support team can help Government customers understand the purchasing process and navigate questions about acquiring Marketplace solutions.
Tradewinds also provides acquisition guidance and access to its Marketplace manager, ARI, to coordinate with solution providers and support procurement discussions.
| Traditional acquisition | Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace |
|---|---|
| Extensive initial vendor discovery | Search existing Awardable solutions |
| New evaluation activities may be necessary | Leverage prior competitive assessment where appropriate |
| Vendor engagement may begin later in the process | Directly engage providers to assess mission fit |
| Acquisition teams develop the approach independently | Dedicated Tradewinds acquisition guidance is available |
| Timelines vary and can be lengthy | Potentially accelerated acquisition and award |
Your contracting team doesn't have to figure everything out from scratch.
To request assistance, contact:
Tradewinds Acquisition Support
success@tradewindai.com
Whether your program has an experienced contracting organization or is exploring Tradewinds for the first time, there is a clear place to start.
Tradewinds does not eliminate funding requirements, contracting approvals, or applicable procurement law. It helps Government organizations use existing acquisition authorities and completed assessment work more efficiently.
How to Acquire a Solution Through Tradewinds
Getting started is straightforward.
Step 1 — Visit the Marketplace
Go to Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace and access the Government portal using an eligible .mil or .gov account.
Step 2 — Find an Awardable Solution
Search by company name, solution title, or technology area. Watch the five-minute video to determine whether the capability aligns with your mission requirement.
Step 3 — Contact the Solution Provider
Request additional information, a technical discussion, or a demonstration to confirm that the solution addresses your program's needs.
Step 4 — Engage Contracting or Request Tradewinds Assistance
Contact your supporting contracting office to discuss an acquisition.
If your contracting team is unfamiliar with Tradewinds, contact success@tradewindai.com. The Tradewinds acquisition support team can help your organization understand the process and available next steps.
Step 5 — Pursue Contract Award
Your contracting activity determines the appropriate acquisition authority, completes required actions, and executes the award.
The timeline depends on the specific requirement and acquisition circumstances, but using an existing Awardable solution can substantially speed the process.
How Fast Can Tradewinds Contracting Be?
Tradewinds was designed to help Government organizations move faster without abandoning appropriate acquisition procedures.
Government reporting has documented Marketplace awards in as little as 8–11 days, with a historical average procurement administrative lead time of 63 days through June 2025.
These are documented examples, not guaranteed award timelines. Actual results depend on requirements, funding, acquisition authority, and contracting execution.
Nevertheless, the opportunity is significant: program offices can potentially acquire innovative capabilities in weeks rather than spending months repeating early acquisition activities.
What Does “Awardable” Mean?
An Awardable designation means a solution has successfully completed the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace's competitive assessment process and is available for Government consideration.
It does not mean the company has already received a contract, that a future award is guaranteed, or that every acquisition requirement has been satisfied.
It does mean Government buyers have a competitively assessed solution they can investigate and potentially acquire through an appropriate contracting pathway.
Ready to Explore Tradewinds?
Whether your program needs artificial intelligence, digital engineering, cloud modernization, or advanced data analytics, Tradewinds offers a practical way to discover innovative solutions and move toward acquisition.
If contracting is the obstacle, remember: Tradewinds has an acquisition support team available to help Government customers navigate the purchasing process.
Explore Awardable Solutions: https://www.tradewindai.com/tw-marketplace
Get Acquisition Assistance: success@tradewindai.com
Nexus Digital Engineering Is Awardable on Tradewinds
Nexus Digital Engineering's Digital Infrastructure Automation and Modernization solution has been assessed as Awardable through the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace.
Our solution combines Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), FinOps, and advanced modeling and simulation to help DoD organizations identify cloud cost savings while protecting mission performance.
In a reference analysis involving a 2-petabyte cloud environment and 378 architecture configurations, our approach identified $12.7 million in modeled five-year savings opportunities.
Already operating complex cloud infrastructure? We can help you determine whether you're getting the best performance for what you're spending.
Find Nexus Digital Infrastructure Automation and Modernization in the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace, or contact us to discuss your program's requirements.
Watch Our 5-Minute Solution Video
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Model. Simulate. Validate. Optimize.