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Last September, we announced the award of five pilot projects focused on addressing barriers to the identity ecosystem.

As we wrap up this holiday season and enter the new year, we wanted to talk not of the pilots past and present, but about the pilots yet to come.

The NSTIC National Program Office is planning to announce the kickoff of a competition for a second round of NSTIC pilot grants in the next few weeks.  Like the first round, this set of grants will focus on piloting on-line identity solutions that embrace and advance the NSTIC vision, and that test or demonstrate new solutions, models and frameworks that either do not exist or are not widely adopted in the marketplace today.  The size of this round of pilot awards is not yet certain; full implementation of the program and issuance of awards will be subject to the availability of funds in the FY 2013 budget. 

We’re still putting the finishing touches on the competition, but we anticipate that a Federal Funding Opportunity notice describing how to apply for pilot project funding will be released before the next Identity Ecosystem Steering Group (IDESG) plenary, scheduled for February 5-7, 2013 at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. 

Given that so many NSTIC stakeholders will be at the IDESG during this time, we are intending to hold a conference for potential pilot applicants from 10am-noon on Tuesday, February 5, at the Phoenix Convention Center.  This conference will be immediately prior to the formal kickoff of the IDESG.  Note that the applicants’ conference will be open to the public and also webcast.  It is not necessary to register for the IDESG meeting to attend.  In the event the FFO notice is not released by February 5, the IDESG will instead use this time slot to hold a networking event for prospective applicants and other interested parties to meet one another and talk about potential partnerships.  We also intend to hold a second  applicants’ conference later in February in Washington, DC.

Last year’s NSTIC pilot competition generated a remarkable amount of interest, with more than 180 proposals.  The first set of five pilots is on pace to demonstrate results in 2013, and we are excited to kick off this second round of pilots to complement them.