UNCLASSIFIED

Distribution A – Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Release Number: NAVWAR HQCA-2026-A-059

Program Acquisition Executive (PAE), Mission Systems (MS), Program Executive Office Digital

Area of Interest (AOI):

Cyber Resource and Engineering Workforce (CREW)

Distribution A – Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Notice ID#: N0003926RH002

Notice to Industry: This is an Area of Interest (AOI) issued under Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) number N0003925S0001. This AOI solicits white papers/solution briefs (phase 1 of CSO) from industry. This is not a formal solicitation or request for proposals.

Responses due: 2 July 2026 at 2:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)

Questions due: 25 June 2026 at 2:00 PM PDT

The Government may not address all questions received. Questions and Answers will be posted on NAVWAR CSO Website: https://www.navwar.navy.mil/Work-With-Us/Open-CSO-Calls/.

Contact information for questions and technical/submission issues: NAVWAR_2.7_CSO@us.navy.mil

The Government will not pay respondents for the costs associated with the submission of white paper/solution briefs.

I. Current State The Department of the Navy (DON) is transforming its approach to Information Technology (IT) services to better align with industry and commercial standards, to include staff augmentation.

Currently PEO Digital has multiple contracts, task orders, and interagency agreements that include augmented labor support with over 100 different Labor Categories (LCATS). These contracts have varying product service codes, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), disjointed scopes of work, and are cumbersome to administer. This antiquated business model does not align with our Agile SAFe® operating construct nor the future-state Government-Owned, Government Operated, Contractor Supported (GOGO-CS) approach to managing IT for the Navy. Modern Service Delivery requires us to fundamentally reform our approach to acquisition and establish a “Talent Supply Chain” bench of available resources.

In 2024 the DoD Cyber Workforce Framework was codified (via DODD 8140.01, DODI 8140.02, and DODM 8140.03) as the authoritative lexicon based on the work an individual is performing, not a certification or job series – across Military, Civilian, and Contracted labor. This enables a holistic approach to workforce talent management with improved fidelity. A qualified DoD cyber workforce, including cyber enablers, will be better https://sam.gov/opp/a606b587755240e1a0b4f7d1e8d557bc/view https://www.navwar.navy.mil/Work-With-Us/Open-CSO-Calls/ mailto:NAVWAR_2.7_CSO@us.navy.mil https://www.peodigital.navy.mil/Portals/96/Documents/PDFs/About/modern_service_delivery_detail_rev2.6_linkv2.pdf?ver=UGQ2fioWQv_Lm-1ietkq6Q%3d%3d https://www.peodigital.navy.mil/Portals/96/Documents/PDFs/About/modern_service_delivery_detail_rev2.6_linkv2.pdf?ver=UGQ2fioWQv_Lm-1ietkq6Q%3d%3d https://dl.dod.cyber.mil/wp-content/uploads/dcwf/pdf/unclass-dcwf_factsheet.pdf prepared to defeat highly sophisticated cyber adversaries and attract, recruit, and retain the best and brightest individuals by providing opportunities for growth in an environment of unique missions.

PEO Digital is an early Government implementer of the Technology Business Management (TBM) framework (see section 8, Helpful Links). TBM provides a standardized taxonomy for ends (solutions), ways (towers) and means (cost pools). PEO Digital organizationally operates in alignment with the TBM and Defense Cyber Workforce Framework (DCWF) (see section 8, Helpful Links) to maximize optimization of consistent agility and flexibility aligned with mission needs of the DON.

PEO Digital is revolutionizing the procurement of IT labor support using the DCWF and the TBM domains, towers and cost pools to develop an orderable and decentralized catalog of firm fixed price (FFP) support as the desired end state of this AOI.

The scope of this AOI is for PEO Digital, including CONUS, OCONUS, and USMC, with potential future expansion. PAE MS, through PEO Digital’s portfolio of the Naval Enterprise Network (NEN) and Marine Corp Enterprise Network (MCEN) is aligning with our acquisition strategy and contract execution starting with CREW to enhance operational effectiveness and empower capabilities through targeted investments and collaborative arrangements.

II. Problem Statement The Government is seeking an agile, standardized, and modern approach to augment our cyber workforce with commercially sourced talent. This modern approach provides the ability to fully adapt to the agile nature of software intensive programs or wartime readiness.

Current solutions have difficulty classifying resources; managing finances and technical investment across the workforce; maintaining, shifting, and adapting a highly skilled workforce in response to government needs; and preserving the predictability of access to highly skilled talent, budget, work and network resources that are necessary to sustain efforts for both the government and industry. As labor needs fluctuate across various programs and projects, current procurement processes often lack the flexibility, efficiency, and responsiveness required to meet evolving demands.

Key Challenges

1. Workforce Framework Alignment Achieving comprehensive integration and alignment of DCWF work roles with TBM Domains, Towers, and Staffing Cost Pools to standardize workforce categorization and financial tracking.

2. Scalable Talent Supply Chain Mitigating risks to operational agility and mission success by developing a highly scalable, continuous talent supply chain and readiness reserve capable of immediately executing rapid sprint and surge operations to further streamline and enhance operational support for DON.

3. Accelerated Onboarding Aligning staffing and onboarding velocity with the rapid pace of agile operational demands, ensuring administrative processes are optimized to support sudden surge requirements without degrading mission momentum.

4. Optimized Contracting Framework Establishing adaptable, scalable contract vehicles to efficiently procure Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) support labor across variable durations—ranging from short-term agile cycles (e.g., two-week sprints) to long-term engagements.

5. Stakeholder Accessibility Enabling PEO Digital stakeholders and customers to seamlessly access and leverage contracted support labor.

III. Desired Solution PEO Digital is seeking a flexible, scalable, and cost-effective solution that aligns with the TBM framework and integrates DCWF labor categories within the TBM Domains/Towers and cost pools. The Government's priorities for 2026 include engineering and logistics.

This initial minimum viable product (MVP) is focused on piloting a fundamentally new way of how the DON acquires, deploys, and manages its talent, by establishing a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) catalog using DCWF labor categories.

Desired Solution Characteristics:

Compelling submissions will provide actionable, vendor-driven methodologies addressing the following:

1. Workforce Framework Alignment Explicit mapping of the vendor’s supported DCWF work roles to their corresponding DCWF elements (e.g., IT Element: Knowledge Manager [431], Network Operations Specialist [441]). Responses must also align the vendor's core competencies with specific TBM Domains and Towers.

2. Scalable Talent Supply Chain

Using response to number 1, Workforce Framework Alignment, a comprehensive approach to establishing and maintaining a dynamic, DCWF-aligned talent supply chain focused on the vendor's identified Elements and Work Roles. This must include concrete strategies for rapidly scaling personnel volume up or down in response to fluctuating Government demand.

The capability and proposed methodology to rapidly expand or diversify the mix of supplied work roles beyond the vendor's initial core competencies to support evolving and dynamic mission requirements.

3. Accelerated Onboarding

Vendor-driven methodologies to expedite personnel deployment to further streamline and enhance operational support for DON. Solutions must explicitly outline the onboarding process, accelerated timelines, describe the associated methodology, and identify any necessary Government dependencies.

Note: The Government may consider proposed compensation or incentive structures tied to maintaining this level of operational readiness.

4. Optimized Contracting Frameworks

Recommendations for the most effective and flexible contracting strategies, vehicles (see NAVWAR CSO, Section 2.2), or structures required to successfully enable and execute the proposed solutions.

5. Stakeholder Accessibility

A proposed methodology for enabling stakeholders and customers to seamlessly access, task, and leverage contracted support labor to operate efficiently in a potential multi-vendor/Government-as- Integrator environment.

6. Demonstrated Capability Where applicable, a summary of relevant previous experience demonstrating the vendor's ability to successfully meet the scale and specific operational demands outlined in AOI.

ASSUMPTIONS:

1. Fluctuating Resource Utilization: Operational demand will be variable, and there may be intermittent periods or gaps between agile sprints where specific personnel or work roles are not actively required.

2. Pre-Existing Access Requirements: Traditional recruiting and clearing timelines are incompatible with the accelerated onboarding KPI (≤ 10 business days). Therefore, the Government assumes successful solutions will primarily rely on personnel who already possess the necessary credentials.

IV. Submission Instruction Solution materials must be submitted electronically via the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE) solicitation module link no later than the deadline specified in this announcement (Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE): https://piee.eb.mil/).

Solution white papers shall include the following:

• Solution White Papers, when printed, shall not exceed five (5) pages using 11-point font Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, exclusive of Title page

• Title page. Identify the AOI for which the solution white paper is submitted o Company Information

Company name, Address, Point of contact name, e-mail, and phone number https://piee.eb.mil/

CAGE, if available Self-Identify as Traditional or Non-Traditional Defense Contractor as defined in 10 USC

3014.

Company Viability as defined in N0003925S001 2.3.2

• Address the problem and desired solution

• Identify planned teaming arrangements, joint ventures, and/or associate contractor agreements (ACAs)

• If suggesting an OTA, and you’re a traditional defense contractor please identify the significant contribution to be provided on your team by a non-traditional defense contractor.

• Marked in accordance with N0003925S001 2.3.1.6 o All solution briefs containing data that is not to be disclosed to the public for any purpose, or used by the Government except for evaluation purposes, shall include the following statement on the cover page of the submission:

This Solution Brief includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Government, except to non-Government personnel for evaluation purposes, and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed -- in whole or in part -- for any purpose other than to evaluate this submission. If, however, an agreement/contract is awarded to this Company as a result of -- or in connection with – the submission of this data, the Government shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent agreed upon by both parties in the resulting agreement. This restriction does not limit the Government's right to use the information contained in this data if it is obtained from another source without restriction. The data subject to this restriction are contained in sheets [insert numbers or other identification of sheets].

V. Evaluation Criteria Solution white papers will be peer-reviewed by the Government technical review team in accordance with CSO N0003925S0001, DFARS 212.70 and 10 USC 3458.

Evaluation criteria are:

1. To what degree does the solution meet the needs of the Department of the Navy

2. Technical merit and feasibility of solution(s) to address the Government’s problem statement

Criteria are equally weighted.

VI. Notional Schedule Milestone Planned Date*

Invite to Phase 2, Pitch Sessions 4th Quarter FY2026 Initial Performance commences 1st Quarter FY2027

*Milestone dates are subject to change

Note: please refer to NAVWAR CSO for additional information regarding the three-phase process:

Phase 1: Solution Briefs Phase 2: Pitch Session Phase 3: Proposal

VII. Award information This AOI is issued under the authority of 10 U.S.C. § 3458, as amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026. This authority permits the acquisition of commercial products, commercial services, or non-developmental items, and is not limited to 'innovative' solutions. To the extent that any implementing regulations have not been updated to reflect this statutory change, the terms of the statute shall govern.

Any contract or agreement as a result of this AOI is to be for non-personal services. There are no waivers to the personal services prohibition. Therefore, the solution shall focus on capability, responsiveness, and outcomes. The contractor is solely responsible for the management, performance, and conduct of its personnel.

Notice to Respondents:

1. The Government reserves the right to cancel this requirement at any time and is under no obligation to reimburse any associated costs. Multiple awards are anticipated over the lifecycle of this AoI.

2. Solutions shall be valid for a minimum of 18 months.

3. Awardable solutions may be made available in the Navy’s Digital Marketplace.

4. Respondents providing awardable solutions may be asked to provide a five-minute video pitching their solution for inclusion in the marketplace.

5. All awards are subject to the availability of funds.

6. Collaborative real-time work statement development is anticipated prior to RFQ/RFS

VIII. Helpful Links

• NAVWAR CSO Website: https://www.navwar.navy.mil/Work-With-Us/Open-CSO-Calls/

• Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE): https://piee.eb.mil/

• Defense Cyber Workforce Framework (DCWF): https://www.cyber.mil/dod-workforce-innovation-directorate/dod-cyber-workforce-framework/dcwf

• Technology Business Management (TBM) Taxonomy: https://www.tbmcouncil.org/learn-tbm/resource-center/the-tbm-taxonomy-5/

• Navy Cyberspace Framework (COOL): https://www.cool.osd.mil/usn/cswf/index.html?CWFModel https://www.navwar.navy.mil/Work-With-Us/Open-CSO-Calls/ https://piee.eb.mil/ https://www.cyber.mil/dod-workforce-innovation-directorate/dod-cyber-workforce-framework/dcwf https://www.cyber.mil/dod-workforce-innovation-directorate/dod-cyber-workforce-framework/dcwf https://www.tbmcouncil.org/learn-tbm/resource-center/the-tbm-taxonomy-5/ https://www.tbmcouncil.org/learn-tbm/resource-center/the-tbm-taxonomy-5/ https://www.cool.osd.mil/usn/cswf/index.html?CWFModel