GDA CSO HQ0202-26-S-0001.pdf

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR

1000 DEFENSE PENTAGON

WASHINGTON, DC 20301-1000

GOLDEN DOME

FOR AMERICA

COMMERCIAL SOLUTIONS OPENING (CSO)

HQ0202-26-S-0001

for

Golden Dome for America Technology Development, Deployment and Program Support

HQ020226S0001

OVERVIEW

1. CSO Sponsor: Office of the Secretary of War, Golden Dome for America (GDA)

2. Authority: DFARS 212.70 – Defense Commercial Solutions Opening; Other Transaction Authority (10 USC 4022); Authority to acquire innovative commercial products and commercial services using general solicitation competitive procedures (10 USC 3458, as amended by P.L. 119-60); OSW Memo, “Direct Reporting Program Manager Appointment for Golden Dome for America” dated 20 August 2025.

3. Objective: GDA seeks innovative solutions or potential capabilities that fulfill requirements, close capability gaps, or provide potential innovative technological advancements that accelerate GDA's ability to achieve its mission using Streamlined Acquisition Procedures.

4. Period of Availability: From date of CSO posting through 30 September 2035.

5. Opportunity Description: The Homeland is currently at risk and is relatively undefended from a new generation of advanced weapons being actively developed by adversaries.

GDA’s core mission is to rapidly field a defense to protect Americans and critical infrastructure from this real, complex, and growing threat. The spectrum of dangers includes sophisticated ballistic missiles, hypersonics advanced cruise missiles, and other modern aerial systems. To achieve this unprecedented and realistic goal within a compressed timeframe, GDA will operate as an agile organization with a mandate to leverage commercial innovation. Rapid and flexible contracting will accelerate the adoption of critical technologies, unconstrainted by legacy policy and regulatory limitations. This CSO allows GDA to select vendors whose solutions show the greatest potential to achieve the GDA mission. Submissions will be evaluated using a merit-based peer-review, technical review, or operational review process consistent with 10 U.S.C. §3458.

Under this CSO, GDA has OT authority to partner with nontraditional and traditional defense contractors and non-profit research institutions to carry out prototype projects that are directly relevant to enhancing the mission effectiveness of military personnel and the supporting platforms, systems, components, or materials proposed to be acquired or developed by the DoD, or the improvement of platforms, systems, components, or materials in use by the armed forces for GDA. Under this CSO, GDA may also use FAR-based methods for procuring services. This CSO is a mechanism for GDA to use competitive procedures to award OT agreements or contracts. Whether an award is an OT agreement for a Prototype Project, or follow on prototype/production agreement, or a FAR-based contract award is at the sole discretion of the government.

6. Award Parameters

a. There is no specific restriction on the number, type, value, or frequency of awards that may be made under this CSO.

b. Multiple awards are anticipated and may vary widely in terms of scope, duration, and price, consistent with the objectives of this CSO.

c. The Government reserves the right to select for award all, none, some, or selected portions thereof, of any submission that may be received in response to this CSO.

d. Any white paper or proposal selected for funding may be incrementally funded at the discretion of the Government.

e. The Government reserves the right to negotiate proposal scope of work, price, and other terms and conditions as may be required.

f. Most efforts awarded under this CSO will be fixed-price milestone OT agreements or Firm, Fixed Price FAR contracts.

g. To promote opportunity for maximum collaboration and rapid engagement between multiple respondents, and due to a fiscally constrained operating environment, respondents should note that the Government places a significantly higher value on ideas, concepts, and proposed solutions that promote quick testing of applications and/or proof-of-concept scenarios.

h. This CSO may be used for OT agreements designed to enable collaboration at higher security levels when necessary for prototype concept development.

i. The Government may either rely on the scope description and price cited in a white paper, without having to request a separate proposal (i.e., a “one-step” process), or the Government may issue an RFP after receipt of a white paper, requesting a proposal and more detailed price be submitted based on the white paper (i.e. the “two-step” process).

In instances where the Government elects to make an award based solely on a white paper submission, the white paper must contain sufficient detail regarding the technical approach, scope of work, deliverables, and price to enable evaluation in accordance with the stated criteria and to support an award decision. The Government may request additional information as necessary to ensure that submissions are evaluated on a comparable basis.

PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

1. Eligible Participants: All sources capable of addressing the objectives of this CSO, consistent with statute and regulation, including the security requirements of this effort, are encouraged to respond.

2. Procurement Integrity, Standards of Conduct, Ethical Considerations, and Conflicts of Interest: With respect to submissions in response to this CSO, submitting parties are notified that that the Government will assess all submissions for the existence or appearance of any potential conflicts of interest. Notwithstanding any Government assessment to be conducted as a result of submissions to this CSO, it is principally incumbent upon the submitting party to assess all facts relevant to the existence or potential existence of a conflict of interest to disclose such information to the Government for appropriate consideration. Conflicts may be either organizational or personal. With respect to any party that may already be doing business with GDA in a capacity to provide scientific, engineering, technical assistance (SETA), or similar support, such parties are hereby notified that without prior written agency approval and authorization, such entity will not be authorized to simultaneously provide SETA, or similar support, and also be a technical performer in any capacity under this CSO.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

1. White Papers: White paper submissions will be reviewed for interest in accordance with the stated objectives of this CSO, which is to specifically seek innovative commercial items, technologies, and services that support GDA. If the Government seeks to award directly from a white paper, it will be evaluated in terms of Technical and Price, as detailed in the evaluation of proposals section. Calls, if issued, may contain separate and unique white paper review guidelines specific to the objectives of the Call in question.

2. Proposals: Proposal submissions will be evaluated based on Technical and Price. When evaluating submissions, the Government will weigh the relative value of the proposed effort in relation to its anticipated cost and the overall portfolio of efforts under consideration, in order to maximize mission impact within available resources.

a. Technical: This CSO seeks various innovative commercial items, technologies, and services intended to address existing gaps, revolutionize operations and/or capability, and/or significantly strengthen past, current, planned, or unforeseen operational paradigms. Technical applications that demonstrate breakthrough promise, as determined by the Government, will be given higher priority consideration than commercial innovation applications that merely introduce incremental improvements in existing operations. Commercial innovation applications that support urgent pressing needs, as determined by the Government, will be given higher priority consideration than those that address lower priority focus areas.

b. Price: A contract/agreement will only be awarded if the Contracting Officer/Agreements Officer negotiating and awarding the contract/agreement determines the price to be fair and reasonable.

3. Individual Requests for Proposals (RFPs): RFPs, if issued, may clarify or further define these criteria; add criteria where necessary to support specific program objectives; and/or adjust their relative order of importance. In all cases, the Government will clearly identify the evaluation criteria and their relative importance in the applicable RFP and will evaluate proposals solely in accordance with those stated criteria.

WHITE PAPER CONTENT AND FORMAT REQUIREMENTS

Parties interested in engaging GDA under this CSO with innovative commercial items, technologies, and/or services of interest that would advance GDA’s mission, may submit a white paper to the Government at any time after the CSO opens and before the end of the CSO period of availability. The Government may also issue Calls requesting white papers that address specific challenges faced by GDA.

1. Due Dates: Due dates will be specified in Calls. White papers provided not in response to a specific Call may be provided at any time during the CSO period of availability. However, interested parties should consider that white papers issued within one month or less of the end of the Period of Availability may not be submitted in time for the Government to review and make an award decision.

2. White Paper Restrictions: There is no limit on the number of white papers that may be submitted in response to this CSO. White Papers, consistent with the objectives of this CSO, are highly encouraged. There is no restriction on the number of white papers that may be submitted from any single party, subject to the following conditions:

a. The Government desires commercial innovation consistent with the objectives of this

CSO.

b. The Government intends to focus its review resources on submissions that are responsive to the objectives of the CSO. Submissions that are determined to be non-responsive, duplicative, or not aligned with the stated objectives may receive limited or no further consideration.

3. Format Requirements: The content included in a white paper submission is anticipated to vary widely by submitting party, with response to the CSO intended to be uncomplicated, subject to the following format instructions:

a. NOT TO EXCEED 10 PAGES IN TOTAL LENGTH (Including price information)

b. 8 ½ by 11-inch paper format, with at least one-inch margins on all sides

c. Font Type should not be smaller than 12 pt, although smaller font type may be used for figures, tables, and charts.

d. Must be written in the English language.

e. Must comply with appropriate security requirements.

f. Proprietary information, if included in a white paper submission, must be marked for proper identification. On first page, mark as follows: "PROPRIETARY INFORMATION:

This white paper includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed-in whole or in part-for any purpose other than to review the contents of this submission. This restriction does not limit the Government's right to information if such information is obtained from another source without restriction.". On any other page that contains proprietary information, mark as follows:

"PROPRIETARY INFORMATION: Use or disclosure of data contained on this page is subject to the restriction on the first page of this white paper submission.".

4. Minimum Content Requirements:

On Page 1, include the following:

a. CSO number.

b. Name of company, address, business size, and socioeconomic category, if applicable.

c. Identify as traditional or non-traditional defense contractor, and whether a for-profit or non-profit business entity.

d. Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code.

e. Unique Entity Identifier (UEID).

f. Business, technical, and security POCs with unclassified/secure telephone numbers and email addresses.

g. Classified level at which respondent is cleared to receive/store classified material.

h. Period of performance and task objectives.

i. Technical summary and proposed deliverable(s). The technical portion shall include a discussion of the nature and scope of the effort and the respondent's proposed approach/solution, and any proposed deliverable(s).

j. Price for accomplishing the work.

5. Point of Contact:

All questions related to this CSO and Calls issued under this CSO shall be sent via e-mail to:

osd.pentagon.ousd-r-e.mbx.gda-contracting@mail.mil

PROPOSAL CONTENT AND FORMAT REQUIREMENTS

Proposals may only be submitted in response to an RFP issued by the Government under this CSO. The Government may at its sole discretion choose to issue an RFP either in response to a white paper submission or an RFP unrelated to any white paper submission.

1. Due Dates: Due dates will be specified in the RFPs.

2. Format Requirements: At a minimum, RFPs must conform to the following content and format requirements. At its sole discretion, the Government may modify these requirements or provide additional requirements in individual RFPs. In the event of any disagreement in terms between these and an RFP, the terms in the RFP shall take precedence.

a. Technical Volume shall NOT EXCEED 20 PAGES IN TOTAL LENGTH.

b. The Price Volume shall NOT EXCEED 10 PAGES IN TOTAL LENGTH.

c. 8 ½ by 11-inch paper format, with at least one-inch margins on all sides.

d. Font Type should not be smaller than 12 pt, although smaller font type may be used for figures, tables, and charts.

e. Must be written in the English language.

f. Must comply with appropriate security requirements.

g. Proprietary information, if included in a proposal submission, must be marked for proper identification. On first page, mark as follows: "PROPRIETARY INFORMATION: This Proposal includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed-in whole or in part-for any purpose other than to review the contents of this submission. This restriction does not limit the Government's right to information if such information is obtained from another source without restriction.".

On any other page that contains proprietary information, mark as follows:

"PROPRIETARY INFORMATION: Use or disclosure of data contained on this page is subject to the restriction on the first page of this Proposal submission.".

3. Minimum Content Requirements:

On Page 1, include the following:

a. CSO number.

b. Name of company, address, business size, and socioeconomic category, if applicable.

c. Identify as traditional or non-traditional defense contractor, and whether a for-profit or non-profit business entity.

d. Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code.

e. Unique Entity Identifier (UEID).

f. Business, technical, and security POCs with unclassified/secure telephone numbers and email addresses.

g. Classified level at which respondent is cleared to receive/store classified material

h. Period of performance and task objectives.

i. Technical summary and proposed deliverable(s). The technical portion shall include a discussion of the nature and scope of the effort and the respondent's proposed approach/solution, and any proposed deliverable(s).

j. Price and basis(es) of estimate for performing the work.

4. Point of Contact:

All questions related to this RFPs issued under this CSO shall be sent via e-mail to:

osd.pentagon.ousd-r-e.mbx.gda-contracting@mail.mil

REVIEW PROCEDURES

1. Submissions will be reviewed for commercial innovation interest by scientific, technological, and/or other subject-matter experts, in accordance with the stated objectives of this CSO.

Reviews are contemplated to be streamlined and expedient. The Government may use automated tools, including artificial intelligence, to assist in the organization, analysis, and preliminary assessment of submissions. Such tools may be used to identify areas of interest, summarize information, or support consistency in the review process. The use of such tools will not replace human evaluation. All substantive evaluation judgments and award decisions will be made by Government personnel and will be based solely on the evaluation criteria set forth in this CSO or the applicable Call or RFP.

2. The Government will review submissions during the period of availability of the CSO or after the due date specified for a Call or RFP. During the review process, the Government reserves the right to communicate, either orally or in writing, with any submitting party to clarify information contained in the submission, although nothing herein shall compel the Government to do so. After the Government concludes its review, the Government may, but is not obligated to, reply in writing to the submitter with an expression of interest or disinterest in the submission.

3. The Government reserves the right to conduct other steps, if needed, after initial white paper review to further evaluate the merits of a submission, prior to making a conclusion. These other steps may include Government requests for oral presentations, requests for additional information, and/or other engagements at the Government’s discretion.