DRAFT CSO SAM ANNOUNCEMENT_FSN.pdf

CUI

UNITED STATES ARMY

COMMERCIAL SOLUTIONS OPENING (CSO)

FOR

AVIATION TRAINING SOLUTIONS

W9113M25SC0060

02 JULY 2025

Table of Contents

1. AUTHORITY

2. GENERAL INFORMATION

3. BACKGROUND

4. CSO APPROACH AND OVERVIEW

5. POINTS OF CONTACT

6. SUBMISSION INFORMATION

7. SUBMISSION PHASES AND EVALUATION PROCEDURES

8. BASIS FOR EVALUATION AND SELECTION

9. AWARD GUIDELINES & ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

10. DEFINITIONS

11. ATTACHMENTS

U.S. Army Contracting Command – Redstone Arsenal

1. Authority

Contracting Officers may acquire innovative commercial items, technologies, or services using a competitive procedure called a Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) in accordance with (IAW) 10 U.S.C. 3458. Under a CSO, the Department of Defense (DoD) may competitively select proposals received in response to a general solicitation, similar to a broad agency announcement, based on a review of proposals by scientific, technological, or other subject-matter expert peers. Use of a CSO IAW DFARS Subpart 212.70 is considered to be a competitive procedure for the purposes of 10 U.S.C. 221 and FAR 6.102. Finally, Contracting Officers shall treat items, technologies, and services acquired using a CSO as commercial products and commercial services. Contracts or agreements under this authority shall be fixed-price, including fixed-price incentive fee contracts.

Awards issued under this CSO include but are not limited to the following award instruments:

FAR contracts under FAR Part 12 Commercial Procedures; any fixed price, or fixed price incentive contract type specified under FAR Part 16; and non‐FAR agreements such as transaction agreements under 10 U.S.C. 4022 and 10 U.S.C. 4023; for the Army and/or its customers that are directly relevant to enhancing the effectiveness of training, curriculum development, integration of innovation in training methodologies, demonstration of capabilities and evidence of mastery of basic aviation operation abilities to support Army modernization priorities and improve readiness.

The Army intends to select the vendor whose solutions demonstrate the greatest potential to achieve its missions. This CSO is maximizing the following existing authorities, either as a single authority or a combination of the authorities below:

10 U.S.C. §4022 – Authority of the Department of Defense to carry out certain prototype projects 10 U.S.C. §4023 – Procurement for Experimental Purposes 10 U.S.C. §3458 – Authority to acquire innovative commercial products and commercial services using general solicitation competitive procedures / DFARS 212.70 – Defense Commercial Solutions Opening

Offerors are informed that ONLY a warranted Army Contracting/Agreements Officer (not a Contracting Officer Representative or other personnel) may contractually bind the Army. The Army shall not be obligated to pay for work performed by an Offeror unless a warranted Contracting/Agreements Officer has signed an agreement in writing agreeing that the Army shall pay. The Army does not fund preparation of solution briefs/proposals, or support work efforts or tasks that are inferred from discussions with technical project officers.

2. General Information

Issuing Agency: U.S. Army Contracting Command – Redstone Arsenal

Agencies Capable of Issuing Contracts/Agreements: U.S. Army Users and all other DoD organizations.

Period of Availability: This CSO will remain open until canceled by the U.S. Army (Army). Calls for Solutions will specify individual response times and requirements.

Description of Program: This solicitation aims to support the Army Mission by delivering commercially innovative solutions to fill capability gaps in the means and methods of training aviators for the U.S. DoD.

Federal Agency Name and Contracting Officer Address: Army Contracting Command – Redstone Arsenal. Bldg. 5303, Sparkman Complex, Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898

3. Background:

The Army has identified the following needs: (1) to rapidly train and qualify aviators in all platforms; (2) to transform aviation training to improve pilot proficiency by using the latest commercial practices and technology; and (3) to grow the aviation industrial base to better support the Army. This solicitation aims to provide the Army with access to innovative solutions enabling the Army to evolve quickly and maintain a competitive edge over adversaries.

4. CSO Approach and Overview

Applicable NAICS Code and Associated Description:

NAICS Description

611512 FLIGHT TRAINING (Primary)

488190 OTHER SUPPORT ACTIVITIES FOR AIR TRANSPORTATION

541611 ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL

MANAGEMENT CONSULTING SERVICES

611430 PROFESSIONAL AND MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT TRAINING

611519 OTHER TECHNICAL AND TRADE SCHOOLS

Commercial Solutions Opening Type: This is the initial announcement. This will be an Open CSO wherein the Army will establish two pathways for response from industry: Through submissions against the defined Areas of Interest (Attachment 001), or through direct response to individual Calls for Solutions posted on the Government Point of Entry.

Classified Information: Access to unclassified sensitive or classified information is not anticipated for awards under this CSO. Offerors are encouraged to submit unclassified responses to simplify and expedite reviews and responses by the Army.

Proprietary Information: Solution briefs, presentations, and proposals containing data that is not to be disclosed to the public for any purpose or use by the Army except for evaluation purposes shall include the following general disclaimer on the cover page:

“This [select one: solution brief, Presentation, or Proposal] 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 is awarded to this Offeror 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 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]”

Recommend marking (header or footer) for portions of business plans and/or technical information that are to be protected for a period of five years from FOIA disclosure. Codified at 5 U.S.C. §552, FOIA provides that disclosure of certain types of information (i.e. trade secrets and commercial or financial information) is not required, and may not be compelled, for five years after the date on which the information is received by the Department of Defense.

NOTE: Foreign-Owned businesses may independently submit a solution or do so as part of a teaming arrangement with one or more United States-owned businesses. However, the ability to obtain an agreement based upon a submission may depend upon the ability of the Foreign- Owned business to obtain necessary clearances and approvals to obtain prescribed information.

Commercial Items: All items, technologies, and services acquired using a CSO will be treated as commercial items. The Army encourages proposals that span a wide spectrum of possible technical and business solutions. The Army reserves the right to award any combination of proposals which offer the best overall value to the Army.

SAM.gov: All coordination and communication between offerors and the Army will be conducted using (www.sam.gov).

Notice of Funding: No funds will be awarded at the CSO level. All funding will be provided at the time of award, regardless of the pathway pursued.

5. Points of Contact:

Questions regarding the content of this CSO must be addressed to the Contracting Officer. Attn:

http://www.sam.gov/

Michael A. Metje; email; michael.a.metje.civ@army.mil; work phone: (520) 674-7936.

6. Submission Information:

There are two methods for responding under this CSO: (1) Area of Interest submissions and (2) Calls for Solution submissions. Submissions against the Areas of Interest shall be submitted to the POC listed for that area of interest. Calls for Solutions will have POC information and submission instructions provided within the announcement.

Method 1 - Area of Interest (AOI) Provides a flexible and open-ended opportunity for industry partners to submit solution briefs addressing any of the identified Area of Interests. This aspect of the Open Solicitation is designed to identify and bridge gaps in mission-critical capabilities by inviting innovative solutions from the private sector. The purpose is to encourage a wide range of responses that can enhance and support the example areas, fostering collaboration and leveraging cutting-edge technologies and methodologies to meet evolving operational needs.

Offerors shall follow the procedures outlined in Section 7 when providing a submission to an AOI.

Method 2 - Call for Solutions (Call) Provides an opportunity for industry partners to submit innovative solutions in response to a DoD issued Call for Solutions under any Area of Interest. Calls for Solutions aim to pinpoint and address critical gaps in essential capabilities by welcoming creative proposals from private sector entities. The Calls for Solutions will identify how to submit a response as well as specific timelines for that requirement.

7. Submission Phases and Evaluation Procedures

The following procedures shall be used to assess and evaluate all submissions under Method 1, described above. The evaluation and assessment procedures for submissions under Method 2 are intended to follow the same overall structure but may differ depending on the nature of the solution. Please read the specific evaluation and assessment procedures for each Call for Solutions for specific procedures and timelines.

Phase I: Solution Brief & Quad Charts Offerors shall submit a Quad Chart and Solution Brief consisting of the following:

i. A Quad Chart that includes the information indicated in Attachment 002.

ii. A Solution Brief that conforms to and follows the instructions in Attachment 003

iii. The Army will assess the merits of the Quad Chart and Solutions Brief using the evaluation methodology specified in Section 8, “Basis for Evaluation and Selection,” below.

iv. All offerors providing Phase I submissions will be contacted by the Army via email with one of the following messages:

mailto:michael.a.metje.civ@army.mil

a. the proposed solution brief/quad chart is not of interest to the Army,

b. a request to provide a Phase II Presentation, or

c. a request to submit a Phase III Commercial Solutions Proposal.

Phase II: Presentation (unless bypassed) Some Offerors’ Solution Briefs and Quad Charts may be selected for further consideration and are invited to provide a live presentation (Attachment 004). The Army reserves the right to limit the number of Offerors invited to make presentations. As such, an Offeror’s solution may be selected for further consideration, however not invited to present. The Army will not pay Offerors for costs associated with live or virtual presentations, unless otherwise stipulated.

The Army reserves the right to record live presentations. The Army also reserves the right to bypass Phase II in its entirety.

Phase III: Written Commercial Solution Proposal (CSP) Offerors whose Solution Briefs are selected for further consideration may be invited to submit a written CSP (Attachment 005). At a minimum the written CSP shall fully describe the technical solution, the program management approach in executing the solution, a discussion on how the solution is innovative or fills an AOI, a price proposal complete with any supporting documentation, and any other aspects necessary for the Army to fully assess the written CSP.

Additional Evaluation Phases The Army reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of Evaluation Phases. Based upon the nature of the AOI or the Call for Solutions, there may be the need for additional evaluation, inspection or validation before selection determination.

8. Basis for Evaluation and Selection

The Army intends to evaluate the submissions to determine which proposed solutions have the potential to best meet the Army’s needs utilizing the evaluation criteria below.

i. Technical Merit: The Army will evaluate the Technical Merit of an Offeror’s submission.

Technical merit is defined as having relevance to the AOI or the Call and/or provides an innovative approach. The Offeror’s approach shall demonstrate the ability to scale and be determined to be feasible and achievable. In addition, the Army must find or determine the approach and/or underlying technology to be a compelling solution.

ii. Schedule: The Army will evaluate the feasibility of the Offeror’s proposed solution/concept project schedule and maturity path.

iii. Affordability: The Army will evaluate the submission for affordability.

Selection into the next Phase will be based on the criteria listed below, Army need, and funding availability.

Based on the evaluation, the Solution Brief will be categorized as either:

a) Recommended for Further Consideration,

b) Selectable, but Not Recommended or

c) Not Selected for Further Consideration.

Recommended for Further Consideration: The submission has been determined to be of technical merit, represents a feasible schedule, is considered reasonable and the Offeror is considered award eligible.

Selectable, but Not Recommended: The submission has been determined to potentially be of technical merit, it possibly represents a feasible schedule, is considered reasonable and the Offeror is considered award eligible.

Not Selected for Further Consideration: The submission does not represent the necessary degree of technical merit, or it does not present a feasible schedule, the price is not considered reasonable, and/or the Offeror’s award eligibility does not warrant further consideration.

Offerors selected for further consideration may be invited to participate in the next Phase, subject to the availability of funds. The Army anticipates that AOI may routinely receive more submissions than resources to award. All compliant submissions will be fairly evaluated, however; only select presentations and proposals with the most compelling solutions will be invited to Phase II and/or Phase III. The Army reserves the right to limit the number of Offerors invited to Phase II and/or Phase III. As such, an Offeror’s solution may be evaluated and selected for further consideration, however; not invited to Phase II and/or Phase III.

Debriefing: Debriefs for submissions against Method 1 may be requested. Debriefs are intended to be informative and provide insight into the solution submitted. Debriefing instruction for submissions against Method 2 shall be specified in the Call for Solutions.

9. Award Guidelines & Eligibility Requirements

Upon favorable review of technical merit and importance to agency programs, the Army anticipates a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) and/or Firm Fixed Price Incentive (FFPI) award in accordance with FAR Part 12 Acquisition of Commercial Items or other authorities such as 10 U.S.C. 4022 or 10 U.S.C. 4023. The Contracting Officer reserves the right to negotiate directly with the Offeror on the terms and conditions prior to execution of the resulting contract or agreement, including payment terms, and will execute the contract or agreement on behalf of the Army.

a. Award eligibility requirements.

i. An Offeror shall be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior with a

Unique Entity ID (UEI) and prior to submitting their Solutions Briefs and Quad Charts.

Offerors are advised to commence SAM registration upon responding to a Call for

Solutions or AOI announcement.

ii. An Offeror must also register in the prescribed Army invoice system (ex. Wide Area

Work Flow) within 10 days of the award.

iii. The proposed solution must meet all the technical requirements and schedules as requested by the Army.

iv. An Offeror must be determined to be responsible by the Contracting Officer and must not be suspended or debarred from award by the Federal Government nor be prohibited by Presidential Executive Order and/or law from receiving an award.

b. Security Clearances. If awarded a contract or an OT under the procedures of this open solicitation, the Offeror will be responsible for providing personnel with appropriate security clearances to ensure compliance with Government security regulations. The Offeror shall fully cooperate on all security checks and investigations by furnishing requested information to verify the Offeror employee's eligibility for any required clearance.

The Offeror's proposed solution (e.g., data, integration with supporting DoD Infrastructure, architecture) will determine the personnel security clearance and/or facility clearance requirements for the prototype effort. The Government will provide additional details regarding the personnel security clearance and/or facility clearance requirements in the appropriate Phase.

c. Security Requirements and Classification. Responses under this open solicitation shall be unclassified. Any security requirements and security classification specifications will be determined and requested at the appropriate phase in Section 4 above. If the Offeror requires classification, please contact the email identified in CSO Base Document, Section 5 – Points of Contact.

d. Offeror Incurred Evaluation Costs. As specified in CSO, the Government will not reimburse Offerors for any costs incurred while participating in the open solicitation process.

Additionally, the Government will not consider the costs associated with participating in open solicitation process, as allowable charges and such costs shall not be included within the ROM or any pricing information.

e. Payment Obligations. All payment obligations of the Government shall be subject to receiving appropriations from Congress for the purpose, time, and amount of the obligation.

NOTE: The Army reserves the right to amend this CSO as necessary. Offerors should monitor (www.sam.gov) for amendment postings to this CSO.

http://www.sam.gov/

10. Definitions

i. “Commercial Solutions Opening” (CSO) is a competitive procedure contracting officers may use to acquire innovative commercial items, technologies, or services.

ii. “Commercial Solution Proposal” (CSP): is a commercial proposal that is submitted in response to an Area of interest or Call for Solutions that is governed by a CSO. CSPs may be requested as a result of solution briefs and/or presentations/presentations.

iii. “Innovative” means —

a. any technology, process, or method, including research and development, that is new as of the date of submission of a proposal; or

b. any application that is new as of the date of submission of a proposal of a technology, process, or method existing as of such date.

11. Attachments:

- Attachment 001: Areas of interest

- Attachment 002: Quad Chart Template

- Attachment 003: Solutions Brief Format and Instructions

- Attachment 004: Presentation Format

- Attachment 005: Commercial Solution Proposal Format

Attachment 001: Areas of Interest (AOI)

1. AOI Procedures

The below sections outline the competitive procedures to submit an Area of Interest (AOI) response to an Army Example Area. These procedures do not apply to Calls for Solutions, which are governed by their own process. This document governs the procedures for all CSO or AOI submissions. AOI Solution Brief submissions will be accepted during the period of availability of CSO W9113M25SC0060 cover page.

2. Areas of Interest

• Fixed-Wing Aircraft Training: The Army seeks comprehensive, modernized Fixed- Wing aircraft training solutions to enhance readiness, reduce training timelines, and support long-term national defense objectives. Simultaneously, the Army seeks to grow and strengthen the warfighter through innovation and emerging technologies.

Submission POC: Mr. Michael Metje; michael.a.metje.civ@army.mil

• Rotary-Wing Aircraft Training: The Army seeks comprehensive, modernized Rotary- Wing aircraft training solutions to enhance readiness, reduce training timelines, and support long-term national defense objectives. Simultaneously, the Army seeks to grow and strengthen the warfighter through innovation and emerging technologies.

• Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Training: The Army seeks comprehensive, modernized UAS aircraft training solutions to enhance readiness, reduce training timelines, and support long-term national defense objectives. Simultaneously, the Army seeks to grow and strengthen the warfighter through innovation and emerging technologies.

Solution Title [Identify Specific Area of Interest (Rotary, Fixed or UAS)]

Schedule

Price

Technical Solution

Alignment with Area of Interest

Provide an overview of the technical solution offered Provide an overview of production and delivery capabilities

Discuss how the proposed solution addresses the Area of Interest and possible benefit to the warfighter.

Provide a Rough Order of Magnitude

Slide Number 1

Attachment 003: Solutions Brief Format and Instructions

1. Guidelines:

Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or proposals are not desired.

When applicable, use of a diagram(s) or figure(s) to depict the essence of the proposed solution is strongly encouraged.

Offerors may submit multiple solution briefs in response to any single Area of Interest (AOI) if each submission represents a separate and distinct concept. Individual solution briefs may only address one concept based on the stated AOI or Call.

The period of performance for any solution brief or Commercial Solution Proposal (CSP) submitted under this Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) should generally be no greater than 12 months (unless otherwise specified in the AOI/Call).

Technical data with military application may require approval, authorization, or license for lawful exportation.

Questions regarding the objectives or preparation of the solution brief should be addressed to the POCs listed in the respective AOI or Call.

Submissions must be submitted electronically.

Entities submitting solution briefs that are not chosen for the Presentation phase or the CSP phase will be notified as soon as practicable. Further verbal feedback may be provided, upon request, at the Contracting/Agreements Officer’s discretion.

2. Submission Instructions, Phase I:

(a) The Quad Charts will address the following:

Unless otherwise stated on the subject Call, the responding Quad Charts should address each area within the provided Quad Charts and shall not exceed 10 MS PowerPoint Slides.

Quad Chart Solution Brief shall not exceed five (5) single-sided typed pages using 12-point font.

(b) Solution briefs must include the following:

Offeror Name, Title, Date, Point of Contact Name, E-Mail Address, Phone, and Address.

Specifically identify the AOI/Call for which the solution brief is submitted.

Executive Summary: Provide an executive summary of the solution. (This is not included in the two (2) written page limit).

Concept: Show and/or describe how your proposed solution or potential new capabilities represent an application of innovative commercial products, innovative commercial technologies and services or adaptations/modifications of existing commercial product technologies and services to the AOI/Call. Describe the unique aspects of your technology and the proposed work as it relates to the AOI/Call. Identify whether the effort includes a demonstration of existing commercial technology (identified as commercially ready and viable technology) or experimental technology. If development or adaptation is proposed, identify a suggested path to mature the technology. If applicable, identify aspects of your solution, to include date and software, which may be considered proprietary.

Price: Provide a rough order of magnitude price for the proposed solution and include desired payment terms.

NOTE: The title page does not count against page limit.

Attachment 004: Presentation Format

1. Guidelines:

Offerors providing a Phase II Presentation shall demonstrate and offer further details on the technical, innovative aspects, and business viability of their proposed solution.

Additionally, the Army may request a written submission to supplement or clarify the information provided in Quad Charts & Solutions Brief. Depending on the specific requirement, the Army may request an in-person, virtual or paper presentation, and demonstration.

During the Presentation, the company shall address the following in detail:

• A description or demonstration of how the proposed solution represents an innovative application of commercial technology to the AOI or Call.

• A rough order of magnitude (ROM) price

• A notional schedule.

• Additional information/detail from the company’s solution brief, as specified in the

Army’s invitation for Presentation.

Attachment 005: Commercial Solutions Proposal (CSP) Format

1. Instruction for Request for CSP, Phase III

Phase III of the CSO process is the Request for CSP. Offeror(s) will be invited to submit a CSP based on the defined CSO phased approach that will be utilized. Offerors must ensure that the CSP is valid for at least 180 days from the submission date. If necessary, offerors invited to submit a CSP may be advised to schedule a meeting with the Army to address any feedback contained in the request for CSP.

The CSP must be prepared in three separate Volumes as follows: Volume I Technical and Volume II Performance Work Statement (PWS) and Volume III Price. Each volume will have its separate related attachments.

NOTE: Failure to submit CSP in the correct three-volume format will result in immediate and final removal from further consideration.

(a) Technical Proposal: The Technical Proposal page limitation shall be limited to 10 pages.

The page limitation covers all information including indices, photographs, foldouts (counted as 1 page for each 8.5 by 11-inch portion) tables, charts, appendices, attachments, resumes, etc. Environmental documentation provided will not count towards the 10-page limitation. The document must be provided in Microsoft Word. Signed pages may be submitted in Adobe. Text shall be written in a 12-point, commonly used business font (i.e. Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, Helvetica, etc.). Character spacing must be "normal," not condensed in any manner. Pages shall be single-spaced (must use standard single-space function in Microsoft Word), 8.5 by 11 inches, with at least one-inch margins on both sides, top and bottom. All text, excluding text in tables and charts (single-spaced), must adhere to all font size and line spacing requirements listed herein. Font and line spacing requirements do not have to be followed for illustrations, flowcharts, drawings, and diagrams. These exceptions shall not be used to circumvent formatting requirements and page count limitations by including lengthy narratives in such items.

(b) PWS: The same formatting rules for the Technical Proposal apply to the PWS, page limitation is also 10 pages

(c) Price Proposal: The Price Proposal does not have a page limit restriction (MS Excel Format)

(d) The Army will verify, upon receipt, that the proposal and PWS conform to the stated requirements. Any pages in excess of the stated page limitation will not be considered for evaluation purposes.

2. Request for CSP Content

Upon receiving a Request for CSP, an offeror or offerors, will be invited to develop and submit a written proposal.

Proposed solutions containing data that is not to be disclosed to the public for any purpose or used by the Army except for evaluation purposes, shall include the following sentences on the cover page:

“This proposal includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Army, except to non-Army 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 proposal. If, however, an agreement is awarded to this Offeror as a result of -- or in connection with -- the submission of this data, the Army 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 Army's right to use 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]”

Restricted data should be marked as follows:

“Use or disclosure of data contained on this sheet is subject to the restriction on the title page of this proposal.”

3. Technical Proposal Volume:

The technical volume shall include a detailed work plan indicating how each aspect of the Statement of Objectives (SOO) will be accomplished. The technical volume should include as much detail as the offeror considers necessary to fully explain its proposed technical approach or method, including all assumptions utilized to develop its proposed solution and associated costs. The technical volume should reflect a clear understanding of the nature of the work being undertaken. The technical volume must include information on how the solution will be organized, staffed, and managed. Information should be provided that demonstrates your understanding and management of important events or tasks. The technical volume must include a list of suggested deliverables and deliverable dates.

Include ancillary and operational issues such as certifications, algorithms, and any engineering/software development methodologies to be used. You may refer to your Solution Brief that prompted this proposal request, but do not duplicate it in the Technical Proposal Volume. Provide additional details of intellectual property (IP) and 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. Identify all Army Support Required for example, identify the type of support, if any, the offeror requests of the Army in general, equipment, data, and information or materials.

4. PWS Format:

A PWS must be included with the full proposal as part of the Phase III submission. The PWS is limited to 10 pages in length and must be a separate and distinct document suitable for incorporation into the resulting award. DO NOT INCLUDE ANY PROPRIETARY INFORMATION IN THE PWS. Pages should be numbered, and the initial page should have a date (document date) shown under the title.

The proposed PWS must accurately describe the work to be performed. The proposed PWS must also contain a summary description of the technical methodology as well as the task description, but not in so much detail as to make the PWS inflexible. The PWS should follow the following general guidelines:

i. Objective and Task descriptions must be definite, realistic, and clearly stated. Use the phrase “the contractor shall” whenever the work statement expresses a provision that is binding. Use “should” or “may” whenever it is necessary to express a declaration of purpose. Use “will” in cases where no offeror requirement is involved (e.g., power will be supplied by the Army).

ii. Do not use acronyms or abbreviations without first defining them. Place abbreviations and acronyms in parentheses following the first usage of the spelled-out phrase (e.g., I Statement of Work (SOW)).

iii. If presentations and meetings are identified in the offeror’s schedule, the offeror shall include the following statement in the PWS: “Conduct presentations and meetings at times and places specified in the contract schedule.”

iv. The desired project structure consists of solution-specific objectives focused on demonstrating the capability of the training, and solution-specific tasks, which cover schedules, reporting requirements and deliverables of the Integrated Product Team (IPT) effort.

The PWS should include the following sections:

a. OBJECTIVE. This section is intended to give a brief overview of the project and should describe why the work is being pursued and what the offeror intends to accomplish.

b. SCOPE. This section includes a statement of what the PWS covers. This should describe the capability area (CSO topic and/or Area of Interest) to be performed, goals, and milestones for the effort.

c. SOLUTION-SPECIFIC TASKS. This section contains a detailed description of tasks that are necessary to perform the requirement. These tasks will represent the work to be performed and shall be incorporated as an attachment to the award. This section should be developed in an orderly progression and presented in sufficient detail to establish the feasibility of accomplishing the overall solution objectives. This section should clearly distinguish solution-specific tasks and a schedule for completion. The PWS must define every task to be accomplished.

Note: The Army reserves the right to modify and negotiate the language in the PWS prior to any potential contract award.

5. Price Proposal Volume:

The price proposal must include pricing information sufficiently detailed to determine that the price is fair and reasonable. The price proposal must include a Basis of Estimate (BOE) that provides the labor categories and corresponding number of direct labor hours; fixed hourly rates that include wages, overhead, general and administrative expenses, and profit;

and costs for materials, supported by vendor quotes, supplier agreements or other information neccessary to substantiate the proposed price. This can include but is not limited to commercial price catalog(s), previous commercial sales receipts, and/or other proprietary information to help the Army determine reasonableness and future budgetary cost estimates.

As a result of the CSO environment, proposals are considered commercial items, technologies, or services; therefore, the requirements of the Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA) are not applicable. However, if the Contracting Officer determines additional information is necessary to support a determination of a fair and reasonable price, other than certified cost and pricing data may be requested.

The responsibility for providing adequate supporting data and attachments lies solely with the offeror. Further, the offeror must also bear the burden of proof in establishing reasonableness of proposed prices; therefore, it is in the offeror’s best interest to submit a fully supportable and well-prepared price proposal.

The offeror shall prepare the Price Proposal (with the exception of the pricing narrative information described below) using Microsoft Excel format. Include the Call Number (if applicable) Offeror name and the Project Title on all pages.

2. Additional Information: The following information should be contained in a cover sheet attached to the price proposal:

a. Full offeror name and address

b. Call number submitting proposal against (if Applicable)

c. Points of contact, name, title, and phone number

d. CAGE code

e. Unique Entity ID number

NOTE: The cost of preparing proposals in response to this CSO is NOT considered a direct charge to any resulting Area of Interest/Call award or any other contract.