CSO CCA Engineering Tobyhanna Army Depot.pdf

CALL FOR SOLUTIONS

Innovative Circuit Card Assembly (CCA) Production Support and Scalability Solutions

Project Number CCA_26_01 Army Open Solicitation (AOS) Number W9128Z-25-S-A002 Call for Solution Title Innovative Circuit Card Assembly (CCA)

Production Support and Scalability Solutions

Issued By Army Contracting Command – Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG), Tobyhanna Division

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

Solutions Brief Due Date/Time (Suspense)* August 10, 2026 at 2 PM EST.

Points of Contact (POCs) for Solution Brief Submission

Contracting Officer: Stephanie Coleman Contract Specialist: Dean Berkovics

Note: Please advise the cognizant contracting officer and contract specialist as soon as possible via the email above if your organization intends to submit a brief solution in response to this Call for Solution.

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. Other Transaction (OT) that may be awarded from this Call for Solution are not subject to the FAR or its supplements, as applicable.

1. INTRODUCTION

Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) is seeking innovative commercial methodologies, processes, and technologies to rapidly scale Circuit Card Assembly (CCA) production. This CSO encourages participation from nontraditional defense contractors, commercial manufacturers, and companies with emerging capabilities relevant to on-demand engineering services and scalable CCA production support.

2. PROBLEM STATEMENT

Mission Problem / Need: TYAD seeks innovative commercial methodologies, processes, and technologies to rapidly scale Circuit Card Assembly (CCA) production using our existing Surface Mount Technology (SMT) automated lines and through-hole component machinery. We are soliciting novel approaches to design, reverse engineering, obsolescence management, and supply chain resilience that will close internal capability gaps and accelerate timelines for building essential CCA manufacturing data. The goal is to establish an agile contracting solution that provides rapid access to advanced commercial design, modeling, and technical analysis capabilities to resolve complex technical data gaps and accelerate the modernization of legacy CCA designs.

3. REQUIRED AND DESIRED SOLUTION ATTRIBUTES

Required Attributes:

• Innovative Commercial Engineering Capabilities: Access to specialized commercial technical expertise and advanced methodologies (e.g., high-fidelity 3D scanning, material analysis, and signal integrity simulation) for complex CCA design and reverse engineering to close critical technical data gaps.

• Manufacturing Data Generation: Rapid development of complete, manufacturing-ready technical data packages (TDPs) and build materials that are fully compatible with the Government's existing SMT and through-hole production equipment.

• Obsolescence Management: Innovative methodologies for identifying, mitigating, and replacing end-of-life (EOL) or legacy components within existing CCA designs.

Desired Attributes:

• Supply Chain Resilience: Advanced supply chain management strategies for sourcing hard-to-find microelectronics and ensuring material availability for rapid production.

• Targeted Technological Upgrades: Recommendations for specific technological upgrades, automation integrations, or process improvements to maximize the efficiency of existing manufacturing equipment.

Not in scope:

• Proposals for the design, procurement, or installation of completely new manufacturing lines or facilities.

• Retainer-based pricing models, standby fees, or capacity reservation charges.

• Traditional labor without modernization, automation, or innovation.

• Standard commodity production without process/technological innovation.

• Simple distribution services.

• Closed and/or proprietary ecosystems.

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: [INSERT MOST RECENT SAM.GOV AOS PUBLIC VIEW LINK] This Call provides instructions to companies and how the Government will evaluate submissions.

5. CALL INSTRUCTIONS AND NOTES

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, a single award, or no award because of this Call.

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

o 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.

• The Government will give preference to submissions that demonstrate an innovative, existing, and reference-verifiable commercial ability to accomplish the desired solution attributes listed above.

• Resellers and academic research proposals are not desired.

• All solution briefs will be valid for 180 calendar days after the submission date.

• Intellectual Property and Data Rights: The Performer shall retain all ownership and commercialization rights to their baseline technologies, proprietary reverse-engineering tools, and generic software methodologies. However, as a condition of pool entry, the Performer must agree to grant the Government robust license rights to all final technical deliverables—specifically Gerber files, Bills of Materials (BOM), drill templates, compiled binaries/hex files/bitstreams, and Technical Data Packages (TDPs) generated under any resulting order:

o For FAR-Based Awards (IDIQ/BOA): Technical deliverables will be subject to Unlimited Rights In Accordance With (IAW) DFARS 252.227-7013 (Technical Data–Noncommercial Items) or DFARS 252.227-7015 (Technical Data– Commercial Items).

o For Non-FAR Awards (OTA): The Performer grants the Government a royalty-free, world-wide, non-exclusive, irrevocable license to use, modify, reproduce, release, or disclose the final technical deliverables for any United States Government purpose, including the right to authorize third-party contract manufacturers to build the CCAs on behalf of the Government.

• Cybersecurity Requirements: The Government recognizes the time and investment required to achieve Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 2. To foster commercial participation, Offerors are not required to be fully CMMC Level 2 certified at the time of Solution Brief submission. However, Offerors must demonstrate a clear path to compliance for the safeguarding of Controlled

Unclassified Information (CUI) and Controlled Technical Information (CTI). Offerors must provide their current Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) score (reflecting their NIST SP 800-171 assessment baseline) and, if not fully compliant, a Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) detailing their timeline to achieve full CMMC Level 2 compliance within 180 days of contract award.

https://dodcio.defense.gov/CMMC/about/

• Pricing Model and Contract Structure: The Government intends to establish an overarching agreement (e.g., a Task Order-based Other Transaction, IDIQ, or Basic Ordering Agreement) where services are acquired strictly on an as-needed basis.

The Government will not pay upfront retainers or standby fees to maintain vendor availability. Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) pricing and subsequent proposals should reflect a fee-for-service, milestone-based, or task-order-based pricing structure tied directly to the execution of specific engineering tasks and the delivery of manufacturing data.

• The Government reserves the right to go directly from Solution Brief to award.

• The Government reserves the right to award more than one (1) award resulting from this Call for Solution or to make no award.

6. SOLUTION SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

6.1. Phase 1 – Solution Brief

• Content: Solution Briefs shall not exceed five (5) written pages using 12-point Times New Roman 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:

o Title Page (does not count against page limit) 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.

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

o Executive Summary (one page)

Provide an executive summary of the technology.

o High-Level Technology Solution/Concept

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

https://dodcio.defense.gov/CMMC/about/

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

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

Outline the capabilities and scalability of the solution/concept.

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

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.

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.

If Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO), 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.

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

If CSO, provide a summary of product/solution commercialization and go-to-market strategy.

o Intellectual Property Statement/Agreement/Disclosures (does not count against page limit) As needed, include a separate disclosure for each company that would be a participant in the solution/concept.

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 this Call will be evaluated to determine which proposed solutions have the potential to best meet the Government's needs. 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 all, some, or none of the solution submissions submitted in response to this Call.

Part 1: Administrative Compliance Gates (Pass/Fail)

Prior to undergoing technical evaluation, Solution Briefs will be reviewed for compliance with critical strategic requirements. Submissions must receive a "Pass" on all three gates to proceed to the formal evaluation phase. A "Fail" on any single gate will result in the submission being categorized as Not Selected for Further Consideration without further review:

• Intellectual Property and Data Rights: agree to grant the Government robust license rights to all final technical deliverables—specifically Gerber files, Bills of Materials (BOM), drill templates, compiled binaries/hex files/bitstreams, and Technical Data Packages (TDPs) generated under any resulting order:

o For FAR-Based Awards (IDIQ/BOA): Technical deliverables will be subject to Unlimited Rights In Accordance With (IAW) DFARS 252.227-7013 (Technical Data–Noncommercial Items) or DFARS 252.227-7015 (Technical Data– Commercial Items).

o For Non-FAR Awards (OTA): The Performer grants the Government a royalty-free, world-wide, non-exclusive, irrevocable license to use, modify, reproduce, release, or disclose the final technical deliverables for any United States Government purpose, including the right to authorize third-party contract manufacturers to build the CCAs on behalf of the Government.

• Pricing Model Alignment: The Company must explicitly agree to an overarching agreement (e.g., a Task Order-based Other Transaction, IDIQ, or Basic Ordering Agreement) where services are acquired strictly on an as-needed basis and explicitly reject any upfront retainer, standby, or capacity reservation fees.

• Cybersecurity Posture: The Company must demonstrate CMMC Level 2 readiness for safeguarding Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and Controlled Technical Information (CTI) by providing a current Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) score or a compliant plan to meet Level 2 within 180 days of award.

Part 2: Graded Evaluation Criteria

Solution Briefs that pass the Administrative Gates will be evaluated using the following three factors, listed in descending order of importance:

• Technical Merit & Innovation: The Government will evaluate the innovation, technical feasibility, and maturity of the Company's engineering methodologies for reverse engineering, legacy redesign, and obsolescence mitigation. This includes assessing how effectively the proposed technical approach closes existing technical data gaps, and the degree to which the final deliverables (TDPs, Gerber files) are compatible with and optimized for TYAD's existing manufacturing lines (automated SMT and independent through-hole equipment).

• Operational Agility & Schedule: The Government will evaluate the velocity, efficiency, and responsiveness of the Company's engineering pipeline. This includes assessing the maturity of their digital workflows and CAD automation tools, their readiness to rapidly mobilize engineering systems upon project initiation without operational lag, and the overall realism and speed of their proposed project schedules. The solution must demonstrate a streamlined process capable of acting as an immediate, highly responsive pathway for technical data generation.

• Viability & Cost Realism: The Government will evaluate the Company's commercial viability, market strategy, and organizational stability. Additionally, the Government will assess the realism and logic of the proposed milestone-based pricing structure to ensure high-value technical execution without hidden costs or recurring baseline fees.

7.2. Phase 1 - Solution Brief Selection Process

Based on the evaluation of the criteria above, the Solution Brief will be categorized as Selected for Further Consideration or Not Selected for Further Consideration:

• Selected for Further Consideration: The submitted Solution Brief has been determined to pass all Administrative Gates, represent sufficient technical merit, demonstrate operational agility, and propose an achievable schedule and viable pathway. As such, the Government intends to invite the Company to participate in the next Phase (Phase 2: Live Pitch or Phase 3: Solution Proposal), subject to funding availability.

• Not Selected for Further Consideration: The submitted Solution Brief does not pass the Administrative Gates, or does not represent the necessary degree of technical merit, operational agility, technical innovation, or relevance to agency priorities to warrant further proposal effort or consideration.

The Army anticipates this Call may receive more Solution Briefs than there are 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 the next phase. Companies 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 and proceed directly to Phase 3 to request a formal proposal.

8. 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.

Notice to offerors: The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used during evaluations. Any AI tools utilized by the Government will be employed in a manner consistent with applicable regulations that govern the protection of proprietary and source selection sensitive information. No proposal data will be transmitted to or processed by external, non-Government systems without appropriate safeguards and authorizations in place.