S2S Comm BAA Call 1.2 Final_19 Nov 2025.pdf

Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Call #1.2:

USSF Proliferated Low Earth (pLEO) Mesh Concepts

Call 1.2 Special Instructions

Posted Date: 19 Nov 25

White Papers for Call #1.2 Due: 12:00pm Pacific Standard Time (PST) 17 Dec 25

(Note: Do not submit white papers for focus areas and objectives outside of the Call 1.2 request contained in the Call 1.2 special instructions.)

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this BAA: 541715

Research and Development, in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except

Biotechnology). Vendors shall have NAICS code 541715 to participate in the Space-to-Space

(S2S) Communication BAA. Vendors shall ensure their SAM.GOV account includes this NAICS code prior to submitting a white paper under any S2S Comm BAA Calls.

Anticipated Awards: Multiple agreements are anticipated for Call #1.2. However, the

Government reserves the right to select for agreement zero, one, more than one, or a portion of any white paper and subsequent proposal received in response to this announcement.

Approach: Two-phase (white paper followed by proposals)

Period of Performance (POP): TBD, minimum of 12 months.

Objective: The Space Systems Command Spectrum Warfare Division (SSC/SZW), in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), is in the process of fielding a proliferated, integrated, vendor diverse, space-to-space communications mesh in Low Earth

Orbit (LEO) leveraging commercial product baselines from across the industrial base. This mesh will form the backbone of the Space Data Network (SDN). To this end, SSC/SZW intends to stand up an “Industry Consortium for Space-to-Space Communications” (ICSSC). This consortium (the ICSSC) will be rooted in a public/private partnership intended to create a collaborative and cooperative environment for solving some of the SDN architecture’s toughest challenges. ICSSC will be made up of selected members of the industrial base and will be tasked to solve technical and integration challenges as SSC fields the proliferated LEO (pLEO) space-to-space communications mesh, expands system capabilities with new vendors and onboards new space-based and terrestrial users. The ICSSC will not exclusively consider concepts with spacecraft and payload elements from the same vendor but will look at modular and open payload accommodation concepts to enable further interoperability in building out the pLEO mesh of SDN.

The Government is seeking input from industry on how to approach assembling, leveraging, and incentivizing this ICSSC. In addition, the Government is looking for industry members interested in being a part of the ICSSC. The Government intends for the ICSSC to help solve hard problems, leverage commercial industry capabilities, define approaches to on-ramp capabilities, and field a multi-vendor pLEO mesh.

Draft ICSSC Construct

Under the draft construct, the Government intends to award agreements with 5-7 members of the industrial base to form the ICSSC. All members will provide representatives to participate in routine engagements with the consortium as well as participate in working groups and technical teams to address specific tasks or challenges presented to the consortium by the Government. All member companies will sign Associate Contractor Agreements (ACAs) and employ conflict of interest (COI) strategies to protect proprietary and other information shared during these engagements. Representatives from multiple Government offices will also contribute to the membership and an SSC representative will chair and lead the consortium.

Potential consortium models include Other Transaction Authority (OTA) consortium agreement, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)/Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), or Public Private

Partnership.

The first order challenges to be approached by this consortium are as follows:

• Cooperative technical development and demonstrations

• Open standards and interface controls

• Interoperable network layer

• Cybersecurity framework

• Test and evaluation infrastructure and campaigns

• Constellation management

• Spectrum and regulatory coordination

• Broadband interoperability

BAA Posting section 5.12(a) amendment (this call only):

“ a. White Paper Structure:

A complete white paper shall be limited to 11 pages total and consist of a cover page (1 page) and three Sections (10 pages). The three Sections are: 1. Feedback on the draft ICSSC construct,

2. Company Profile, and 3. Other members. Pages over the 10-page limit for these sections will not be evaluated.

The white paper text shall be in PDF format. Text shall be single-spaced (with double-space between paragraphs), on 8½ x 11-inch paper, with one-inch margins all around. Font size shall be of minimum 12-point font. The vendor is welcome to include diagrams, images, and graphics as part of their 10-page submission for the three Sections.

• Cover Page: The Cover Page shall be one (1) page in length and include: (1) the white paper title with BAA number; (2) company name, website, Federal Tax ID, Commercial and

Government Entity (CAGE) Code, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and mailing address; (3) business size (e.g., large business, small business), (4) NAICS Code: 541 – Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services / 541715 – Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)); (5) technical and contracts points of contact (including email address, telephone number, and facsimile number); and (6) date.

• Section 1: Feedback on the draft ICSSC construct. This section should include feedback on consortium size, duration, routine, incentive approach, contracting or agreement mechanisms, first order challenges, collaborative demonstrations, IP and data rights provisions, resourcing or “contribution in kind” constructs, etc.

• Section 2: Company Profile. This section should include a description of why your company should be a member of the consortium, specifically citing existing and mature commercial products, services and/or capabilities which present potential solutions to fielding, expanding and evolving a pLEO space data network. The vendor may also present roadmaps for development and commercialization/go-to-market of near-term products related to the SDN mesh architecture. The vendor may also describe facilities, (i.e. laboratories, networks, testbeds, etc.), data, expertise, tools or other resources they are willing to contribute to the

ICSSC.

• Section 3: Other members. This section is an opportunity for the vendor to express support for or describe existing partnerships across industry with other vendors you believe should also be a part of the consortium. Propose three vendors you think should be on the consortium with you. Additionally, propose any cooperative demonstrations you are working or might propose to work with these vendors for technical demonstrations, development or risk reduction.

BAA Posting section 5.14.2.1 White Paper Evaluation Factors amendment (this call only):

Vendor consortium membership may be rejected for one or more of the following reasons:

1. Vendor’s capability is insufficiently mature for Government needs.

2. Vendor’s emerging capability will not be able to on-ramp to the pLEO mesh in the foreseeable future.

If not rejected, the Government will evaluate the degree to which the vendor has existing and mature commercial products, services, and/or capabilities which present potential solutions to fielding, expanding, and evolving a pLEO space data network.

(note: 5.14.2.1.1 through 5.14.2.2.4 from the Basic BAA posting do not apply to this call)

CUI Submission Instructions:

Contractors who would like to submit Call 1.2 white papers marked as CUI shall do so via DOD

SAFE. Contractors shall send an email to the security POC (listed below) no later than (NLT) one week prior to the submission deadline asking them to initiate the DOD SAFE "Request a

Drop-Off" action with the subject line “S2S Comm BAA Call 1.2 DOD SAFE Drop-Off Request

– (company name)”.

Security POC:

Mr. Steven Mafla

SSC/SZW

Email: steven.mafla.ctr@spaceforce.mil

Technical POC:

Lt Col Jeffrey Fry

SSC/SZWM

Email: jeffrey.fry@spaceforce.mil mailto:steven.mafla.ctr@spaceforce.mil mailto:jeffrey.fry@spaceforce.mil