AMIP CSO Request for Solutions Rev 1.pdf

ARMY AMMUNITION MANUFACTURING INNOVATION

INDUSTRIAL BASE INTEGRATION TEAM

COMMERCIAL SOLUTIONS OPENING

REQUEST FOR SOLUTIONS

REVISION 1

20 January 2026

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Table of Contents

1. AUTHORITY

2. BACKGROUND

3. PROBLEM STATEMENT

4. DEFINITIONS

5. CSO APPROACH

6. GENERAL INFORMATION

7. SUBMISSION INFORMATION

SECTION 1: POWERPOINT BRIEFING AND QUAD CHART FORMAT

SECTION 2: PHASE I WHITE PAPER FORMAT

SECTION 3: PHASE II PITCH SESSION FORMAT

SECTION 4: PHASE III TECHNICAL PROPOSAL FORMAT

SECTION 5: PHASE III PRICE PROPOSAL FORMAT

SECTION 6: PHASE III STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW) FORMAT

SECTION 7: EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

SECTION 8: REQUEST FOR SOLUTIONS

1. AUTHORITY

1.1 This CSO is issued under 10 U.S.C. § 4022 and DFARS Subpart 212.70, allowing the

Department of Defense (DoD) to acquire innovative commercial items, technologies, or services through competitive procedures outside traditional FAR-based solicitations. All solutions will be treated as commercial items under FAR Part 12, and awards may be executed as fixed-price contracts or Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs).

2. BACKGROUND

2.1 The Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition (JPEO A&A), through the Project Lead Joint Services (PL JS), is tasked with modernizing, sustaining, and enabling the acquisition and resilience of conventional munitions to support Army’s warfighters. PL JS oversees Army Ammunition Plants (AAPs) to ensure a reliable supply of ammunition, explosives, and propellants, maintaining high standards of quality, cost efficiency, and operational readiness. This mission enhances the defense industrial base’s adaptability to the evolving demands of modern warfare.

2.2 To achieve these objectives, PL JS established the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Program (AMIP) to transform the Army’s manufacturing capabilities using advanced technologies, processes, and systems. AMIP leverages techniques such as additive manufacturing, robotics, artificial intelligence, and digital twins to enhance production efficiency, reduce costs, and improve quality across the production ecosystem. The program collaborates with Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, industry partners, and academic research centers to advance materials science, production methods, and supply chain optimization.

2.3 Through this CSO, the Army aims to identify and adopt innovative commercial solutions that accelerate the integration of advanced manufacturing technologies, enable secure and connected digital environments, and promote sustainable practices. The goal is to create a more agile, resilient, and technologically advanced industrial base that meets current and future operational demands while ensuring compliance with DoD standards for cybersecurity, sustainability, and readiness.

3. PROBLEM STATEMENT

3.1 Under this CSO, PL JS seeks solutions that support the scaling of advanced manufacturing technologies, integration of secure digital tools for real-time monitoring and optimization, and enhancement of workforce capabilities for effective technology adoption.

Current challenges include:

• Technology Integration: Slow adoption and scaling of advanced manufacturing technologies such as additive manufacturing, robotics, and AI-driven process optimization.

• Cybersecurity: Ensuring secure integration of digital manufacturing platforms while maintaining compliance with DoD cybersecurity standards.

• Workforce Development: Addressing skill gaps to enable effective utilization of advanced manufacturing technologies.

• Supply Chain Resilience: Improving visibility and adaptability to mitigate risks and disruptions.

• Sustainability: Implementing environmentally responsible manufacturing practices without compromising operational efficiency.

4. DEFINITIONS

4.1 “Conventional Ammunition” means an end item, complete round, or materiel component charged with explosives, propellants, pyrotechnics, or initiating composition for use in connection with defense or offense (including demolitions) as well as ammunition used for training, ceremonial, or non-operational purposes. This includes inert devices that replicate live ammunition, commonly referred to as dummy ammunition, which contain no explosive materials

4.2 “Army Ammunition Plant” refers to the six, government-owned, contractor-operated

(GOCO) facilities at Radford, Lake City, Holston, Iowa, Scranton, and Quad City Cartridge Case Facility (Rock Island) and three government-owned, government-operated (GOGO) facilities at Pine Bluff Arsenal, Blue Grass Army Depot, and McAlester Army Ammunition Plant.

4.3 “Industrial Facilities” means the primary resourcing budget line and program that funds modernization of the AAPs under the direction of the JPEO A&A as the Single Manager for Conventional Ammunition (SMCA) Executor.

4.4 “Innovative” means any new technology, process, or method including research and development (R&D) or any new application of an existing technology, process, or method as of the date of proposal submission.

5. CSO APPROACH

5.1 This CSO seeks effective commercial solutions to achieve the Army Manufacturing

Innovation objectives outlined in this RFS. Awards will be executed as FAR-based contracts or Other Transaction Agreements (OTA) under 10 U.S.C. § 4022, as determined by the Government. Offeror shall be responsible for meeting all requirements of authority used for selected award type.

5.2 Funding for participation in this program is highly competitive, and proposed pricing should reflect this. Awards will be based on the evaluation results from a two or three-phased proposal process outlined in Section 7 and are subject to funding availability.

The Government encourages teaming and industry cost-sharing or investment and reserves the right to:

• Award any number of proposals or none at all.

• Fund all, some, one, or none of the submitted proposals, or only part of a proposal.

• Award any portion of the solution based on the evaluated return to the Government.

5.3 All coordination and communication between Offerors and the Government will occur via www.sam.gov and the designated points of contact for this CSO, as outlined in Section 5.

6. GENERAL INFORMATION

6.1 Point of Contacts: Questions should be directed to the Contracting Office below.

Contracting Office POC Primary: Kayla Allers, Contract Specialist Email: kaylaline.p.allers.civ@army.mil

Secondary: Andrae Eldredge-McMillan, Agreements/Contracting Officer

(AO/CO)

Email: andrae.eldredge-mcmillan.civ@army.mil

6.2 Classified Information. All Phase I submissions shall be unclassified. If higher classification is required, additional information will be requested during Phase II or Phase III.

Offerors must possess all required personnel security clearances, facility clearances, and other infrastructure requirements necessary to perform any proposed classified work in accordance with the draft Contract Security Classification Specification (DD Form 254) without reliance on Government resources.

7. SUBMISSION INFORMATION

7.1 Submission Overview: This CSO is open for Phase I submissions on a continuous basis until suspended. Submissions must include a PowerPoint and a White Paper, prepared per Sections 1 and 2. All solution briefs will be evaluated in accordance with Section 7, subject to funding availability. The Government will not reimburse costs associated with Phase I, II or III submissions, including preparation or travel.

7.2 Two or Three Phased Submission This CSO may proceed in two or three phases as outlined.

7.3 Phase I PowerPoint and White Paper: Offerors must submit a PowerPoint briefing and a White Paper that are succinct yet descriptive. Submissions must adhere to page limitations; those lacking technical depth or not aligned with the AMIP mission will not be evaluated.

• All PowerPoint briefings should include the Quad Chart from Section 1.

• The White Paper must expand on the PowerPoint and Quad Chart, detailing plans for implementing and scaling the proposed manufacturing solution with the Army http://www.sam.gov/ mailto:kaylaline.p.allers.civ@army.mil mailto:andrae.eldredge-mcmillan.civ@army.mil mailto:Classified production ecosystem. Instructions for format and content outlined in Section 2.

• White Paper shall be submitted in .pdf format, and PowerPoint in .pptx format, sent to the to the AO/CO for review.

Phase I Submission: This CSO will remain open indefinitely with annual updates, but the Government reserves the right to cancel it at any time. Hardcopy submissions will not be accepted. Ensure that the email address in the white paper is current; notify the AO/CO of any changes. To manage expected interest, the AMIP team will accept questions via email to the AO/CO using the attached template, with responses published and updated on www.sam.gov.

7.4 Notification of Selection. If selected and funding is available, the Government will contact offerors for a Phase II Pitch Session, a Phase III proposal, or both. If funding is insufficient, selected solutions may be maintained in the electronic library for up to three years. A request for a Phase II or Phase III submission does not guarantee award;

selections will be based on Return on Investment criteria in Section 7. Non-selected offerors will be notified generally within 30 days.

7.5 Phase II Pitch Session: Phase II submissions will only be accepted from offerors invited by the AO/CO after reviewing Phase I submissions. The Government may request additional written information to supplement the Phase I brief. Instructions are in Section 3.

The Government reserves the right to forgo Phase II and go directly to Phase III.

7.6 Phase III Technical, Price, and SOW Proposal: Phase III proposals will only be accepted from offerors invited by the AO/CO after reviewing Phase I or II submissions.

Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov and be considered responsible within the meaning of FAR Part 9.1.

7.7 Proposal Submission: Upon notification from the AO/CO, offerors will have 30 calendar days to prepare and submit proposals according to Sections 4-6.

7.8 Proposal Review, Evaluation and Selection Process: Each proposal will be evaluated by the Government based on its own technical merit, following the process in Section 7.

Qualified Government personnel will conduct reviews and may convene expert panels as needed. In accordance with DFARS 212.70, prices shall be evaluated to determine they are fair and reasonable. Proposals will not be evaluated against one another, as they are not submitted in response to a common performance work statement.

7.9 Small Business Subcontracting Plan: Large business offerors shall submit either an individual subcontracting plan or a master subcontracting plan, per FAR Clause 52.219- 9 (Nov 2021), DFARS 252.219-7003 (Dec 2019) and DFARS 252.219- 7004 (May 2019). The subcontracting plan shall detail the commitments and targets for various categories of small businesses, including veteran- owned small business, service-http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ disabled veteran-owned small business, small, disadvantaged business, HUBZone, and women-owned concerns. It should specify the total subcontracted value in dollars and as a percentage, describe the nature of work for small businesses, outline the methods for setting goals and locating suppliers, indicate if indirect costs are included (with a description of allocation method), and detail efforts to ensure equitable opportunities for small businesses. If the goals do not meet or exceed DoD fiscal year subcontracting targets found at https://business.defense.gov/About/Goals-and-Performance, a substantial rationale is required. Additionally, the plan must include the name and duties of the subcontracting plan administrator.

7.10 Rights in Technical Data, Computer Software and Computer Software Documentation.

Offerors shall mark each page of its proposal that contains proprietary information. The Government intends to acquire only what is necessary for it to satisfy agency needs, negotiated on a case-by-case basis. O fferors may include assertions to restrict the use, release, or disclosure of data, software and software documentation provided during contract performance. Relevant rules are outlined in DFARS clauses 252.227-7013, 7014, and 7017 and may be accessed at www.acquisition.gov.

http://www.acquisition.gov/

SECTION 1: POWERPOINT BRIEFING AND QUAD CHART FORMAT

The Quad Chart must be the first slide in the Phase I PowerPoint briefing and should not exceed 1-page in landscape format, following the attached template. All font must be in Times New Roman, 12pt. PowerPoint briefings are limited to five slides (excluding the title slide and quad chart) and must not exceed 10MB in size. Briefings should include visuals that elaborate on the Quad Chart content.

SECTION 2: PHASE I WHITE PAPER FORMAT

The White Paper must expand on the Quad Chart and be formatted as 8.5 x 11 inches with one-inch margins, single-spaced, and no longer than two pages, in Times New Roman, 12-point font. It must include the project title, Offeror’s organization, and the specific topic number associated with the proposal (see Section 1).

Submit the White Paper electronically as a PDF, not exceeding 10 MB. Pages beyond the limit will not be evaluated.

The White Paper should only elaborate the PowerPoint content, providing sufficient detail on the technical approach for assessment by a technical expert. Expand on the Quad Chart sections:

Objective; Description of the Solutions; Benefits; Technical Challenges; Major Goals/Milestones (by Government fiscal year and month), Status of Government property agreements & environmental analysis. Do not include corporate or personnel qualifications, past experience or any unrequested supplemental information.

SECTION 3: PHASE II PITCH SESSION FORMAT

During this step, offerors are invited to pitch their proposed concept, technology solution in person or virtually. The government will allocate 60 minutes for the pitch, with additional time for follow up questions if needed.

Pitch Content: Offerors must demonstrate the technical and business viability of their solution.

The Government may request a supplementary written submission to enhance the Phase I solution brief.

During the pitch session, the offeror must address the following:

Estimated Price/Schedule: Provide a Rough Order Magnitude (ROM) price and a notional schedule for testing the concept within the DoD.

Data Rights Assertions: Identify any Intellectual Property (IP) involved and associated restrictions on the Government’s use of that IP. Data rights will be negotiated prior to award.

SECTION 4: PHASE III TECHNICAL PROPOSAL FORMAT

The Technical Proposal portion of the Phase III submission shall adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Page Limitations and Formatting:

(a) Technical Approach: Page limits will be specified in Phase III request or Sections.

This limit includes all content, such as indices, photographs, foldouts (counted as 1 page for each 8.5 by 11 portion) tables, charts, appendices, attachments, resumes, etc. The document must be submitted in Microsoft Word, with signed pages allowed in Adobe.

Use 12- point Times New Roman font, normal character spacing (not condensed in any manner) and single-spacing (must use standard single-space function in Microsoft Word). Each 8.5 x 11-inch page must have one-inch margins on both sides, top and bottom. If double sided (each side counts as one page). A cover page, table of contents, list of figures and tables, and acronym list are allowed without counting toward the page limit. All text (excluding tables and charts) must follow specified formatting.

Illustrations, flowcharts, drawings, and diagrams may have different formatting but shall not be used to exceed page limits.

(b) Statement of Work (SOW): The same formatting rules apply with a maximum of ten (10) pages (see Section 6).

(c) Price Proposal: There is no page limit for the Price Proposal (see Section 5).

The Government will verify compliance with these requirements upon receipt. Any pages exceeding the stated limits will not be evaluated.

2. Technical Approach: The Technical Approach proposal must cover the following requirements:

• Describe the background, objectives, approach, deliverables, and resources needed for the proposed work, including the nature and extent of the anticipated results and ancillary and operational issues (e.g., certifications, algorithms, any engineering/software development methodologies to be used).

• Include a graphic display of major program milestones. You may refer to the brief solution that prompted this proposal but avoid duplication.

• Provide additional details of data rights assertions that may include, but are not limited to: royalty provisions, limited licenses (scope, duration, and manner), options, conditions, right-of-first refusal, and exclusive dealing terms, amongst others. The Government may request additional technical information in Phase III request.

• Government Support Required: Identify the type of support, if any, the offeror requests of the government in general, such as facilities, equipment, data, and information or materials.

SECTION 5: PHASE III PRICE PROPOSAL FORMAT

The price proposal must include detailed pricing information for meaningful evaluation, although the CSO is limited to commercial solutions, detailed costs will not be required. For pricing purposes, offerors should assume a contract start date approximately ninety (90) days after proposal submission.

• Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA): Not applicable since all proposals are considered commercial items, technologies or services. However, the AO/CO may request additional information to determine a fair and reasonable price to include other than certified cost and pricing data.

• Offeror Responsibilities:

o Provide adequate supporting data and attachments.

o Must establish the reasonableness of proposed prices.

o Submit a fully supportable and well-prepared price proposal.

• Submission Format:

o Shall prepare the Price Proposal (with the exception of the pricing narrative information described below) using Microsoft Excel but merge all documents into one single Adobe PDF for submission.

o Include the Topic Number and the Project Title on all pages.

o Shall retain the Excel version for award submission if selected.

• Formatting Requirements:

o Paper Size: 8.5 X 11-inch paper o Margins: 1-inch o Spacing: Single o Font: Times New Roman, 12 Point o Software: Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe Acrobat

• Cover Sheet Information:

(1.) Full company name and address (2.) CSO number (3.) Point of contact (name, title, and phone number) (4.) CAGE code (5.) Unique Entity ID number (6.) If proposing the use of Government Furnished Property (GFP), other than GFP identified in the CSO, identify each piece of GFP in the Cost/Business Proposal, including:

(a) A list describing all Government property that the offeror or its subcontractors propose to use on a rent-free basis. The list shall identify the accountable contract under which the property is held and the authorization for its use (from the AO/CO having cognizance of the property).

(b) The dates during which the property will be used and, for any property that will be used concurrently in performing two or more contracts, the amounts of the respective uses in sufficient detail to support prorating the rent.

(c) The amount of rent that would otherwise be charged in accordance with FAR 52.245-9, Use and Charges.

(d) The voluntary consensus standard or industry leading practices. and standards to be used in the management of Government property, or existing property management plans, methods, practices, or procedures for accounting for property.

Exceptions: Clearly state any exceptions to the requirements in the price proposal.

SECTION 6: PHASE III STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW) FORMAT

A SOW must be included with the full proposal for Phase III submission. The SOW is limited to ten (10) pages and must be a separate document suitable for incorporation into the procurement instrument. DO NOT INCLUDE ANY PROPRIETARY INFORMATION IN THE SOW. In addition to the contractor proposed SOW, a government generated Supplemental Requirements SOW containing additional contracting requirements may be included in any resulting award(s).

• Pages should be numbered, with the initial page displaying the document date under the title.

• The proposed SOW must accurately describe the work to be performed and include a summary of the technical methodology and task descriptions, without excessive detail that could limit flexibility.

• The SOW template should address the specific sections required by the Request for Proposal (RFP):

1. OBJECTIVE. Brief overview of the project describing the purpose and intended accomplishments.

2. SCOPE. Outline what the SOW covers, including the capability area (CSO topic) to be investigated, goals, and milestones. Include a graphic display of major program milestones.

3. BACKGROUND. Identify relevant applicable documents and provide necessary information, explanations, or constraints to understand the project tasks and requirements. Describe the effort’s relationship to previous and ongoing efforts.

4. TASKS AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS. Detail the tasks required to perform the proposed work, which will be contractually binding in any potential contract award. Present tasks in an orderly progression, distinguishing between base period and option tasks, and specify the sequence by fiscal year and task order, as in Technical Proposal. Provide sufficient detail to establish the feasibility of accomplishing the overall program goals. The SOW must include all tasks to be accomplished.

• The Government reserves the right to modify and negotiate the SOW language prior to contract award.

• Task descriptions must be definite, realistic, and clear, using “the contractor shall” for binding provisions and “should” or “may” for declarations of purpose. Use “will” in cases where no offeror requirement is involved (e.g., power will be supplied by the Government).

• Define all acronyms and abbreviations upon first use, placing them in parentheses.

• If presentations and meetings are identified in the schedule, include the statement “Conduct presentations and meetings at times and places specified in the contract schedule.”

• The project structure should consist of base period tasks focused on demonstrating the feasibility of the technology, and option tasks covering design, fabrication, testing, and evaluation of the final product. Execution of optional tasks will depend on the contractor’s performance and the results produced during the base period tasks.

SECTION 7: EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

The Government will review each Quad Chart/White Paper (Phase I) to select offerors with the greatest potential to meet the needs of the Government based upon the outlined Topics. An initial assessment will determine if each offeror is technically qualified and demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the development or provide the innovative service described in the Quad Chart/Solution Brief. The Government will determine the most technically competent and capable of the qualified offerors using the Return on Investment criteria below:

• Criteria for Selecting Quad Chart/White Papers/Pitch Sessions (if applicable) for Full Proposal Submission:

o Technical merit/applicability, o Projected availability, and o Funds availability o Private investment

• Relative Importance: All Criteria are of equal importance

• Method of Evaluation: Peer or scientific review

The criteria above will evaluate submissions for all phases. Price shall be considered to an appropriate extent, but at a minimum, to determine that the price is fair and reasonable.

Proposals do not need to be evaluated against each other, as they are not submitted in response to a common performance work statement or statement of work. The Government reserves the right to fund all, some, one, or none of the proposals, or may elect to fund a portion of each proposal or fund a portion of any mix of proposals under this CSO.

All phases will be categorized as Recommended, Selectable, or Nonselectable as follows:

• Recommended: Proposals are recommended for acceptance if sufficient funding is available and normally are displaced only by other Recommended proposals.

• Selectable: Proposals are recommended for acceptance if sufficient funding is available, but they hold a lower priority than Recommended proposals. A Selectable proposal may require further development. To promote diverse approaches, a Selectable proposal can be prioritized over a Recommended proposal if it presents a unique approach unlike any of the Recommended proposals.

• Not Selectable: These proposals should not be funded, even if funds are available.

SECTION 8: REQUEST FOR SOLUTIONS

AMIP is seeking innovative technologies, processes, and services in the areas of mission and technical interest listed below. Submissions should identify novel solutions that address capability gaps and advance manufacturing innovation within the Army’s production ecosystem.

Proposed solutions should leverage mature technologies in new ways or introduce transformative approaches to enhance production efficiency, scalability, and resilience. The order and level of detail of the topics do not indicate priority.

No specific facilities or locations are required for implementation; however, proposed solutions must be mature enough to assess their viability, technical feasibility, application, and utility within Army manufacturing operations. AMIP intends to fund successful efforts in Fiscal Year 26 (future years TBD), with periods of performance typically ranging from 2 to 5 years, though exceptions may be made based on technical maturity or operational need.

TOPIC 1: Technology Integration Solutions should accelerate the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies, such as additive manufacturing, robotics, and AI-driven process optimization, into existing production lines. Approaches must ensure interoperability with legacy systems, minimize operational disruption, and enable scalable deployment across multiple facilities.

TOPIC 2: Digital Transformation Solutions should leverage secure digital tools, including Internet of Things (IoT) platforms, digital twins, and advanced analytics, to enable real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and process optimization. Proposals must address DoD cybersecurity compliance and demonstrate improvements in decision-making and operational efficiency.

TOPIC 3: Workforce Development Solutions should provide training programs and resources to upskill the workforce in advanced manufacturing techniques. Approaches may include modular training platforms, immersive learning technologies (e.g., AR/VR), and competency-based certification programs to accelerate workforce readiness.

TOPIC 4: Supply Chain Resilience Solutions should enhance supply chain visibility, adaptability, and risk mitigation. Approaches may include real-time monitoring systems, predictive analytics for disruption management, and frameworks to improve supplier collaboration and responsiveness.

TOPIC 5: Sustainability Solutions should implement environmentally sustainable manufacturing practices aligned with DoD environmental goals without compromising operational efficiency. Approaches may include energy-efficient processes, waste reduction technologies, and lifecycle analysis tools to measure and improve sustainability performance.