Kronos_FoS_CSO_2.0.pdf

Kronos Program

Family of Systems (FoS)

Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO)

Dated 01 July 2026

Record of Revisions

Revision Description Date Initial Release 1.0 Establishment of CSO 1.0 and Opens 1st Call 12 Nov 2025 Amendment Admin Changes 02 Dec 2025 Initial Release 2.0 Establishment of CSO 2.0 01 July 2026

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

2. PURPOSE

3. CSO APPROACH

4. GENERAL INFORMATION

5. SUBMISSION INFORMATION

6. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

ATTACHMENT 1: PHASE 1 – Initial Submission

ATTACHMENT 2: PHASE 2 – TECHNICAL AND PRICE PROPOSAL

ATTACHMENT 3: REVIEW, EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

ATTACHMENT 4: AREAS OF INTEREST (AOI)

Focus Area Statements (FAS)

1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1

1.1 Space Systems Command (SSC), through its Kronos Program of Record, is issuing a 3 Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) in accordance with Revised Defense Federal 4 Acquisition Regulation Supplement (R-DFARS) 212.70, Defense Commercial Solutions 5 Opening, 10 U.S.C. §4022 - “Authority of the Department of Defense to carry out certain 6 prototype projects,” and 10 U.S.C. §4023 - “Procurement for Experimental Purposes.” 7 Under the Kronos Family of Systems (FoS) CSO, the Government may award proposals 8 received in response to a general solicitation to acquire innovative products, technologies, 9 or services based on a review of solutions by scientific, technological, or other subject 10 matter expert peers within the program management office (PMO). “Innovative”, for CSO 11 purposes and in accordance with (IAW) 10 U.S.C. § 3458 and R-DFARS 212.70, means 12 any new technology, process, or method, including research and development (R&D), or 13 any new application of an existing technology, process or method, that is new as of the 14 date of the submission of a proposal . The Government may award FAR-based or Other 15 Transaction Agreement (OTA) awards as a result of this CSO. All awards under this CSO 16 will be treated as commercial. 17

1.2 The Government is interested in a broad range of solutions spanning from foundational 19 cloud computing services to mission-specific software applications and software 20 development services to include, but are not limited to: 21

• Advanced cloud-native services 23

• Scalable and secure platform solutions 24

• Agile software development methodologies and tooling 25

• Mission-driven C2 applications 26

• Data integration, management, and visualization capabilities 27

• Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and decision-support tools 28

• Cybersecurity and zero-trust architectures 29

This CSO seeks to identify and leverage cutting-edge innovations that can enhance the 31 scalability, flexibility, interoperability, and resiliency of the Kronos program in alignment 32 with the evolving operational needs of the US Space Force (USSF) Command and Control 33 (C2) mission. 34

2. PURPOSE 36

2.1 This CSO is a competitive solicitation under R-DFARS 212.70. It is focused on identifying 38 and acquiring innovative technologies and services to support the mission of the PMO. 39 The Government seeks commercial innovative solutions (prototypes only) that could 40 fulfill requirements, close capability gaps, and provide potential technological 41 advancements. The Government’s Areas of Interests (AOIs) are outlined in Attachment 42

4. 43

3. CSO APPROACH 45

3.1 The Government encourages proposals that span a wide spectrum of possible technical 47 and business solutions in response to the specific AOIs. Each AOI will identify the interest 48 for an individual program requirement or a broadly defined interest area covering a range 49 of program requirements. The Government anticipates releasing a staggered set of Calls 50 for each AOI, notionally in accordance with the corresponding announcement. Offerors 51 may submit solutions in response to any open Call; however, the Government will only 52 review submissions received during the submission period identified in the applicable 53 Call. When issuing a Call under this CSO, the Government may provide none, one or more 54 focus areas within the scope of a specific AOI to address emerging mission needs. The 55 Government will evaluate solutions submitted in response to a Call based on the AOI and 56 any focus areas identified in that Call. The Government may retain submissions for future 57 consideration under subsequent Calls, subject to the terms of this CSO. Unless otherwise 58 specified, all submissions received in response to a Call will be governed by the terms and 59 conditions of this CSO. 60

3.2 The Government anticipates making award(s) primarily using OTA authority. Where 62 appropriate, the Government may also award FAR-based contracts. If FAR-based 63 contracts are used, fixed-price type contracts are anticipated; incentives may be considered 64 when supported by risk analysis. 65

3.3 Upon favorable review and evaluation, the Government may choose to award an OTA for 67

Prototype phase as deemed appropriate for the transaction. The Agreements Officer will 68 negotiate directly with the Offeror on the terms and conditions of the OTA, including 69 payments, and will execute the OTA on behalf of the Government. 70

3.4 Upon completion of the prototype phase and fulfilling the defined criteria, the 72

Government reserves the right to transition to a follow-on production phase without 73 further competition as authorized under 10 U.S.C. § 4022(f). The decision to proceed with 74 a follow-on production award will depend on the results of the prototype and the 75 availability of funding. A follow-on production award is not guaranteed. 76

3.5 Awards resulting from this CSO will be made based on the process described in 78

Attachment 3. The Government reserves the right to fund all, some, one, or none of the 79 Phase 2 proposals submitted. The Government may elect to fund only part of a submitted 80 proposal and may incrementally fund any or all awards under this CSO. All awards are 81 subject to the availability of funds. 82

3.6 All coordination and communication between Offerors and the Government will be 84 conducted as specified in Section 4. 85

4. GENERAL INFORMATION 87

4.1 POINT OF CONTACT: 89

4.1.1 CSO & AOI General Questions – General CSO Questions may be sent via email to 91 the CSO Technical Team at SSC.BMZ.SYD85@spaceforce.mil . Due to the large amount 92 of expected interest in this CSO, and to maintain a written record of questions, this is the 93 only email address that will be used for general question communication. 94 The following shall be utilized in the email subject line: (AOI X) Kronos CSO General 96 Question(s). 97

4.2 CLASSIFIED INFORMATION: All Phase 1 and 2 submissions shall be unclassified. 99 For Phase 2 submissions, offerors should possess all required personnel security 101 clearances, facility clearances, and other infrastructure requirements necessary to perform 102 any proposed classified work in accordance with the draft Contract Security Classification 103 Specification (DD Form 254) without reliance on Government resources. 104 As a wide variety of responses, as well as potential awards of diverse scope and associated 106 classified classification levels under this CSO are possible, the Government will provide 107 award specific security details for individual award actions as required. A draft DD Form 108 254 will be provided with a Phase 2 request for proposal, as necessary. 109

5. SUBMISSION INFORMATION 111

5.1 SUBMISSION OVERVIEW: This CSO establishes a rolling competitive solicitation 113 framework for SSC. The Government may amend this document to set up Call(s). A Call 114 sets the acceptance window to submit solutions against specific AOI(s) and, if applicable, 115 the AOI’s focus area. The Government may update, delete, or add AOIs by amending this 116 CSO document. 117

• The Government will not reimburse companies for the costs associated with 118 submissions for any phase. 119

• Submissions for all phases shall be sent electronically. Hardcopies for any phase will 120 not be accepted. 121

• Offerors shall mark each page of the Phase 1, Phase 1B and Phase 2 submissions that 122 contain proprietary information. 123

5.2 TWO PHASED SUBMISSION PROCESS: This CSO will be conducted in two phases. Phase 125

1 is structured to provide the Government with an initial Call for Solutions while Phase 2 126 captures proposal submission. The Government reserves the right to select none of the 127 submissions. 128

5.2.1 Phase 1 Submissions: Phase 1A submissions will be sent to the CSO email org box 130 by the date and time specified in the Call. If invited for Phase 1B, those submissions will 131 be scheduled by the Government and may be conducted either by email or by a video 132 teleconference meeting. Any documentation from Phase 1B shall be sent to the 133 Government through DoD SAFE. 134

5.2.2 Phase 2 – Technical and Price Proposal: Phase 2 submissions will be submitted to the 136 PCO/AO in accordance with the submission procedures outlined in the request for proposal. Phase 137 2 proposals will only be accepted from Offerors who, upon review of Phase 1 submission, have 138 received a request from the PCO/AO to submit a full proposal (Technical and Price). Proposals 139 shall not be submitted to the general questions email address. 140

6. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 142

6.1 DATA RIGHTS: It is the Government’s intention to acquire only Technical Data, 144 Computer Software, and Computer Software Documentation data rights necessary to 145 satisfy agency needs. For FAR-based contracts, the Government will follow R-DFARS 146 252.227-7989. For OTAs, the Government will negotiate data/IP rights consistent with 147 OTA authority. 148

6.2 FOREIGN PARTICIPATION: Foreign participation may be considered subject to export 150 control restrictions (ITAR/EAR), national security considerations, and disclosure of any 151 foreign ownership, control, or influence (FOCI). The research and test data produced 152 under a resultant contract or agreement may contain Military Critical Technology List 153 (MCTL) information whose export is restricted by Export Control Act (Title 22, U.S. 154 Sec 2751, et seq.) or the Export Administration Act of 1979, as amended (Title 50, 155 U.S.C., App. 2401, et seq.). Request certification and registration from the Defense 156 Logistics Services Center (DLSC), Federal Center, 74 North Washington, Battle Creek, 157 MI 49016-3412 as soon as possible. 158

6.3 NON-GOVERNMENT ADVISORS: In order to review submissions resultant from any 160 phase, PROPRIETARY information may be given to Federally Funded Research and 161 Development Centers (FFRDC), Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA), 162 Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I), and/or Advisory and Assistance Services 163 (A&AS) contractors working for the Government. The non-Government advisors will 164 have signed a non-disclosure agreement with the Government prior to reviewing 165 submissions. 166

6.4 PROCUREMENT INTEGRITY, STANDARDS OF CONDUCT, ETHICAL 168

CONSIDERATIONS, AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: All offerors shall fill out the 169 attached Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) Mitigation Plan Checklist and include 170 a plan as applicable. 171

6.5 OFFEROR FEEDBACK: For FAR-based contracts, the Government may provide 173 debriefings in accordance with RFO 52.212-1(l). It will not include a comparison of 174 submissions against a common Performance Work Statement (PWS) or Statement of 175 Work (SOW) as the CSO provides no common PWS or SOW that interested parties must 176 respond to and instead represents opportunity for submission of a variety of innovative 177 commercial items, technologies, and/or services that represent meaningful submissions of 178 diverse scope and price. For OTAs, the Government may provide summary feedback after 179 each phase at the Government’s discretion consistent with OTA authority. 180

6.6 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY (GFP) AVAILABILITY: GFP is not 182 anticipated to be made available under any resulting contract or agreement, but a 183 determination regarding GFP will be made for each award. In accordance with RFO 184 45.201(b), the contractor is responsible for all costs related to making the property 185 available for use, such as payment of all transportation, installation, or rehabilitation costs. 186

6.7 NETWORK ACCESS AND CLASSIFIED INFRASTRUCTURE: Support will be 188 determined for each award for testing, validation, and deployment and demonstration 189 purposes. 190

ATTACHMENT 1: PHASE 1 – Initial Submission 191

PHASE 1: OVERVIEW BRIEFING 193

The function of Phase 1 is to receive initial solutions for the respective AOIs from potential offerors. 195 Each Offeror shall submit their plans to provide an innovative solution addressing the specific AOI 196 described in Attachment 4. The following Quad Chart must be included as the first content slide in 197 the Phase 1 overview briefing submission. Quad Charts shall not exceed 1-page in landscape view 198 and must follow the formatting guidelines on the slide template below. Any slides in addition to the 199 1-page Quad Chart will not be reviewed. All fonts must be Times New Roman ≥12pt. File size must 200 not be greater than 10MB. Submissions shall be provided in PDF or PPT format. 201

PHASE 1A – WHITE PAPER FORMAT 203

1. The White Paper narrative expands on the overview briefing and must be 8.5 x 11 inches with 205 one-inch margins, no longer than five pages, single-spaced, with text in Times New Roman, 206 and no smaller than 12-point font. Each Offeror shall describe their plans to provide an 207 innovative solution to the individual AOI. 208

2. The White Paper shall contain a cover sheet containing the following information. The cover 210 sheet will not count against the page limitation. 211

(a) CSO number, AOI number, and AOI name 213

(b) Project Title 214

(c) Full company name and address 215

(d) CAGE code 216

(e) Unique Entity ID number 217

(f) Business Size Classification (large, small, or other) and respective NAICS 218

(g) Current Facilities Clearance Level 219

3. White Papers must be submitted electronically as a PDF not exceeding a file size of 10 MB. 221

Pages exceeding the page limitation will not be read or reviewed. 222

4. The White Paper should provide sufficient information on the technical approach being 224 submitted to allow for review by a technical expert. Expand as deemed necessary on the 225 following sections of the overview briefing: Objective; Description of the Effort; Benefits of 226 the Proposed Approach; Technical Challenges; Solution Approach; Explanation of how the 227 solution is innovative (see below); Eligibility for OTA per statute; State of Solution; Major 228 Milestones by Government fiscal year and month. Offeror must also disclose any foreign 229 ownership, control, or influence (FOCI). Do not include corporate or personnel qualification, 230 past experience or any supplemental information not requested. 231

5. Innovation: The White Paper must contain an opening statement that answers the following 233 questions on how the solution is innovative: 234

a. How is the proposed solution innovative? Describe the original thinking, new 236 application of existing technology, or novel concepts, approaches, methods or 237 capabilities that differentiate the solution from other alternatives. 238

b. Has this proposed solution been submitted to any part of the Government before and if 239 so when? 240

c. Is the proposed solution currently available to the Government through a procurement 241 mechanism? (e.g. Grant, Contract, Agreement) If so, what are those current Government 242 mechanisms and what are their associated agencies? 243

PHASE 1B – PITCH SESSION AND FORMAT* 245

1. Offerors may be invited to a Pitch Session to expand upon the proposed 247 concept/technology/solution. The Pitch Session is intended to have a free exchange of 248 information and questions between the Government and the Offeror about the proposed solution. 249 The format of the Pitch Session may be through a virtual teleconferencing (VTC) meeting or 250 through email requesting the Offeror to send a demonstration video. The Offeror will be allowed 251 up to 30 minutes to display a demonstration video of the proposed solution. The Government will 252 provide additional time if needed for follow-up questions. The Government will define the 253 technical parameters of the demonstration video when the Government sends the invitation for 254 Phase 1B to the Offeror. 255

2. During the Pitch Session, Offerors shall address Government’s preliminary/after-demonstration 257 questions and provide additional detail regarding the proposed solution. The Government’s 258 questions may clarify or expand on Phase 1A’s submission to include broader topics necessary 259 for the Government to evaluate Government interest and technical validity (feasibility, 260 integration, and risk). All Government’s questions, comments, or interactions during Phase 1B 261 are non-binding, exploratory, and provided solely to support the Government’s evaluation. No 262 statements, questions, or feedback shall be construed as direction, commitment, or an obligation 263 to solicit, award, negotiate, or otherwise proceed with the Offeror. 264

*Note: The Government reserves the right to forgo a Phase 1B pitch session and go directly to 266 Phase 2. 267

ATTACHMENT 2: PHASE 2 – TECHNICAL AND PRICE PROPOSAL 268

The Phase 2 proposal submission shall conform to the following: 270

1. Cover Sheet: The following information shall be contained in a cover sheet submitted with the 272 proposal: 273

(a) CSO number, AOI number, and AOI name 274

(b) Full company name and address 275

(c) CAGE code 276

(d) Unique Entity ID number 277

(e) Business Size Classification (large, small, or other) and NAICS 278

(f) Offeror’s socioeconomic status 279

(g) Point of contact, name, title, phone number, and email address 280

(h) Current Facility Clearance Level 281

2. Technical Approach: The following describes the technical approach requirements: 283

(a) The Technical Approach shall describe the background and objectives of the proposed work, 285 the approach, deliverables, the resources needed to execute, and additional details of data 286 rights assertions. Include the nature and extent of the capability and how it addresses the AOI, 287 the innovative aspect of the solution, the intended results, and address possible integration or 288 testing needs. Include ancillary and operational considerations such as certifications, 289 algorithms, and any engineering/software development methodologies to be used. Provide a 290 graphic display of major program milestones. Measurable milestones should capture key 291 activity points and should be clearly articulated and defined in time relative to the start of the 292 effort. Submissions may refer to previously submitted information from Phase 1. 293

(b) Government Support Required: Identify the type of support, if any, the Offeror requests of the 295

Government in general, such as facilities, equipment, data, and information or materials. 296

(c) The Government reserves the right to ask for additional technical information in the Phase 2 298 request for proposal. 299

(d) Due to the varying AOIs and potential solutions, Technical Proposal page limitations and 301 formatting will be identified in Phase 2 request for proposal. 302

3. Statement of Work (SOW): The following describes the SOW requirements: 304

(a) The SOW must be a separate and distinct document suitable for incorporation into a contract 306 or agreement. The SOW shall conform with the Department of Defense Handbook for 307 Preparation of a SOW, MIL-HDBK-245E. It must be a separate and distinct document 308 suitable for incorporation into a contract or agreement. Pages should be numbered and 309 provide line numbers. The initial page should have a date (document date) shown under the 310 title. Proprietary information should not be included in the SOW. 311

(b) The proposed SOW must accurately describe the work to be performed. The SOW must 312 also contain a summary description of the technical methodology as well as the task 313 descriptions, but not in so much detail as to make the SOW inflexible. The SOW should 314 include the following sections: 315

1. OBJECTIVE: This section is intended to give a brief overview of the project and 317 should describe why the work is being pursued and what the Offeror intends to 318 accomplish. 319

2. SCOPE: This section includes a statement of what the SOW covers. This should 321 describe the AOI to be investigated, goals, and for the effort. Provide a graphic 322 display of major program milestones. 323

3. BACKGROUND: The Offeror must identify appropriate documents that are 325 applicable to the effort to be performed. This section includes any information, 326 explanations, or constraints that are necessary to understand the project tasks and 327 requirements. This section should describe the effort’s relationship to previous and 328 ongoing efforts, if applicable. 329

4. TASKS AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS: This section contains the detailed 331 description of tasks that are necessary to perform the proposed work. These tasks 332 will represent the work to be performed in any potential contract or agreement 333 award, and, thus, shall be considered contractually binding. This section should be 334 developed in an orderly progression and presented in sufficient detail to establish 335 the feasibility of accomplishing the overall program goals. The Government reserves 336 the right to modify and negotiate the language in the SOW prior to any potential 337 contract or agreement award. 338

4.1. Task descriptions must be definite, realistic, and clearly stated. Use the phrase 340

“the contractor shall” whenever the work that is a mandatory obligation. Use 341 “should” or “may” whenever it is necessary to express work that is aspiration 342 or not compulsory. 343

4.2. Do not use acronyms or abbreviations without first defining them. Place 345 abbreviations and acronyms in parentheses following the first usage of the 346 spelled-out phrase. 347

(c) Due to the varying AOIs and potential solutions, SOW page limitations will be identified 349 in the Phase 2 request for proposal. 350

4. Price Volume: The following describes the Price submission requirements: 352

(a) The Price submission must include pricing information sufficiently detailed for meaningful 354 evaluation of the proposal. The Price Proposal does not have a page limit restriction. For 355 FAR-based contracts, since all proposals ae considered commercial items, technologies, or 356 services, the requirements of the Truthful Cost or Pricing Data Act are not applicable. 357 However, if the Contracting Officer determines additional information is necessary to 358 support a determination of a fair and reasonable price, other than certified cost and pricing 359 data may be requested. For OTAs, Agreement Officer must ensure the Government pays a 360 price that is reasonable relative to scope, risk, and market conditions. Data rights are 361 negotiated separately and not evaluated as price. 362

(b) The responsibility for providing adequate supporting data and attachments lies solely with 364 the Offeror. Further, the Offeror also bears the burden of proof in establishing 365 reasonableness of proposed prices; therefore, it is in the Offeror’s best interest to submit a 366 fully supportable and well-prepared price proposal. 367

(c) The Offeror shall prepare the Price submission to include an electronic version of the 369 pricing model in a Microsoft (MS) Excel editable format. The electronic pricing model 370 shall include active formulas demonstrating the mathematical calculation of the proposed 371 price. 372

(d) The Offeror shall propose milestone phases, key deliverables, due dates, exit/acceptance 374 criteria and payment amounts within their submitted milestone schedule. The Offeror shall 375 include all key deliverables and sub-deliverables as identified in the Attachment 4 MPS 376 template. Milestone payments may vary by month based on completion of priced tasks 377 and/or deliverables. The Government will accept no more than one invoice per month. 378 Offerors shall structure milestones to align with a monthly invoicing cadence while 379 ensuring appropriate performance assurance. 380

5. Additional Proposal Submission Content: 382

(a) Small Business Subcontracting Plan: If FAR-based contract is indicated by the Government 384 and the offeror is other than small business, offerors shall submit either an individual 385 subcontracting plan and/or master subcontracting plan (if available) in accordance with RFO 386 52.219-9 Small Business Subcontracting Plan (Deviation Date) and R-DFARS 252.219-7997 387 Small Business Subcontracting Plan (Test Program) (Deviation 2026-O0037) with their Phase 388 2 proposal. The Offeror's small business subcontracting plan shall include, but is not limited 389 to, details regarding the commitment/targets for each category of small business, veteran-390 owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, small, disadvantaged 391 business, HUBZone, and women-owned small business concerns. The plan shall describe for 392 each category the total value subcontracted expressed in dollars and percentage of total 393 subcontracted value if an individual subcontracting plan. The plan shall also state the extent 394 and nature of work to be performed by small business concerns, the method used to develop 395 goals, the method used to locate potential suppliers, if the goals include indirect costs (if so, 396 describe the cost allocation method) and describe the efforts the Offeror will make to assure 397 small businesses have an equitable opportunity to compete for subcontracts. The plan shall 398 also provide the name and duties of the contractor's subcontracting plan administrator. 399

If the Small Business Subcontracting Plan is not initially acceptable, the Contracting Officer 401 may request additional information regarding the Small Business Subcontracting Plan. 402

(b) Organizational Conflict of Interest: Regardless of whether FAR-based contract or OTA, the 404 Offeror shall perform an Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) analysis and submit the 405 results of that analysis as part of the Offeror’s Phase 2 proposal. Specifically, the Offeror shall 406 analyze the planned acquisition for actual or potential OCI situations associated with the 407 Offeror or any of the Offeror’s proposed teammates or subcontractor’s performance under any 408 contract or agreement the Offeror or the Offeror’s teammates or subcontractors has been or 409 may be awarded by any federal agency or other entity. The Offeror shall describe in detail the 410 methodology used to identify actual or potential OCI issues. If the Offeror identifies any actual 411 or potential OCIs with respect to the performance of the Offeror or the Offeror’s subcontractors 412 or teammates, the contractor shall provide an OCI Mitigation Plan to be incorporated as an 413 attachment to any resulting contract or agreement. Any proposed avoidance or mitigation 414 techniques shall be consistent with RFO 9.5 and the most recent decisions of the Government 415 Accountability Office (GAO) and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. 416

(c) Responsibility: For FAR-based awards, the Offeror shall provide information that presents a 418 brief verifiable self-assessment in the areas of responsibility as described in RFO 9.104 419 (Deviation Date) as supplemented by R-DFARS. Elements of responsibility to address include 420 but are not limited to, management of government property, capability, resources, competency, 421 capacity, credit, integrity, perseverance, tenacity, and limitations on subcontracting. For OTA 422 awards, the Offeror shall provide similar information to aid the Government in the assessment 423 of responsibility. 424 For FAR-based awards, the inability to perform in compliance with the limitations of 426 subcontracting clause RFO 52.219-14 (Deviation Date) is a matter of responsibility for small 427 businesses. The Contracting Officer will follow the Small Business Administration Certificate 428 of Competency procedure at RFO 19.204 when a small business concern would otherwise be 429 selected for award but is considered not responsible. 430 For OTA awards, it is the offeror's responsibility to affirmatively demonstrate in its proposal 432 that the proposed transaction is compliant with the statutory requirements. The proposal must 433 clearly identify and provide supporting rationale for one of the following eligibility 434 pathways: 435

Pathway 1: Significant Participation by NTDC or Small Business 437 If the offeror asserts that it meets the requirement through the significant participation of a 439 Nontraditional Defense Contractor (NTDC) or a small business, the proposal must: 440

• Identify the Participant(s): Clearly name the specific NTDC(s) or small business(es) 442

(whether the prime or a subcontractor). 443

• State the Status: For each entity identified, state its status (e.g., NTDC, Small Business, 444

Veteran-Owned Small Business, etc.). For NTDC status, the proposal must affirm that the 445 entity has not performed any contract subject to full Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) 446 coverage for at least one year prior to RPP’s issuance. 447

• Justify "Significant" Participation: Provide a detailed narrative explaining why the 448 participation is significant. The justification should focus on the importance of the 449 contribution, such as: 450 o Supplying a key technology, component, or capability; 451 o Causing a material reduction in cost or schedule or an increase in performance; or 452 o Providing a novel application of existing technology. 453

Pathway 2: Minimum One-Third Cost Contribution 455

If the offeror is a traditional defense contractor proposing to meet the requirement through 457 cost-sharing, the proposal must: 458

• Explicitly State the Commitment: Clearly state that the offeror will provide a cost 459 contribution of at least one-third (33.33%) of the total prototype project cost. 460

• Detail the Cost Share: Provide a breakdown of the total project cost, identifying the 461

Government's share and the offeror's share. The offeror’s contribution may be in cash or 462 in-kind (e.g., labor, materials, facilities), but if in-kind, it must be auditable and directly 463 relevant to the project. 464

Failure to clearly address and substantiate one of these pathways in the proposal may 465 render the submission ineligible for award of an Other Transactions agreement. 466

(d) Space Contractor Responsibility Watchlist (CRWL): In accordance with Section 1601 of the 468

National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2025 (P.L. 118-159) and DAFGM2025-469 63-01, the PCO/AO may not award a contract to a contractor included on the CRWL without 470 making a determination of responsibility and obtaining the approval of the SAF/SQ. A 471 contractor that has been notified that it has been added to the CRWL may respond to this CSO 472 but must submit documentation describing how it has addressed the conditions that resulted in 473 its inclusion on the CRWL and why those conditions will not impact performance on a contract 474 resulting from this CSO. Proposed subcontractors must notify the prime Offeror if they receive 475 notification from the SAE that they have been added to the CRWL. In order to be considered 476 for a subcontract, a proposed subcontractor that has been added to the CRWL must submit 477 documentation describing how it has addressed the conditions that resulted in its inclusion on 478 the CRWL and why those conditions will not impact its performance on a subcontract to a 479 contract resulting from this CSO. The proposed subcontractor may submit CRWL-related 480 documentation through the prime Offeror or directly to the Contracting Officer as long as the 481 information is received prior to the proposal due date. 482

Note: CRWL does not apply to operation and maintenance contracts, professional services 484 contracts for Government support (e.g., FFRDC, A&AS). 485

(e) Rights in Technical Data, Computer Software, and Computer Software Documentation: For 487

OTA awards, data rights are subject to negotiation. 488

(f) If the Gov cannot award OTA and must award a FAR-based, then an Offeror may provide with 490 its submissions assertions to restrict, use, release, or disclosure of data and/or computer 491 software and computer software documentation that will be provided in the course of contract 492 or agreement performance. For FAR-based awards, rules governing these assertions are 493 prescribed in R-DFARS clauses 252.227-7989 and 252.227-7990 may be accessed at 494 https://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dars/classdev/DFARS_RFO/Part-227/2026-495 O0036_TAB_A_Deviation_Memo_Part_227.pdf. For OTA awards, data rights are subject to 496 negotiation. 497

If the proposed solution relies upon patented technology or pending patent applications, the 499 Offeror shall identify such patents and provide documentation demonstrating ownership or 500 appropriate licensing rights sufficient to perform the prototyping effort. 501

ATTACHMENT 3: REVIEW, EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS 502

Proposals are not evaluated against each other, as they are not submitted in response to a common 504 PWS or SOW. 505 The Government will review and evaluate submissions in multiple phases, as described below. 507 Progression from one phase to another, and ultimately to award, is at the sole discretion of the 508 Government, subject to review and evaluation results and availability of funds. Solutions will be 509 evaluated on the basis of the merit of the proposed concept in addressing the Areas of Interest and 510 not against other vendor’s solutions submitted in response to the same Area of Interest. 511

1. Phase 1A – Quad Chart and White Paper Submission: 513

a. Purpose: The Government will identify Phase 1 submissions that demonstrate 515 sufficient Government interest and technical merit based on the AOI’s description 516 and, if applicable, its focus area (see Attachment 4) to justify further consideration. 517

b. Review: Phase 1A submissions will be reviewed against the factors below: 519

i. Government Interest – Contribution to mission need and alignment of the 520 proposed solution with the AOI description and, if applicable, its focus area. 521 Should the Government be interested in the submission, it will then be 522 reviewed for technical merit. 523

ii. Technical Validity - Technical validity and reasonableness, alignment with 524 the AOI description. 525

iii. Eligibility for OTA - Per line 421-453, offeror will state whether pathway 1, 526 pathway 2, or none applies to its proposed solution. The answer does not 527 disqualify offeror from award. 528

iv. Innovation Compliance – Provide a clear and substantiating justification 529 demonstrating that the proposed solution meets the definition of innovative 530 per line 11 of this CSO document. as stated in Offeror’s White Paper. 531

c. Outcome: Based on the review, offerors may be: 533

i. Invited to Phase 1B (by Government Request); 534

ii. Invited to submit to Phase 2; or 535

iii. Notified that the submission will not be pursued. 536

2. Phase 1B – Pitch Session (by Government Request): 538

a. Purpose: The Government may invite offeror(s) to provide a demonstration video 540 and to address Government’s question(s) regarding their submission. The 541 Government highly encourages the offeror to address the areas of but not limited to, 542 demonstration of technical challenges, business viability and integration potential not 543 already addressed in the white paper. 544

b. Review: Phase 1B pitch sessions will be reviewed against the factors below: 546

i. Government Interest – Contribution to mission need and alignment of the 547 proposed solution with the AOI description and, if applicable, its focus area. 548

ii. Technical Validity: Technical validity and reasonableness, alignment with 549 the AOI description, demonstration of an understanding of the integration 550 environment. 551

c. Outcome: Based on the pitch session review, offerors may be: 553

i. Invited to submit a Phase 2; or 554

ii. Notified that the submission will not be pursued. 555

3. Phase 2 – Proposal - Technical Price Information: 557

a. Purpose: The Government will assess the technical, business, integration potential 558 and cost aspects of the proposal in detail. The specific evaluation criteria for Phase 2 559 will be provided in the request for prototype proposal (RPP) and may include, but is 560 not limited to, the following evaluation factors: 561

b. The Government will ensure vendors meet the following un-rated criteria before 562 being evaluated: 563

i. Government Interest – Contribution to mission need and alignment with the 564 AOI description and, if applicable, its focus area. The Government will 565 choose the proposal(s) that best aligns with the mission priorities and has the 566 greatest potential impact in meeting the needs identified in the AOI 567

ii. Security and Accreditation Posture – Compliance with applicable 568 cybersecurity requirements, or demonstration of a credible path to 569 compliance. Evaluation will consider cybersecurity maturity, risk 570 management practices, data protection measures, and the ability to support 571 secure operational integration 572

iii. Vendor viability - Demonstrated ability to meet current and projected 573 program demands. The Government will choose the proposal with the best 574 capacity, proven track record, and scalable solution that aligns with the 575 Government’s current and projected needs. 576

iv. OCI Mitigation plan, if applicable – Completed OCI checklist and 577 mitigation plan, if applicable. 578

c. Evaluation: After meeting the un-rated criteria, Phase 2 proposals will be evaluated 579 against the factors below: 580

i. Technical Merit - Technical executability, alignment with the AOI 581 description and, if applicable, its focus area, compliance with modern 582 software practices, and standards compliance. The Government will choose 583 the proposal(s) that demonstrate technical feasibility, innovation, and 584 alignment with engineering best practices will be favored, as these factors 585 contribute to the long-term viability of the project. 586

ii. Integration Feasibility - Ability to integrate into existing mission operations. 587 The Government will choose the proposal that presents a low-risk, high-588 impact integration plan and minimizes disruption to existing systems and 589 operations will be prioritized. 590

iii. Price – The Government will choose the proposal that demonstrate a 591 reasonable, affordable price that is justified and aligned with the scope and 592 technical merit. Pricing will not be evaluated on a lowest-price basis but must 593 demonstrate value commensurate with scope. Vendors must also provide any 594 proposed investment by the vendor or on behalf of the vendor for the proposed 595 prototype solution including investment source and background information. 596

d. Evaluation Method: Scientific, technological, or other subject-matter expert peer 597 review will be performed. 598

e. Proposals will not be evaluated against each other, as they are not submitted in 599 response to a common PWS or SOW. 600

b. Outcome: The Government may: 601

i. Select proposals for negotiation leading to award 602

ii. Fund all, some, part of, or none of the proposals 603

f. Other Award Considerations 604

To be eligible for FAR-based awards under R-DFARS 212.70, offerors must: 606

• Be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov; 608

• Be determined responsible under RFO 9.104; 609

• Have updated required representations and certifications (RFO 52.204-7) 610

• Comply with R-DFARS 204-76 (assessment posted in Supplier Performance Risk 611

System (SPRS), if applicable) 612

• Submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan if a large business (per RFO 613

52.219-9). 614

To be eligible for OTA awards under 10 U.S.C. § 4021 & §4022 and §4023, offerors 616 must: 617

• Be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov 619

• Demonstrate capability, resources and integrity to perform; 620

• Be in good standing (not debarred/suspended, and not on the SSC Contractor 621

Responsibility Watchlist); 622

• Comply with program-specific security and cybersecurity requirements, as 623 applicable; 624

• Disclose potential organizational conflict of interest. The Government may 625 require a mitigation approach before award; 626

ATTACHMENT 4: AREAS OF INTEREST (AOI) 628

The Kronos PMO is interested in innovative products, technologies, and services related to the AOIs 630 listed below. The level of detail provided for each AOI or the order in which each AOI appears is 631 not intended to convey any information regarding relative priority. 632 Focus Area Statements (FAS) 634 To facilitate industry planning and engagement, the Government may publish a Focus Area 636 Statement (FAS) within the scope of an AOI when issuing a Call. The FAS will 637 provide additional context regarding mission needs, desired outcomes, and areas of technical interest 638 to assist industry in preparing submissions. 639 AOI 01: Operational Command and Control 641 The Kronos PMO is seeking innovative solutions that enable end-to-end Operational C2 643 functionality, including planning, preparation, execution, and assessment, within a unified, 644 interoperable framework at the operational echelon. The intended users of these capabilities are at 645 the Echelon 2 and 3 level, notionally, the National Space Defense Center (NSDC), Combined Space 646 Operation Center (CSpOC), and Space Force Components. Key capabilities include developing and 647 prioritizing commanders’ intent; supporting both deliberate and dynamic target development and 648 effects-based operations; conducting capability and feasibility analysis; facilitating commander’s 649 decision-making and force assignment; monitoring real-time mission execution with adaptability to 650 changing conditions; performing combat assessment; and providing comprehensive shared 651 situational awareness across joint, and allied partners. The Operational C2 innovative solution must 652 be scalable, modular, and extensible to support evolving mission needs and emerging technologies. 653 Cloud-native design, DevSecOps practices, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) 654 integration, advanced data management, and zero trust cybersecurity principles are highly desired. 655 Submissions should demonstrate how the proposed solution delivers a cohesive, resilient, and 656 adaptable Operational C2 capability aligned with U.S. Space Force operational priorities and enables 657 agile, data-driven decision-making across the Kronos Enterprise. 658

AOI 02: Battle Management 659 The Kronos PMO is seeking an integrated Space Attack Planning Toolkit to enable advanced effects-661 based planning and coordination across the Kronos Enterprise. The desired solution will support the 662 ability to match space resources to effects-based requirements by synthesizing commander’s 663 guidance, effects, and operational priorities with real-time resource status, including tactical units 664 and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets. The solution should expedite C2 665 planning and enhance coordination between operational and tactical levels. Key capabilities include 666 integration of tactical C2 assessment tools to enable rapid course of action development, feasibility 667 modeling, probability of success analysis, and collateral impact assessment. The solution should 668 support tactical C2 planning by providing real-time status, warnings, and orders to tactical units, 669 while capturing and managing Concept of Operations (CONOPs) and Concept of Employment 670 (CONEMPs) to ensure coherent command relationships and execution pathways. Additionally, the 671 toolkit must enable tactical C2 monitoring and visualization of ongoing effects, support dynamic 672 guidance updates, and facilitate responsive coordination with tactical units within established rules 673 of engagement. The solution must be modular, scalable, and designed for seamless integration with 674 the broader Kronos C2 architecture, with an emphasis on agility, real-time data integration, and 675 operational relevance. 676

AOI 03: Space Intelligence Integration 677 The Kronos PMO is seeking an integrated Intelligence solution to enhance decision advantage for 679 joint and coalition forces across the Kronos Enterprise. The desired solution must unify three core 680 intelligence capabilities: battlespace characterization, collection operations, and targeting. 681 Battlespace characterization should enable continuous understanding and prediction of adversary 682 capabilities, tactics, dispositions, centers of gravity, and courses of action, with dynamic assessments 683 that inform targeting and operational decision-making. Collection operations must support the 684 tasking and synchronization of ISR assets and exploitation resources to acquire actionable data on 685 the operational environment, adversary activity, and infrastructure, closing intelligence gaps and 686 enhancing situational awareness. The targeting component must provide a continuous, analytic 687 process to select, prioritize, and engage targets in alignment with commander objectives, integrating 688 intelligence at every stage of the targeting cycle. The solution must facilitate seamless coordination 689 across functional disciplines and between operational and tactical levels. Scalability, modularity, and 690 interoperability with the broader Kronos C2 architecture are essential, with emphasis on real-time 691 data integration, dynamic visualization, and AI/ML-driven analytic capabilities. Submissions should 692 clearly demonstrate how the solution enhances intelligence-driven operations and supports timely, 693 informed, and effective decision-making across the joint force. 694

AOI 04: Mission Support Services 695 The Kronos PMO is seeking innovative prototype solutions that provide infrastructure support 697 services, mission operations support, tools, analytics, and automated test capabilities, cybersecurity 698 engineering, and secure software enablement across the Kronos Family of Systems and the PMO. 699 This Area of Interest is focused on the services, engineering approaches, automation, operational 700 processes, and technical capabilities required to deploy, operate, secure, monitor, scale, and sustain 701 mission infrastructure in support of Kronos objectives. This AOI is not intended to procure 702 underlying infrastructure as the primary deliverable. 703 Proposed solutions may address site reliability engineering; platform and infrastructure operations; 705 cybersecurity engineering and cyber operations; secure software delivery and deployment 706 orchestration; Infrastructure-as-Code and configuration management; cloud, hybrid-cloud, and edge 707 integration; containerized workload orchestration; observability, monitoring, alerting, incident 708 response, automated recovery, and resiliency; continuous monitoring, vulnerability management, 709 compliance automation, and support for operational accreditation; zero-trust implementation; and 710 mission application hosting and integration across distributed environments, classification levels, 711 and security domains. 712 Solutions should improve operational agility, reduce deployment and recovery timelines, enhance 714 resiliency, strengthen cybersecurity posture, and support mission continuity under degraded, 715 intermittent, limited bandwidth, or contested conditions. The Government is particularly interested 716 in approaches using automation, DevSecOps, zero-trust principles, Infrastructure-as-Code, policy-717 as-code, continuous monitoring, and autonomous orchestration. 718 Submissions should describe the operational problem, proposed support model, required 720 infrastructure dependencies, integration feasibility, expected mission impacts, scalability, and 721 approach for demonstrating and refining the prototype in mission-relevant environments. 722