New U.S.-Israel Cooperation to Foster Advanced Technologies for First Responders

Under this new agreement, the BIRD Foundation will fund cooperation projects involving industry and research institutions

News provided by

The BIRD Foundation

Dec 15, 2015, 08:00 ET

TEL AVIV, Israel, December 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

The Israel -U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation announced that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Israeli Ministry of Public Security (MOPS) have signed a collaborative agreement to promote and fund joint U.S.-Israel projects for the development of advanced technologies for First Responders (Law Enforcement, Firefighters, Emergency Medical Services). The new program, "NextGen First Responder Technologies", will follow the rules and procedures of the BIRD Foundation, which funds up to 50% of the combined budget, limited to $1 million per project and is repaid only if the project achieves revenue. The program is also open to joint U.S.-Israel projects between companies and research institutions.

The total expected investment is $12M to be distributed over 3 years and includes private sector funding.

A Call for Proposals for the "NextGen First Responder Technologies" program was recently published together with a joint document outlining "Capability Gaps" which includes a list of topics that are of special interest to DHS and MOPS.

The new program extends and enhances the successful collaboration that already exists between the U.S. and Israel in science and technology to the Homeland Security sector, outlined in a broader agreement signed in 2008 between DHS and MOPS.

"We are proud to have been selected by DHS and MOPS to lead and manage this joint U.S.-Israel NextGen First Responder Technologies initiative. This new program presents an excellent opportunity for U.S. and Israeli companies, as well as research institutions, to collaborate on innovative technologies, engage in new business opportunities, and contribute to technology advancements that will benefit First Responders," said Dr. Eitan Yudilevich, BIRD's Executive Director.

The BIRD Foundation accelerates cooperation between U.S. and Israeli companies in a wide range of technology sectors to foster strategic partnerships between companies in both countries for the development of joint projects. BIRD has approved over 900 projects between Israeli and U.S. companies since it was established. BIRD funded projects have generated direct and indirect sales of approximately $10 billion.

The deadline for submission of Executive Summaries for the NextGen First Responder Technologies program is March 9, 2015. Approval of projects will take place in June, 2016.

Further information on the program can be found at http://www.birdf.com

About the BIRD Foundation

The BIRD (Binational Industrial Research and Development) Foundation works to encourage cooperation between Israeli and American companies in a wide range of technology sectors by providing funding and assistance in facilitating strategic partnerships for developing joint products or technologies.

The BIRD Foundation supports projects without receiving any equity or intellectual property rights in the participating companies or in the project itself. BIRD funding is repaid as royalties from sales of technology products that were commercialized as a result of BIRD support. The Foundation provides support of up to 50% of a project's budget, beginning with R&D and ending with the initial stages of sales and marketing. The Foundation shares the risk and does not require repayment if the project fails to reach the sales stage.

Contact: Limor Nakar Vincent, [email protected] +972-3-6988300

SOURCE The BIRD Foundation