NAVIFOR Closes Submissions for 2026 'Big Ideas Challenge' Advances to Phase I Judging

NAVIFOR Closes Submissions for 2026 'Big Ideas Challenge' -- Advances to Phase I Judging

by Jennifer Craig, NAVIFOR N5

03 December 2025 SUFFOLK, Va. - Naval Information Forces Command (NAVIFOR) closed its submissions for the 2026 Big Ideas Challenge, a competition designed to tap into the ingenuity of its Sailors and government civilians and provide a direct pathway to push forward innovative concepts - whether big or small - directly to the Navy's IBoss.

The second iteration of the Big Ideas Challenge launched on July 7, 2025, and closed Nov. 21, 2025. This challenge seeks groundbreaking solutions to areas within information warfare to enhance the Navy's warfighting capabilities in an evolving global landscape. This year 86 submissions were received from IW Sailors and government civilians throughout the Navy.

The NAVIFOR N5 department, which coordinated the annual challenge, utilized lessons learned from the previous year and expanded the use of Power App to streamline both the submission and the judging processes.
"The biggest thing that the Power App is doing is providing feedback from the judges to the submitters," said Lt. Hunter Lampp, NAVIFOR N5 staff who coordinated the annual challenge. "There will be opportunities for the judges to provide feedback automatically to the submitters along with submitting their votes."

Additionally, judges can provide comments to other judges who have questions about the IW community. The Navy's 60,000+ IW professionals remain the force's asymmetric advantage and this annual challenge provides an opportunity to harness how IW Warriors think, act, and operate differently to find and implement solutions.
The top submissions from the first round of judging or, Phase I, will commence in December. When completed, Phase II will include a review by Flag officers and Senior Executive Service civilians in January. The final, or Phase III, portion of the challenge, will include lightning round pitches to a panel including IBoss who will decide the winners. The winners will be announced in April 2026.

This year's Challenge focused on three key areas critical to the Navy's future: IW Readiness, IW Alignment and Integration, and IW Capabilities.

The category of IW Readiness identifies innovative solutions that holistically enhance the readiness and preparedness of Navy IW personnel and units, including training, well-being, equipment, and overall support systems necessary to effectively execute their mission.

The category of IW Alignment and Integration identifies innovations that streamline, optimize, and integrate IW functions and processes within the Navy. This category includes ideas that improve communication, collaboration, and resource allocation across different IW disciplines and organizations.

The category of IW capabilities identifies and fosters innovative solutions that directly enhance the Navy's IW capabilities in operational environments. This category includes ideas that develop, improve, or adapt IW tools, tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to provide a decisive advantage in conflict.

Last year's inaugural challenge saw remarkable success, according to Hunter, with more than 50% of submitters being connected with subject matter experts and organizations to further develop and implement their proposals.
NAVIFOR's mission is to generate, directly and through our leadership of the IW Enterprise, agile and technically superior manned, trained, equipped, and certified combat-ready IW forces to ensure our Navy will decisively DETER, COMPETE, and WIN.

For more information on NAVIFOR, visit the command Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NavalInformationForces/ or the public web page at [https://www.navifor.usff.navy.mil](https://www.navifor.usff.navy.mil/).