Call for Solutions

Innovative Solutions for System Safety Evaluation

Project Number ATEC_26_01

Army Open Solicitation (AOS) Number W9128Z-25-S-A002

Call for Solution Title Innovative Solutions for System Safety Evaluation

Issued By Army Contracting Command – Aberdeen Proving Ground, Division D, Branch A

Submission Instructions See sections 6 and 7 for submittal instructions and notes.

*White Paper Submission Due Date/Time (Suspense)

May 08, 2026 @ 1300 EDT

Point of Contacts (ACC Contracting) for White Paper Submission

Contracting Officer:

Esther Casari Email: esther.casari.civ@army.mil

Contract Specialist:

Dennis Beauclair, Jr. (DJ) Email: dennis.a.beauclair3.civ@army.mil

Contract Specialist:

Whitney Jackson Email: whitney.j.jackson6.civ@army.mil

Note 1: Any submissions received by the Contract Officer after the suspense date/time listed above will be deemed late and not evaluated. It is the sole responsibility of the contractor to ensure that its submission is received in the inbox listed above before the deadline specified.

Note 2: This Call for Solution may result in the Government awarding Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) contracts or non-FAR agreements In Accordance With (IAW) Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 212.70 – Defense Commercial Solutions Opening.

The Government reserves the right to refrain from making any award through this call for solutions.

Note 3: The Government will not compensate contractors for any actions and phases related to this call for solutions.

Note 4: Please send an email to the contracting points of contact in the table above to request a DoD SAFE link if your submission has proprietary information that needs extra security.

mailto:esther.casari.civ@army.mil mailto:dennis.a.beauclair3.civ@army.mil mailto:whitney.j.jackson6.civ@army.mil

1. Background The Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) provides safety evaluations to decision makers for input to their risk assessments to enable Soldier use and to inform acquisition decisions on Army systems. The Army's directive to expedite equipment fielding, coupled with a rise in urgent evaluations, has strained ATEC's time-intensive manual processes. ATEC is seeking innovative solutions to research and evaluate safety data, identify gaps, and draft safety evaluations.

2. Problem Statement ATEC’s time and labor intensive manual processes cannot keep pace with the necessary speed and increased volume while maintaining a high quality of safety evaluations to support transformation and urgent operational use.

3. Required Solution Attributes Required solution attributes include but are not limited to:

SEARCH:

• Accept varied data formats including text, tables, and images, must include Microsoft office and PDFs

• Identify credible hazards

• Avoid false positives

• Identify gaps in knowledge

• Include results, properly annotated, of similar systems

• Gather data from all applicable sources

REPORT:

• Display and explain hazards

• Recommend Severity and Probability (in accordance with MIL-STD-882)

• Propose potential Mitigations

• Cite source of findings

• Propose areas for further evaluation based on gaps

• Tailor evaluation when requested

• Publish findings in varied formats including text, tables, and images, must include

Microsoft office and PDFs

FEATURES:

• Manage user administrator permissions (read, write, archive…)

• Protect data

• Acknowledge uncertainty

• Allow for Government review and approval

4. Desired Solution Attributes

• Provide user-tailored dialogue

• Exist in Army approved information space

• Suggest alternative sources of data

5. Awarding Instrument

a. Awarding instrument has not been decided. A determination on path forward to potential award will be made after phase 2 proof-of-concept results have been evaluated. The Government reserves the right to refrain from making any award through this call for solutions.

6. Call for Solutions Submission Instructions and Notes

b. In addition to the general guidelines included in the open solicitation, the following guidelines apply to this Call for Solution:

i. Each contractor is responsible for monitoring SAM.gov for any amendments to this solicitation that may have updated information.

ii. Resellers and academic research proposals are not desired.

iii. All White Paper Submissions will be valid for 180 calendar days after the submission date.

iv. The Government may down-select potential awardees under this call for solution.

v. The Government reserves the right to issue multiple awards from this Call for Solution. It similarly reserves the right to refrain from making any award.

1. The Government may utilize internal Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to assist in the administrative review and analysis of proposals, such as by summarizing content or verifying compliance with solicitation requirements. AI tools will not be used for comparative analysis of proposals received.

However, the use of AI is strictly for support purposes; all final evaluation judgments, the assignment of ratings, best value determinations, and the ultimate source selection decision are inherently governmental functions that will be made exclusively by Government personnel. The Government is committed to protecting all contractor’s proprietary and source-selection sensitive information, and any AI tool used will operate in a secure environment, consistent with all applicable data protection regulations, and will not transmit data to external systems.

vi. Questions are to be sent only to the Contracting Officer and Specialist (POCs) listed in this Call for Solution by 28 April 2026 @ 1200 EDT. The following shall be utilized in the email subject line:

"Call for Solution — ATEC_26_01".

7. Solution Submission and Evaluation Process

The Government will employ a multi-phase process to evaluate submissions and identify the most promising solution(s) for further consideration. This structured approach is designed to efficiently identify innovative and technically sound solutions while minimizing the burden on industry and Government resources.

a. Phase 1 – White Paper Submission: A written submission from contractors detailing their proposed technical solution and approach in response to this Call for Solutions.

b. Phase 2 – Proof of Concept: An invitation-only phase where selected contractor(s) will provide a demonstration or limited trial of their solution's capabilities.

c. Additional Phases TBD: Following a successful Proof of Concept, the Government may, at its discretion, proceed with further phases, potentially leading to a contract for a pilot program, or other acquisition pathway.

8. Phase 1 – White Paper Submission

The Government intends to evaluate White Paper Submissions to determine technical merit in addressing the Government’s problem statement and required attributes. White Paper Submissions will be evaluated in accordance with the subsections below. The Government reserves the right to select all, some, or none of the White Paper Submissions submitted in this call for solutions to proceed with further phases.

• Mandatory document submittal criteria:

o Page Size: Portrait 8.5 x 11 o Font Style: Arial o Font Size: 12 pts (word documents) o Document Type: PDF o Page Limit: 10 Pages (not including cover page)

White Paper Submissions shall include the following at a minimum:

• Title Page (one-page limit) o Company Name, Call Title, Date, Point of Contact Name, POC Title, E-

Mail Address, Phone, Address, and Call reference number. If registered in SAM.gov, include the Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code, and Unique Entity Identification (UEI) code. Note: SAM registration is required for any award.

o Ensure to clearly identify the Call for which the White Paper Submission is submitted.

• Executive Summary (one-page limit) i. Provide an executive summary of the contractor and their solution.

• High-Level Solution/Concept (eight-page limit) i. Explain the unique technical aspects of your solution, its relevance to this Call, and how it is innovative or represents a potential capability. Highlight how the solution addresses the problem statement and required solution attributes.

o Describe the capabilities of your solution, its scalability, and the specific benefits it offers in relation to the objectives of this Call.

o Provide a detailed explanation of the technical approach, demonstrating its feasibility and achievability. Include information about the technical team’s expertise and experience to successfully implement the proposed solution. Address how the solution will meet the Army’s hosting and security requirements, including:

▪ Current authorization status: Identify any existing ATOs (specify Impact Level and authorizing authority), FedRAMP authorizations, or DoW Provisional Authorizations currently held.

▪ Authorization timeline: Provide a realistic timeline and approach for achieving Army ATO, including major milestones (security control implementation, documentation, assessment, authorization decision). Indicate whether the solution includes a pilot or demonstration of existing commercial technology or involves the development of technology for defense applications. Identify the DoW Technical Readiness Level (TRL) and, if applicable, discuss the path to maturity for developmental or adapted technologies.

▪ CMMC status: Identify CMMC level your company has been certified at.

o Optional: State what type of demonstration or proof of concept would work best to show your company’s capability. If selected for phase 2, the Government may take your recommendation into consideration.

• Intellectual Property Statement/Agreement/Disclosures (no page limit) i. The White Paper Submission must identify any intellectual property associated with the proposed solution, and the associated restrictions on the Government’s use of that intellectual property. DFARS subpart 252.227-7017(d) may be used for formatting. As needed, include a separate disclosure for each company that would be a participant of the solution/concept.

• Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) Analysis and Mitigation Plan (As applicable, no page limit) i. See Section 11 of this Call.

a. White Paper Submission Basis for Evaluation

All White Paper Submission will be evaluated against the following criteria. Contractors are advised to ensure their submission explicitly and thoroughly addresses how their proposed solution meets each point.

Evaluation Criterion Description

1. Technical Merit: The Government will evaluate the Technical Merit of a Company’s White Paper Submission. Technical merit is defined as having relevance to the Call for Solution, innovation, solves a capability gap and/or provides innovative technological advancements. The technical approach shall demonstrate the ability to scale and be determined feasible and achievable. In addition, the Government finds the technical approach and/or underlying technology to be a compelling solution.

2. Viability for Army Environment: The Government will evaluate the solution's described path to exist and be sustained within an Army-approved information space. This includes the approach to user access control levels and the plan for providing future updates and patches in a secure manner.

b. White Paper Submission Selection Process

A selection committee composed of Government technical and operational subject matter experts will conduct a fair, impartial, and consistent evaluation of all timely and compliant White Paper Submissions. The committee will score submissions based on the criteria listed above to identify the most promising solutions. The Government will notify Contractors in writing as to whether they have been selected to proceed to the next phase.

Based on the evaluation, the White Paper Submission will be categorized as ‘Selected for Further Consideration’ or ‘Not Selected for Further Consideration’. Selection into the next Phase will be based on the criteria listed above, and Government Need.

Selected for Further Consideration: The submitted White Paper Submission has been determined to be of technical merit, represents a feasible and achievable schedule, and included all required submittals in accordance with the Call. As such, the Government intends to invite the Company to participate in next phase.

Not Selected for Further Consideration: The submitted White Paper Submission does not represent the necessary degree of technical merit, does not represent a feasible and achievable schedule, and/or did not include all required submittals in accordance with the Call.

Contractors ‘Selected for Further Consideration’ may be invited to participate in subsequent phases. The Government reserves the right to limit the number of offerors invited to Phase 2 – Proof of Concept.

9. Phase 2 – Proof of Concept

All White Paper Submissions submitted in phase 1 will undergo a fair, impartial, and consistent evaluation in accordance with the stated criteria. The Government anticipates industry to submit innovative solutions that the Government has not previously explored.

For flexibility in accommodating various types of solutions, we will provide invitation letters to Contractors selected to proceed to phase 2. The Government reserves the right to select one, multiple, or none of the proof-of-concept submissions to proceed to the next potential phases or end the process at phase 2.

The Government reserves the right to amend phase 2 instructions, evaluation criteria, and selection process before invitations letters are sent out.

a. Proof of Concept Instructions

(Details to be provided in the Phase 2 invitation letter)

b. Proof of Concept Basis of Evaluation

(Details to be provided in the Phase 2 invitation letter)

c. Proof of Concept Selection Process

(Details to be provided in the Phase 2 invitation letter)

Additional Phases may be added depending on the results of the Phase 2 Proof of Concept.

10. Non-Government Advisors

As stated in Section I of the AOS, non-Government advisors may be used in the evaluation of White Paper Submissions, Pitch Sessions, and Solution Proposals, and negotiation of said Proposals. For this Call, the Government anticipates using non-Government advisor(s) from the following contractors:

No Non-Government Advisors are identified at this time. If Non-Government Advisors are deemed necessary post-Phase 1 evaluations, the Government will give advanced notice to the selected offerors.

Non-Government advisors will have signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with the Government. By submitting a Solution, the Contractor understands that the Government may share proprietary Company information with the identified non-Government advisor(s) for evaluation and administrative purposes only. In addition, the Contractor further understands that it has an opportunity before submitting a White Paper Submission to the Government to enter an NDA directly with the Non-Government advisor(s), and therefore waives all claims against the Government for any disclosures of proprietary information by the non- Government personnel. Such NDAs are the responsibility of the Contractor, and the Government shall not be a party to them. Companies shall provide a copy of the signed NDAs to the Government with submissions.

11. Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI)

The Contractor shall perform an OCI analysis and submit the results of that analysis in addition to the White Paper Submission. Specifically, the Contractor shall analyze the details of the Call and the implementation of their proposed Solution for actual or potential OCI situations associated with the performance of the Contractor, or any of the Contractor’s proposed teammates or subcontractors, under any contract or agreement the Contractor or the Contractor’s teammates or subcontractors have been or may be awarded by any federal agency or other entity. The Contractor shall describe in detail the methodology used to identify actual or potential OCI issues. The level of detail for OCI analysis may not be the same for all contractors. FAR 9.5 may be used as guidance for OCI analysis. If no conflicts are identified, a risk mitigation plan is not required; however a description of the analysis methodology, and an affirming statement that no conflicts are identified shall be included.

If the Contractor identifies any actual or potential OCIs with respect to the performance of the Contractor or the Contractor’s subcontractors or teammates, the contractor shall provide an OCI Mitigation Plan to be incorporated as an attachment to any resulting contract or agreement. Any proposed avoidance or mitigation techniques shall be consistent with FAR 9.5 and the most recent decisions of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

12. Additional Notes

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