Call for Solutions_pRFID_7.16.2026.pdf

CALL FOR SOLUTIONS

Project GAVELS (Global Accountability Visibility Enhanced Logistics Solution)

Project Number HQDA G-44_26_01 Army Open Solicitation (AOS) Number W9128Z-25-S-A002 Call for Solution Title Project GAVELS Issued By Army Contracting Command – Aberdeen

Proving Ground (ACC-APG), Division D

Submission Instructions To respond to this Call for Solution, please refer to Sections 6 of this Call for Solution

*Solution Briefs Due Date/Time (Suspense)

23 July 2026 at 1000 AM Eastern Time (ET)

Point of Contracts (POCs) for Solution Brief Submission

Contracting Officer:

Alexandra C. Miller Alexandra.c.miller6.civ@army.mil

Contract Specialist:

Samantha Hannah Samantha.l.hannah2.civ@army.mil

NOTE: Please advise the cognizant Contracting/Agreements Officer and Specialist as soon as possible via the emails above if your organization intends to submit a Solution Brief in response to this Call for Solution.

*Any submissions that are received by the Contracting/Agreements Officer after the suspense date/time listed above will be deemed late and not evaluated. It is the sole responsibility of the company to ensure that its submission is received in the email inboxes listed above before the deadline specified.

This Call for Solution is issued under the authority of Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 212.70 – Defense Commercial Solutions Opening and may result in the Government awarding Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) contracts or non-FAR agreements. Other Transactions (OT) that may be awarded from this Call for Solution are not subject to the FAR or its supplements, as applicable. The Government reserves the right to award a follow commercial contract based on the submitted solution/concept, as a result of an initial successful proof of concept and/or validation award from Phase 3.

mailto:Alexandra.c.miller6.civ@army.mil mailto:Samantha.l.hannah2.civ@army.mil

1. BACKGROUND.

The United States Army G-46 Directorate, part of the Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) G-4 Logistics Initiatives Group, leads the Army’s digital transformation in logistics and Installation, Energy, and Environment (IE&E). G-46 is responsible for policy, governance, investment strategy, and technical integration of logistics automated information management systems, aligning with the Army’s broader modernization goals. The directorate’s strategic focus includes logistics modernization through integrated information systems, scaling artificial intelligence and machine learning analytics, developing resilient energy solutions, and improving energy efficiency and supply chain reliability across Army installations and operations. Asset visibility is critical for ensuring timely and accurate logistics support, especially in contested or austere environments.

2. PROBLEM STATEMENT.

A critical capability gap exists in achieving Army-wide asset visibility, particularly at the tactical edge where Soldiers, often with limited specialized training, must operate passive Radio Frequency Identification (pRFID) enabled systems under denied, disrupted, intermittent, and limited network conditions. Unlike commercial environments, these operational contexts demand software that is intuitive, resilient, and transparent in its connectivity and data synchronization status. Current challenges include software that fails to communicate system state, leading to inaccurate accountability, delayed inventories, and reduced confidence in logistics systems. The Army seeks solutions that bridge the gap between raw radio frequency data capture and actionable logistics decision-making, ensuring real-time asset visibility and robust user feedback to support mission readiness and operational effectiveness.

The Army faces a significant challenge in achieving automated, accurate, and resilient asset visibility and accountability across its logistics operations. Current processes for property accountability and inventory management rely heavily on manual, line-of-sight methods such as hand-scanning, visual verification, and paper-based reconciliation.

These approaches are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and susceptible to human error, which undermines the accuracy and timeliness of tracking organizational property, vehicles, sensitive items, and associated data—especially during high operational tempo or periodic inventories.

Existing commercial passive radio frequency identification (pRFID) solutions often do not meet Army requirements for cybersecurity, data sovereignty, and operational reliability. Many are designed for environments with consistent network connectivity and may depend on vendor-hosted cloud services or external data routing, which are incompatible with Army standards and Risk Management Framework accreditation.

Furthermore, Army units frequently operate in environments with limited or disrupted network access and in physical settings that challenge radio frequency performance, such as metal-dense motorpools and indoor storage facilities. The lack of validated solutions that can operate effectively in these conditions, integrate seamlessly with Army systems, and comply with relevant regulations has left a critical capability gap.

The Army currently lacks an objective, field-validated basis to qualify pRFID solutions and technologies capable of simultaneously meeting operational, cybersecurity, scalability, and integration requirements. To address this, the Army requires a structured, standards-based, and operationally realistic technical validation process to ensure proposed solutions perform under real-world tactical conditions, can scale across posts, and achieve cybersecurity accreditation.

The objective of this Call for Solution is to identify and validate a scalable, standards-based pRFID solution that can deliver automated asset visibility and accountability across a range of operational environments, including those with limited to no connectivity. The Army seeks a solution that is operationally effective, cyber-compliant, scalable, and capable of integrating with existing Army logistics systems. Addressing this gap is essential to improving inventory accuracy, reducing manual workload, and ensuring mission readiness in both garrison and tactical settings.

3. DESIRED SOLUTION ATTRIBUTES.

The following attributes shall be demonstrated, provided and/or a capability of the solution:

Technical and Data Architecture.

• Closed Architecture Integration: Support direct, local (cloud-free) integration with Army tactical networks, executing all data processing locally without relying on vendor cloud services, third-party data lakes, or external routing.

• Infrastructure Adaptability: Operate efficiently over standard local internet connections for necessary data uploads and downloads, precluding the need for specialized or proprietary network infrastructure.

• Store-and-Forward Capability: Provide full store-and-forward functionality during Denied, Disrupted, Intermittent, and Limited (DDIL) bandwidth operations, including automatic, secure data synchronization once network connectivity is reestablished.

• Data Matrix Encoding: Support Item Unique Identification (IUID) to pRFID encoding utilizing standard 2D data matrix protocols.

• Standardized Interoperability: Utilize standard Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), middleware, and open data formats to interface with Army enterprise systems.

• Rigorous Environmental Resilience: Maintain reliable performance and read accuracy across challenging tactical environments, including metal-rich areas, indoor and outdoor yards, vehicle operations, and high-frequency-spectrum environments.

Functional Capabilities. The solution shall provide clear system-state indicators to the user, including offline indicators, error handling, and real-time asset visibility, and shall possess the following capabilities across the below three (3) elements:

1. Receiving & Tagging

• Enable a streamlined, intuitive tagging workflow capable of supporting rapid, high-throughput processing of incoming assets with minimal Soldier training

• Maintain high read accuracy while minimizing missed reads and false positives

• Possess robust error handling capabilities, including clear detection, notification, and resolution of failed reads, duplicate tags, and encoding errors, with on-screen confirmation and status indicators for each transaction

2. Inventory

• Deliver high accountability accuracy, ensuring inventoried assets are correctly identified, counted, and reconciled against expected records

• Maintain a complete, auditable data trail supporting data audit, reconciliation, and defensible property accountability

• Identify and flag discrepancies, including missing, unexpected, or misplaced items

• Perform accurately in RF-challenging environments, including metal-rich motor pools, arms rooms, indoor warehouses, and outdoor lots, in both connected and disconnected conditions

3. Location Tracking (Track In / Track Out)

• Capture accurate track-in and track-out events, with low latency between the read event and data update/visibility, using both fixed portal and mobile/handheld readers under a unified software architecture

• Provide clear, real-time dashboards displaying asset location, movement history, and current status

• Detect, flag, and report exceptions, including unauthorized movements, missed reads, and unexpected location changes

Hardware.

• Provide hardware/tag agnostic solutions compatible with EPC Class 1 Gen 2

(ISO/IEC 18000-63)

• Support a portfolio of devices, including handhelds and fixed portals, operating under the same unified software architecture

• Include adjustable RF power to support both long-range detection (15–20 ft) and fine-grain arms room accuracy without ghost reads

• Be Trade Agreement Act (TAA) compliant

Timeline & Deployment.

• Ability to initiate and complete a successful pilot within 30 to 60 days.

• Ability to test and field the solution across the Army within 12-month period.

• Ability to maintain a continuous deployable solution across all Army-wide users.

Training and Sustainment.

• Provide role-based training for all user types in at least two formats (e.g., instructor-led and self-paced); a train-the-trainer program; and a minimum of 60 days of post-deployment training support

• User manuals, administrator guides, and quick-reference materials in Government-editable formats, updated with each release

• Tiered support with defined response times during business hours

Change Management.

• A change impact assessment identifying affected user groups, processes, and systems, along with a stakeholder communication plan and supporting templates.

Cybersecurity.

• Comply with Army cybersecurity requirements, including encrypted data handling and audit logging.

Enhanced Analytical Capabilities.

• Decision modeling inclusive of scenario analysis tools

• Advanced data visualization and dashboard capabilities for leadership visibility

• Predictive analytics to forecast asset trends and demands

• Automated alerts and notifications for critical events

User Experience & Accessibility.

• Be Intuitive, user interface requiring minimal training

• Include Role-based access controls and customizable user views

Enhanced Cybersecurity Posture.

• Achieve Authorization to Operate (ATO) at the required Impact Level for the full proposed capability, or an existing ATO for core components that can be extended to cover the full solution; FedRAMP High or DoD IL5/IL6 authorizations.

4. AWARDING INSTRUMENT

The Call will be awarded in accordance with the Army Open Solicitation procedures detailed within Solicitation W9128Z-25-S-A002, found here:

https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/1b97c45e74bc41549af9a0858c931a88/view This Call provides instructions to companies and how the Government will evaluate submissions. This Call for Solution intends to utilize Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) procedures.

https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/1b97c45e74bc41549af9a0858c931a88/view

5. CALL INSTRUCTIONS AND NOTES

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

• Offerors are responsible for monitoring SAM.gov for any amendments to this solicitation that may have updated information.

• Resellers and academic research proposals are not desired.

• All Solution Briefs will be valid for 180 calendar days after the submission date.

• The government reserves the right to limit the number of Companies invited to

Phase 2 and/or Phase 3.

• 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.

• Submittals must use a standard, readable font (i.e., not requiring magnification), as the document's readability directly impacts the Government's ability to assess the merits of the proposed solution. Offerors are strongly encouraged to use diagrams, graphics, and concise text to effectively convey complex information.

For this purpose, landscape-oriented (11 x 8.5 inch) pages are permissible for visuals but will be counted toward the total page limit, which is strictly enforced.

Any pages submitted beyond the maximum allowed will be removed by the Government and will not be evaluated.

• 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. 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 offeror 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.

• Questions are to be sent only to the Contracting Officer and Specialist (POCs) listed in this Call for Solution by 20 July 2026 @ 1000 AM ET. The following shall be utilized in the email subject line: "Call for Solution — HQDA_G-44_26_01".

5.1 Overview of Submission Phases

The response process for this Call will generally consist of the following phases:

Phase 1: Solution Brief Offerors will submit a high-level summary of their proposed solution, addressing the government’s objectives and requirements.

Phase 2: Pitch (unless bypassed) Selected offerors may be invited to present and discuss their solution in a live or virtual setting.

Phase 3: Solution Proposal Offerors advancing to this phase will be invited to submit a detailed proposal for final evaluation and potential award.

Detailed submission requirements for Phase 1 are provided in Section 6. Evaluation criteria for Phase 1 are outlined in Section 7. Phase 2 and/or Phase 3 submission requirements and evaluation criteria will be provided via subsequent invitation letters.

5.2 General Notes

Offerors are reminded that all awards are subject to the availability of funds and the Government reserves the right to make multiple awards, subsequent awards, a single award, or no award as a result of this Call.

Only a Contracting or Agreements Officer has the authority to enter into, modify, or execute a binding instrument on behalf of the United States Government. All payment obligations are subject to Congressional appropriations.

In order to be eligible for award, offerors must:

o Possess a Unique Entity ID (UEI) and be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to award, and maintain active registration throughout the period of performance.

o Register in the prescribed government invoicing system (e.g., Wide Area Work Flow).

o Accurately represent their small business size and status as required.

o Be determined responsible by the Contracting/Agreements Officer and not be suspended, debarred, or otherwise prohibited from receiving an award.

o Disclose any actual or potential Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCIs) to the Contracting/Agreements Officer prior to award.

Offerors are responsible for monitoring SAM.gov for any amendments or updates to this Call.

Notice to Offeror(s): The Government reserves the right to cancel this open Call, either before or after the closing date. If the Government cancels this open Call, the Government has no obligation to reimburse an offeror for any costs.

6. SOLUTION SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

6.1 Phase 1 – Solution Brief

6.1.1 Phase 1 – Solution Brief Content

Solution Briefs shall not exceed eleven (11) written pages using 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font or, alternatively, may take the form of briefing slides not exceeding fifteen (15) slides. The Government will not consider inserted textboxes/pop-ups or internet links to additional information as part of the Solution Brief and will not consider such information in its evaluation. Solution Briefs are intended to be clear and concise.

Solution Briefs shall include the following at a minimum:

a. Title Page (one-page limit)

i. Company Name, Title, Date, Point of Contact Name, 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.

ii. Specifically identify the Call for which the Solution Brief is submitted.

b. Executive Summary (one-page limit)

i. Provide an executive summary of the technology.

c. High-Level Technology Solution/Concept (eight-page limit)

i. Describe the unique aspects of your solution/concept and its relevance to the respective Call/Topic.

ii. Explain whether the solution/concept is innovative and/or a potential capability.

iii. Describe how your proposed solution/concept solves a capability gap/problem and/or provides innovative technological advancements.

iv. Outline the capabilities and scalability of the solution/concept.

v. Describe the benefits of your solution/concept as it applies to the respective

Call/Topic.

vi. Explain how the proposed technical approach is feasible, achievable, and supported by a technical team with the expertise and experience to accomplish the proposed solution/concept.

vii. Provide a proposed project schedule and total estimated out-the-door price, and describe how the proposed schedule is achievable for the proposed solution/concept.

viii. Identify whether the proposed solution/concept includes a pilot or demonstration of an existing commercial technology (identified as commercially ready and viable technology), or the development of technology for potential defense application. If development or adaptation is proposed, identify a suggested path to mature the technology. Identify aspects which may be considered proprietary.

d. Company Viability (one-page limit)

i. Provide a brief overview of the company. Include a summary of current fundraising to date or a summary of top-line (gross sales/revenues).

ii. Provide a summary of product/solution commercialization and go-to-market strategy.

iii. The Government is particularly interested in solutions offered by entities that have direct ownership or control over the development, innovation, and support of the proposed capability. Offerors must clearly state whether they are the original provider (i.e., the developer or manufacturer) of the capability or are acting as an intermediary, such as a reseller, integrator, or distributor. Offerors who are not the original provider must explicitly describe the value they add beyond what is available from the primary source, including but not limited to unique integration, customization, or support services. This added value must go beyond the original provider’s offering and provide a clear, quantifiable return on value to the Government, such as measurable cost savings, enhanced performance, or other tangible benefits.

e. Intellectual Property Statement/Agreement/Disclosures (does not count against page limit)

i. As needed, include a separate disclosure for each company that would be a participant in the solution/concept.

h. Supporting Data/Documents (does not count against page limit)

i. This section should be clearly organized (e.g., with a table of contents and bookmarks or a crosswalk) to allow for easy navigation and verification of claims.

ii. Acceptable supporting data includes but is not limited to: system architecture diagrams (including data flows); hardware specifications for all readers, antennas, tags, servers, and gateways; software architecture with UI screenshots and workflow descriptions; and environmental performance data across metal-rich areas, indoor and outdoor yards, vehicle operations, and frequency-spectrum-rich environments.

The Government may be unable to evaluate the Solution Brief if a Company fails to provide the information requested above.

6.2 Phase 2 – Pitch

Phase 2 submission requirements and evaluation criteria will be outlined in the invitation to this phase, unless bypassed.

6.3 Phase 3 – Proposal

Phase 3 submission requirements and evaluation criteria will be outlined in the invitation to this phase.

7. EVALUATION CRITERIA

7.1 Phase 1 – Solution Brief Basis of Evaluation

Solution briefs correctly submitted in response to the Call will be evaluated against the below criteria. The Government reserves the right to use external market research in the evaluation of a Company's viability. The Government reserves the right to not respond to solution briefs incorrectly submitted under this Call. The Government reserves the right to select and/or invite all, some, or none of the solution submissions submitted in response to this Call.

The Government intends to evaluate the Solution Brief to determine which proposed solutions have the potential to best meet the Governments needs utilizing the two-part evaluation criteria below.

Solution Briefs submitted in response to this Call will be evaluated using the following criteria in descending order of importance are: (a) Technical Merit, (b) Schedule, and (c) Viability.

a. Technical Merit: The Government will evaluate the Company’s Solution Brief submission in accordance with Section C, i through vi. The Government will evaluate the Company’s Offeror’s proposed solution/concept relevance to the respective Call; innovation or a potential capability; solves a capability/gap/problem or provides potential innovative technological advancements; capabilities and scalability of the solution; benefits of the solution/concept; and technical approach.

b. Schedule. The Government will review the Offeror Solution Brief submission in accordance with Section C, vii through viii. The Government will evaluate the Company proposed solution/concept project schedule and maturity path only.

c. Viability. The Government will evaluate the Company Solution Brief in accordance with Section D, i and iii. The Government will evaluate the submitted company overview, and if applicable, summary of product/solution commercialization, market strategy and intermediary relationship added value.

7.2 Phase 1 - Solution Brief Selection Process

Based on the evaluation, the Solution Brief will be categorized as Selected for Further Consideration or Not Selected for Further Consideration. The selection of one (1) or more submissions into the next Phase will be based on the criteria listed above and funding availability. Solution Briefs considered not to have (1) sufficient merit or relevance to the topic, (2) a Government need, or (3) funds are not expected to be available, the submission may be declined without further review.

Selected for Further Consideration: The submitted Solution Brief has been determined to be of technical merit, represents an achievable schedule and viable maturity pathway. As such, the Government intends to invite the Company to participate in next phase should funding be available.

Not Selected for Further Consideration: The submitted Solution Brief does not represent either the necessary degree of technical merit, technical innovation, and/or relevance to agency priorities to warrant further proposal effort or consideration.

The Army anticipates Calls may routinely receive more Solution Briefs than resources to award. All submissions will be fairly evaluated, however, only select Solution Briefs will be invited to Phase 2 and/or Phase 3. The government reserves the right to limit the number of Companies invited to Phase 2 and/or Phase 3. As such, a Company’s solution may be evaluated to be of merit but not invited to Phase 2 and/or Phase 3.

Solution Briefs that are chosen for Phase 2 and/or Phase 3 will be notified in writing as soon as practicable. The Government reserves the right to bypass Phase 2 into Phase 3 to request a formal proposal should funding be available.

8. NON-GOVERNMENT ADVISORS

In accordance with AOS, Section I the Government will use non-Government advisors from the following contractors with the contact information provided:

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

Non-Government advisors will have signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with the Government. By submitting a Solution, the Offeror 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 Offeror further understands that it has an opportunity before submitting a Solution Brief 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 Offeror, and the Government shall not be a party to them. Companies shall provide a copy of the signed NDAs to the Government with submissions.

9. ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST (OCI)

The Offeror shall perform an OCI analysis and submit the results of that analysis in addition to the Solution Brief submission. Specifically, the Offeror 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 Offeror, or any of the Offeror’s proposed teammates or subcontractors, under any contract or agreement the Offeror or the Offeror’s teammates or subcontractors have been or may be awarded by any federal agency or other entity. The Offeror 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 vendors. 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. This section will not count against submission page limits.

If the Offeror identifies any actual or potential OCIs with respect to the performance of the Offeror or the Offeror’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.