TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation has issued a Call for Proposals to U.S. and Israeli entities in the Homeland Security sector to submit joint proposals for the development of advanced Homeland Security technologies. Each approved project will receive a grant of up to $1 million, up to 50% of the project's budget.

The BIRD HLS program, funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Israel Ministry of Public Security, has been providing grants since 2016 to support joint U.S.-Israeli research and development projects. The program is managed by the BIRD Foundation and addresses needs and innovation areas defined by both countries.

BIRD HLS is directed towards U.S. and Israeli companies that develop Homeland Security products and solutions, and towards entities in other sectors that develop technologies that may be suitable for this sector. The program's Board of Governors selects joint projects between two companies, one from Israel and one from the U.S., or between a company and a university or research institute. Projects should focus on any of the following areas: Technologies for First Responders including Command & Control, Video Analytics, Communications, Wearable Sensors, Standoff Detection and Identification of Hazards, Personal Protective Equipment and others; Combatting Cyber Crime; Securing Critical Infrastructure and Public Facilities; Safe and Secure Cities; Border Protection technologies such as Biometrics, Screening Systems and  Robotics, including Maritime Security; Unmanned Aerial Systems.

Dr. Eitan Yudilevich, Executive Director of the BIRD Foundation said: "We are pleased to announce the seventh Call for Proposals of the BIRD HLS program to promote the development of innovative technologies for improved public safety. The program assists U.S. and Israeli companies in building synergistic partnerships and provides support to reduce risk in their joint efforts to bring these solutions to market."

In its first six years, 14 BIRD HLS projects have been approved, with a total budget of $27 million. Program representatives from the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) and the Chief Scientist of the Israel Ministry of Public Security lead the selection of awarded projects. The projects are reviewed and presented to the office of the Chief Scientist at the Israel Ministry of Public Security and its First Responders' agencies, and are reviewed by DHS S&T experts who oversee and promote innovation and partnerships with the industry.

The deadline for submission of Executive Summaries is April 25, 2022.

A full description of submission requirements can be found on the BIRD Foundation website: https://www.birdf.com/hls-call-for-proposals/

About the BIRD Foundation:
The BIRD (Binational Industrial Research and Development) Foundation works to encourage and facilitate cooperation between U.S. and Israeli companies in a wide range of technology sectors and offers funding to selected projects. BIRD supports projects without receiving any equity or intellectual property rights in the participating companies or in the projects themselves. BIRD funding is repaid as royalties from sales of technology products that were commercialized as a result of BIRD support. The BIRD HLS program provides funding of up to $1 million, 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.

For the BIRD Foundation website: https://www.birdf.com/

Contact:
Tal Kelem 
Director of Business Development,
BIRD Foundation
tal@birdf.com 
+972-3-6988304

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SOURCE The BIRD Foundation