Final_Solicitation_HQ0860-26-S-C008_Rev1.pdf

Two Phase Closed Variant

HQ0860-26-S-C008

United States Space Force (USSF) 1

Battle Management, Command, Control, Communication and Space Intelligence (BMC3I) 3 Satellite Communication Augmentation Resource (SCAR) Program Office (PMO) 4

Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) 6

Two Phase Closed Variant 7

Solicitation No. HQ0860-26-S-C008 9

Utilizing the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) 11 Nimble Options for Buying Layered Effects (NOBLE) 12

BMC3I 15

Table of Contents 18

1. Overview ............................................................................................................................................. 6 19

1.1. Federal Agency Name .................................................................................................................. 6 20

1.2. Program Office: ............................................................................................................................ 6 21

1.3. Solicitation Title/No. .................................................................................................................... 6 22

1.4. Solicitation Type .......................................................................................................................... 6 23

1.5. Solicitation Period ........................................................................................................................ 6 24

1.6. NAICS Code ................................................................................................................................ 6 25

1.7. Product Service Code (PSC) ........................................................................................................ 6 26

1.8. Communications and Points of Contact (POC)............................................................................ 6 27

1.9. System for Award Management (SAM) ................................................................................... 7 28

1.10. Program Security Requirements................................................................................................. 7 29

1.11. Requesting Access to the Offeror’s Library and Distribution of Documents ............................ 7 30

1.12. Submission Overview ................................................................................................................ 8 31

2. SCAR PMO Specific Mission, Areas of Interest, and Problem Statements ....................................... 9 32

2.1. Issuing Organization Mission....................................................................................................... 9 33

2.2. SCAR PMO Specific Areas of Interest (AOI) and Problem Statements for this Solicitation ..... 9 34

2.2.1. AOI 01: Rapid Fielding of Government Owned and Contractor Operated Commercial 35 TT&C Capabilities .......................................................................................................................... 9 36

2.2.2. AOI 02: Exclusive Use Leased Commercial Antenna Capacity on Commercial Sites ....... 10 37

2.2.3. AOI 03: Antenna as a Service (AaaS) ................................................................................. 11 38

2.2.4. DoD Technology Readiness Assessment Guidebook (February 2025) Hardware TRL 39 Definitions (Table 1) ..................................................................................................................... 12 40

2.2.5. DoD Technology Readiness Assessment Guidebook (February 2025) Software TRL 41 Definitions (Table 2) ..................................................................................................................... 13 42

3. NOBLE Framework, Topic Area, and Authority Used for This Solicitation ................................... 14 43

3.1. The NOBLE MAA Framework.................................................................................................. 14 44

3.2. NOBLE MAA Topic Areas for This CSO ................................................................................. 14 45

3.3. CSO Statutory Authority and Follow-on Production Authority ................................................ 14 46

3.4. DoW Policy Alignment .............................................................................................................. 15 47

4. CSO Provisions and Additional Information .................................................................................... 15 48

4.1. Data Rights ................................................................................................................................. 15 49

4.2. Foreign Participation: ................................................................................................................. 15 50

4.3. Non-Government Advisors ........................................................................................................ 15 51

4.4. Organizational Conflicts of Interest ........................................................................................... 16 52

4.5. Non-Traditional Defense Contractor (NDC) Status ................................................................... 16 53

4.6. Government Furnished Property (GFP) Availability ................................................................. 16 54

4.7. Definitions .................................................................................................................................. 16 55

5. Evaluation and Selection Process ..................................................................................................... 18 56

5.1. General Information ................................................................................................................... 18 57

5.2. Interchanges ............................................................................................................................... 18 58

5.3. Evaluation Process ..................................................................................................................... 18 59

5.4. Evaluation Factors ...................................................................................................................... 19 60

5.4.1. Phase 1 –White Paper Evaluation Factors ........................................................................... 19 61

5.4.2. Phase 2 – Proposal Evaluation Factors ................................................................................ 19 62

5.5. Technical Ratings ....................................................................................................................... 20 63

5.5.1. Recommended ..................................................................................................................... 21 64

5.5.2. Selectable ............................................................................................................................. 21 65

5.5.3. Not Selectable ...................................................................................................................... 21 66

5.6. Offeror Feedback........................................................................................................................ 21 67

6. Phase 1 Submission........................................................................................................................... 22 68

6.1. White Paper Format ................................................................................................................... 22 69

6.2. White Paper Content .................................................................................................................. 22 70

6.2.1. Cover Sheet.......................................................................................................................... 22 71

6.2.2. Technical Factor .................................................................................................................. 22 72

6.2.3. Importance to SCAR Program Requirements Factor .......................................................... 23 73

6.2.4. Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) .............................................................. 23 74

7. Phase 2 Submission........................................................................................................................... 24 75

7.1. Proposal Format ......................................................................................................................... 24 76

7.2. Proposal Content ........................................................................................................................ 24 77

7.2.1. Cover Sheet.......................................................................................................................... 25 78

7.2.2. Technical Volume ................................................................................................................ 25 79

7.2.3. Price Volume ....................................................................................................................... 32 80

7.2.4. Administrative Requirements Volume ................................................................................ 34 81

8. Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) Checklist ......................................................................... 38 82

8.1. Contract or Subcontract Identification ....................................................................................... 38 83

8.2. Magnitude of Work (Your Company Base) ............................................................................... 39 84

8.3. Magnitude of Work (Subcontractor Effort) ............................................................................... 39 85

8.4. Prime Contractor Information .................................................................................................... 39 86

8.5. Scope and Regulatory Applicability .......................................................................................... 39 87

8.6. Detailed Scope of Effort ............................................................................................................. 40 88

8.7. Access to Government Systems ................................................................................................. 40 89

8.8. Potential Conflict Identification ................................................................................................. 40 90

8.9. Mitigation Plans ......................................................................................................................... 40 91

8.10. Former DoD Personnel Assistance .......................................................................................... 41 92

9. CSO Offeror’s Library Table of Contents ........................................................................................ 42 93

1. Overview 96

1.1. Federal Agency Name 97

United States Space Force (USSF) 98

1.2. Program Office: 99

Satellite Communication Augmentation Resource (SCAR) 100

1.3. Solicitation Title/No. 101

SCAR Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) HQ0860-26-S-C008 102

1.4. Solicitation Type 103

This CSO is a Two Phase Closed Variant. This approach allows for White Paper and proposal 104 submission at the date and time specified in the CSO. 105

1.5. Solicitation Period 106

White Papers must be received no later than 14:00 MDT Thursday, 15 October 2026. After 107 evaluation of White Papers, the Government will issue an invitation to provide a proposal in response 108 to either a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Prototype Proposal (RPP) or a non-selection 109 letter. 110

1.6. NAICS Code 111

541715 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except 112 Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) 113

1.7. Product Service Code (PSC) 114

5985 Antennas, Waveguides, and Related Equipment 115

1.8. Communications and Points of Contact (POC) 116

All communication regarding this solicitation should be UNCLASSIFIED and sent to both the 117 Agreement Specialist Erica Talley at Erica.Talley.2.ctr@spaceforce.mil and Agreement Officer Lee 118 Mutschler at Lee.Mutschler@spaceforce.mil. DO NOT EMAIL CLASSIFIED INFORMATION. 119 Due to the large amount of expected interest in this CSO, and to maintain a written record of 120 questions, these are the only email addresses that will be used for general question communication. 121 The following shall be utilized in the email subject line: (AOI X) SCAR Solicitation No. HQ0860-26-122 S-C008, where X is replaced with the identified AOI. 123 Dialogue with any Government representative related to this solicitation shall not constitute a 125 mailto:Erica.Talley.2.ctr@spaceforce.mil mailto:Lee.Mutschler@spaceforce.mil commitment by the Government. Any dialogue that takes place will not be taken into consideration 126 during evaluation of responses to this solicitation. Only Agreements Officers are legally authorized 127 to make commitments on behalf of the Government. 128

1.9. System for Award Management (SAM) 129

Offerors responding to any individual solicitation under this announcement must be registered 130 in the System for Award Management (SAM) at https://www.SAM.gov at time of response 131 and prior to any award. This includes completion of any required representations and 132 certifications. 133

1.10. Program Security Requirements 134

Award(s) resulting from this solicitation will contain a DD Form 254 DoD Contract Security 135 Classification Specification. Any offeror responding to the CSO must possess the minimum clearance 136 required by the DD Form 254 at the time of White Paper submission. Exceptions will only be granted 137 in accordance with federal law. 138

1.11. Requesting Access to the Offeror’s Library and Distribution of Documents 139

This solicitation includes an “Offeror’s Library” (see Section 9) with documents marked as 140 Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). The documents include CUI Categories Controlled 141 Technical Information (CTI) and Export Controlled (EXPT). In order to access the CUI documents 142 marked EXPT, the Offerors must possess an Active DD Form 2345 Militarily Critical Technical Data 143 Agreement searchable in the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Joint Certification Program (JCP) 144 Portal at https://www.dla.mil/logistics-operations/services/joint-certification-program/. Interested 145 offerors must have their Data Custodian email the following information to the Points POCs 146 identified above: 147

• Company name and official mailing address 149

• Data Custodian contact information (email and phone number) 150

• Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code 151

Offerors who do not possess an Active DD2345 will only have access to documents without a CUI 152 EXPT marking. In order to access the CUI documents in the Offeror’s Library, Offerors must have at 153 least a Computer Maturity Model Capability (CMMC) Level II Self-Assessment in Supplier 154 Performance Risk System (SPRS) at https://www.sprs.csd.disa.mil/. 155

The Offeror’s Library documents will be distributed to the requesting Offeror once the SCAR PMO 156 has verified its Data Custodian and SPRS score as described above. Documents from the Offeror’s 157 Library will be sent to eligible Offerors via the DoD Secure Access File Exchange (SAFE) website 158 https://safe.apps.mil/. DOD SAFE drop off email and passphrase allowing access and pick-up of 159 documents will be provided. Any previous Non-Disclosure Agreement(s) (NDAs) executed under the 160 SCAR Increment 1 Sources Sought will not be considered sufficient to request documents from this 161 solicitation’s Offeror’s Library. 162 https://www.sam.gov/ https://www.dla.mil/logistics-operations/services/joint-certification-program/ https://www.sprs.csd.disa.mil/ https://safe.apps.mil/

The Government reserves the right to negotiate and/or adjust any of the Offeror Library documents 163 prior to award. The Offeror Library will remain open until the due date for White Papers submission. 164

1.12. Submission Overview 165

• Submissions received after any due dates specified in the CSO will not be reviewed. 166

• The Government will not reimburse companies for the costs associated with submissions for 167 any phase. 168

• Submissions for all phases shall be sent electronically. Hardcopies for any phase will not be 169 accepted. 170

• Offerors shall appropriately and conspicuously mark each page of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 171 submissions that contain proprietary information the includes restrictions on disclosure and 172 use of the data. 173

This CSO is a Two Phase Closed Variant which will be conducted in two phases. Phase 1 is 174 structured to provide the Government with an initial White Paper for solutions while Phase 2 captures 175 proposal submission. The Government reserves the right to invite one, some, all, or none of the 176 Offerors to submit a proposal under Phase 2. 177 Phase 1: White Paper: Offerors submit a detailed technical white paper describing their innovative 179 solution addressing the specific AOI(s) selected. The PMO will utilize the DoD SAFE website 180 https://safe.apps.mil/ for the submission of Phase 1: White Papers by the date and time specified in 181 this solicitation. Vendors must request a drop off code from the POCs identified above no later than 182 three days before the response deadline. SAFE will no longer allow you to submit your response 183 without a drop off code. 184

Phase 2: Request for Proposals (RFPs) or Request for Prototype Proposals (RPPs): Offerors selected 185 from Phase1 are invited to submit a full, formal proposal. Phase 2 proposals will only be accepted 186 from Offerors who, upon review of Phase 1 submission, have received a request from the Agreement 187 Officer (AO). The PMO will utilize the DoD SAFE website https://safe.apps.mil/ for the submission 188 of proposals. Vendors must request a drop off code from the POCs identified above no later than 189 three days before the identified response deadline. SAFE will no longer allow you to submit your 190 response without a drop off code. 191

The Government encourages proposals that span a wide spectrum of possible technical and business 192 solutions in response to this Two Phase Closed CSO. Each AOI identifies a broadly defined 193 individual interest area covering the full range of program requirements. All submissions in response 194 to any AOI will be governed by this Two Phase Closed CSO. 195

Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) arrangements are highly desired by the PMO and will be maximized. Other 196 fixed-price type arrangements including fixed price incentives may be considered when supported by 197 risk analysis. 198

Upon favorable evaluation, the Government may choose to award an OTA for Prototype project as 199 deemed appropriate for the transaction. The Agreements Officer will negotiate directly with the 200

Offeror on the terms and conditions of the OTA, including payments, and will execute the OTA on 201 behalf of the Government. 202

This CSO is focused on the prototype project only. The decision to proceed with a follow-on 203 production award will depend on the successful results of the prototype and the availability of 204 funding. and the approval of a future acquisition strategy. A follow-on production award is not 205 guaranteed. 206

Awards resulting from this CSO will be made based on the process described in section 5, Evaluation 207 and Selection Process. The Government reserves the right to fund all, some, one, or none of the Phase 208 2 proposals submitted. All awards are subject to the availability of funds. 209

All coordination and communication between Offerors and the Government will be conducted as 210 specified in section 1.8, Communications and Points of Contact (POC). 211

2. SCAR PMO Specific Mission, Areas of Interest, and Problem Statements 212

2.1. Issuing Organization Mission 213

The SCAR program requires complete systems that are Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7-9 as 214 defined in the Department of Defense (DoD) Technology Readiness Assessment Guidebook 215 (February 2025). (Reference Tables 1 and 2 below). The SCAR Program Management Office (PMO) 216 requires modern Ground Entry Point (GEP) and Network Operations Center (NOC) capabilities to 217 revitalize the United States Space Force's (USSF) Satellite Control system. The SCAR program is 218 responsible for receiving requirements from end users and procuring solutions for fielding 219 modernized antennas to augment the USSF Satellite Control Network (SCN) which comprises the 220 legacy ground antenna architecture. To achieve this, the SCAR program acquisition consists of GEPs 221 and NOC capabilities that can provide robust Telemetry, Tracking, and Commanding (TT&C) to 222 support satellites across all orbital regimes. 223

2.2. SCAR PMO Specific Areas of Interest (AOI) and Problem Statements for this Solicitation 224

Offerors may submit White Papers for any number of Areas of Interest (AOIs); however, each White 225 Paper must address only a single AOI. Proposing to multiple AOIs requires separate submissions. 226 Areas of Interest (AOIs) and their Problem Statements are outlined below. 227

2.2.1. AOI 01: Rapid Fielding of Government Owned and Contractor Operated Commercial 228 TT&C Capabilities 229

The SCAR PMO is seeking innovative prototype solutions for the rapid, delivery, testing, and 230 operations that consists of GEPs with integration to a contractor furnished NOC system. Prototype 231 solutions must deliver GEPs to Government custody and ownership at designated Government 232 locations with one or more years of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Contractor Logistics 233 Support (CLS) and operations support. Solutions must be scalable for potential follow-on production 234 and provide a structured path to possible third-party CLS with a goal of transition to Government-run 235 TT&C operations. 236

Key capabilities include: 238

• The engineering modification of existing GEP designs 239

• Fabrication and delivery of the hardware to a Government site 240

• On-site installation and integration and physical asset transfer to Government custody 241

• The execution of OEM-led CLS (encompassing preventative/corrective maintenance, supply 242 chain/spares management, configuration control, documentation, and developmental 243 engineering support during both the prototype and operational phases) 244

• Standardized data delivery interfaces (e.g., Radio Frequency (RF) over Internet Protocol or 245 VMEbus International Trade Association-49 (VITA-49)) 246

• Application Programming Interface (API)-driven tasking interoperable with the Government 247 Antenna Broker, inclusive of contact scheduling and execution 248

• SCAR system anomaly resolution 249

Solution must be at TRL 7, 8, or 9, offering a clear development-to-production pathway suitable for 250 execution in accordance with section 3.3, and fully compliant with (or possessing a defined plan to 251 meet) federal physical and cybersecurity requirements (e.g., Risk Management Framework [RMF] 252 profiles) for deployment on Government property. 253 AOI 01 Problem Statement: Government-Owned & Contractor-Operated (GOCO) TT&C 255 Capabilities 256

Under the traditional acquisition model for TT&C capabilities, the Government struggles to rapidly 257 procure and field antennas on Government sites due to bespoke technical solutions, Government-led 258 maintenance, and limited funding. Furthermore, organic Government maintenance organizations lack 259 sufficient personnel, expertise, and rapid engineering reach-back needed to maintain diverse and 260 complex modern systems. 261

2.2.2. AOI 02: Exclusive Use Leased Commercial Antenna Capacity on Commercial Sites 262

The SCAR PMO is seeking innovative prototype solutions for dedicated, long-term, exclusive 263 Government leases of commercially owned, sited, maintained, and operated satellite TT&C systems. 264

Key capabilities include: 265

• Leasing of dedicated satellite TT&C systems (including apertures and NOC) 266

• Secure physical and logical hosting environments at established commercial ground sites 267

• Standardized data delivery interfaces (e.g., RF over IP or VITA-49) 268

• API-driven tasking interoperable with the Government Antenna Broker operations 269 inclusive of contact scheduling and execution 270

• SCAR system anomaly resolution 271

• Contractor-managed site selection with Government input 272

• Contractor-provided hardware maintenance and facility sustainment 273

Solution must be at TRL 7, 8, or 9, implement appropriate security controls to protect Government 274 data streams and system capabilities within the multi-tenant environment, and be readily deployable 275 to support rapid fielding initiatives in accordance with section 3.3. Solutions must demonstrate a 276 robust engineering and production capability and a viable commercial leasing business model. 277

AOI 02 Problem Statement : Leased Commercial Antenna Capacity 278

Securing dedicated tracking apertures to implement at sites required for robust global coverage often forces 279 the Government to stand up dedicated ground stations with prohibitive schedule impacts and significant 280 costs. This task limits the speed at which the SCAR network can scale geographically to 281 support Government satellite TT&C needs, especially obtaining spectrum licensing in foreign territories. 282

2.2.3. AOI 03: Antenna as a Service (AaaS) 283

The SCAR PMO is seeking innovative prototype solutions to provide a leased beam service that 284 enables resilient, on-demand, guaranteed level of service for satellite TT&C capabilities. The service 285 should utilize a fully commercial, multi-tenant ground station network that consists of a shared global 286 pool of physical antenna assets. The service can serve multiple independent customers through 287 secure, virtualized logical pathways. This will shift the Government from asset ownership to buying a 288 dynamic, capability-as-a-service model. 289

Key capabilities include: 290

• Guaranteed level of service for leased beams for a specified geographic region 291

• Dynamic, automated scheduling across a globally distributed commercial network 292

• Logical data isolation techniques to ensure secure concurrent tenant operations on shared 293 hardware 294

• Standardized data delivery interfaces (e.g., RF over IP or VITA-49) 295

• API-driven tasking interoperable with the Government Antenna Broker operations 296 inclusive of contact scheduling and execution 297

• System anomaly resolution 298

• High-reliability uptime verified by Service Level Agreements (SLAs) 299

Solutions must be a mature, commercial capability (TRL 8–9) operating on existing infrastructure, 300 implement appropriate security controls to protect Government data streams and system capabilities 301 within the multi-tenant environment, and be immediately fieldable in accordance with section 3.3. 302 Solutions must demonstrate proven commercial operational history within a command-and-control 303 model, established global network coverage, technical mechanisms used to prevent cross-tenant data 304 leakage or scheduling conflicts, clear pricing schedules, and a concept for providing a guaranteed 305 level of service (i.e., a fixed number of simultaneously available contacts in a specified region at 306 specified performance). 307

AOI 03 Problem Statement: Antenna as a Service (AaaS) 310

Space operations demand global, high-frequency satellite passes, yet owning and operating a globally 311 distributed physical network is financially burdensome. Shifting to commercial "shared" 312 networks alleviates the need to establish dozens of Government owned sites or dedicated leases. 313 However, shared networks also introduce cyber risks that must be mitigated such as multi-tenant data 314 leakage, scheduling conflicts, and software interoperability bottlenecks with the Government Antenna 315 Broker. 316

2.2.4. DoD Technology Readiness Assessment Guidebook (February 2025) Hardware TRL 317 Definitions (Table 1) 318

Solutions for innovative commercial products and technologies proposed for the AOIs above must 319 meet TRL levels 7-9 as defined in the tables below. If a system has been demonstrated to be TRL 7, 320 8, or 9, but requires a different subsystem or component to meet SCAR requirements, explain the 321 TRL of the new subsystem or component and how it will be integrated into the system. 322

TRL Definition Description Supporting Information 7 System prototype demonstration in an operational environment.

Prototype near or at planned operational system. Represents a major step up from TRL 6 by requiring demonstration of an actual system prototype in an operational environment (e.g., end-to-end satellite control demonstration).

Results from testing a prototype system in an operational environment.

8 Actual system completed and qualified through test and demonstration.

Technology has been proven to work in its final form and under expected conditions.

In almost all cases, this TRL represents the end of true system development. Examples include developmental test and evaluation of the system in its intended weapon system to determine if it meets design specifications.

Operational qualification testing results, developmental test & evaluation (DT&E) reports, and system specification compliance matrices.

9 Actual system proven through successful mission operations.

Actual application of the technology in its final form and under mission conditions, such as those encountered in operational tests and evaluation. Examples include using the system under operational mission conditions.

Operational test and evaluation (OT&E) reports, mission logs, sustainment records, and field operational data.

2.2.5. DoD Technology Readiness Assessment Guidebook (February 2025) Software TRL 324 Definitions (Table 2) 325

TRL Definition Description Supporting Information 7 System prototype demonstration in an operational, high-fidelity environment.

Level at which the program feasibility of a software technology is demonstrated. This level extends to operational environment prototype implementations, where critical technical risk functionality is available for demonstration and a test in which the software technology is well integrated with operational hardware/software systems. Critical technological properties, including cybersecurity, are measured against requirements in an operational environment.

Comparisons between tested environment and operational environment analytically understood. Analysis and test measurements quantifying contribution to system-wide requirements such as throughput, scalability, and reliability. Analysis of human-computer (user environment) began.

8 Actual system completed and mission qualified through test and demonstration in an operational environment.

Level at which a software technology is fully integrated with operational hardware and software systems. Software development documentation is complete.

All functionality and cybersecurity measures tested in simulated and operational scenarios. Published documentation and product technology refresh build schedule. Software resource reserve measured and tracked. All severity 1 and severity 2 defects are resolved/confirmed, and a reasonably low level of severity 3 defects remain open.

The software based on the technology is fully integrated with operational hardware/software systems.

All software documentation verified. Successful operational experience.

Sustaining software engineering support in place. Actual system.

Production configuration management reports. Defect resolution system and process is in place for deployed software to address defects discovered in production.

9 Actual system proven throu gh successful mission-proven operational capabilities.

Level at which a software technology is readily repeatable and reusable.

Sustaining software engineering support is in place with steady-state maintenance. Statistical evidence of software reliability, security, and performance under continuous operational deployment. Defect resolution rates and production configuration logs.

3. NOBLE Framework, Topic Area, and Authority Used for This Solicitation 326

3.1. The NOBLE MAA Framework 327

This Two Phase Closed Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) is a standalone solicitation issued 328 under the overarching Nimble Options for Buying Layered Effects (NOBLE) Multiple Authority 329 (MAA). The NOBLE MAA serves as the foundational, 5-year solicitation vehicle to rapidly acquire 330 and Announcement integrate “layered effects” across the Missile Defense System (MDS). It is a joint, 331 versatile vehicle allowing both the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and other Department of War 332 (DoW) components to rapidly pursue innovative solutions. 333

3.2. NOBLE MAA Topic Areas for This CSO 334

This CSO seeks proposals that address the following overarching Topic Area excerpted directly from 335 the NOBLE MAA. 336

Disruptive Technologies: The Missile Defense System shall incorporate mature, disruptive 337 technologies to rapidly field advanced capabilities. This effort prioritizes innovations ready for 338 immediate application or near-term transition, focusing on areas such as AI, directed energy, 339 hypersonic defense, resilient networking, and cybersecurity. This could include novel concepts in the 340 areas of satellite ground Telemetry, Tracking and Commanding (TT&C) capabilities, effectors, high-341 performance sensor algorithms, space-based tracking phenomenologies and discrimination, space-342 based off-board sensing concepts for weapons guidance and AI/machine learning (ML) for 343 space/ground applications. These technologies shall enhance the defense system's effectiveness 344 against rapidly evolving threats through enhanced situational awareness, rapid decision-making, and 345 effective response options. 346

This could also include rapid demonstration and prototype development of disruptive technologies to 347 accelerate the deployment and maintenance of a next-generation defense shield over the United 348 States. This effort, encompassing new system-level capabilities, component concepts, upgrades to 349 existing systems, and novel concepts of operation (CONOPS) across the entire kill chain, will focus 350 on enhancing the Government’s ability to deter and defend against any foreign aerial attack, 351 guaranteeing a secure second-strike capability. 352

3.3. CSO Statutory Authority and Follow-on Production Authority 353

As authorized by the NOBLE MAA, this solicitation utilizes CSO procedures to acquire innovative 354 commercial solutions. This CSO, conducted pursuant to 10 U.S.C. §3458 and DFARS 212.70-(Class 355 Deviation 2026-O0028), serves as the competitive procedure for the initial prototype project 356 selection. The Government intends to maximize the use of Prototype Other Transaction Agreements 357 (OTAs) under 10 U.S.C. § 4022. In accordance with 10 U.S.C. § 4022(f), the Government reserves 358 the right to award a non-competitive follow-on production contract or transaction to the participant(s) 359 in the transaction following the successful completion of a prototype project competitively awarded 360 under an OTA from this solicitation. The Government may award FAR-based firm-fixed price 361 contracts as a result of this solicitation. All innovative commercial products and commercial services 362 acquired under this CSO will be treated as commercial. 363

Under this Two Phase Closed Variant, the Government may award contracts resulting from proposals 365 received under Phase 2 to acquire innovative products, technologies, or services based on a review of 366 solutions by scientific, technological, or other subject matter expert peers within the SCAR program 367 management office (PMO). 368

3.4. DoW Policy Alignment 369

In accordance with the DoW Secretarial Memorandum dated November 7, 2025, this solicitation 370 executes a “commercial-first” acquisition strategy, prioritizing non-traditional defense contractors 371 and commercially derived innovations to bypass traditional bureaucratic barriers. 372

4. CSO Provisions and Additional Information 373

4.1. Data Rights 374

The Government intends to acquire only data rights necessary to satisfy agency needs. The specific 375 data rights required will be dependent on the AOI to which Offerors propose solutions. The Offeror’s 376 Library includes Use Cases that describe the anticipated operation of the SCAR system with external 377 systems and actors. Use Cases supplement the SCAR TRD in defining functional requirements for the 378 system. Offerors shall use the Use Cases when proposing data rights to the Government. For any 379 resultant OTAs, the Government will negotiate tailored IP and data rights terms, maximizing the use 380 of Specially Negotiated Licenses consistent commercial market practices. For any resultant FAR-381 based contracts, the Government will similarly seek to negotiate Specially Negotiated Licenses. 382 However; if the parties cannot reach an agreement, the Government will apply R-DFARS 252.227-383 7989 and R-DFARS 252.227-7990 as the default positions. 384

4.2. Foreign Participation: 385

Foreign participation may be considered, but subject to export control restrictions (ITAR/EAR), 386 national security considerations, and disclosure of any foreign ownership, control, or influence 387 (FOCI). The research and test data produced under a resultant contract or agreement may contain 388 information or technology whose export is restricted by the Export Control Act (22, U.S.C. § 2751, et 389 seq.) Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. § 4801 et seq.) Request certification and 390 registration from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Joint Certification Program (JCP) Portal at 391 https://www.dla.mil/logistics-operations/services/joint-certification-program/. 392

4.3. Non-Government Advisors 393

In order to review submissions resultant from any phase, CUI PROPIN information may be given to 394 Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC), Systems Engineering and Technical 395 Assistance (SETA), Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I), and/or Advisory and Assistance 396 Services (A&AS) contractors working for the Government. The Non-Government Advisors will have 397 signed a non-disclosure agreement with the Government prior to reviewing submissions. By 398 submission to any phase of this solicitation the offeror accedes to the terms of this provision. Any 399 https://www.dla.mil/logistics-operations/services/joint-certification-program/ objection to non-Government advisors reviewing information submitted in response to this 400 solicitation must be included in the Offeror submissions with the appropriate restrictive legends. 401

4.4. Organizational Conflicts of Interest 402

All Offerors shall fill out the Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) Mitigation Plan Checklist 403 provided in Section 8 and include a plan if applicable. 404

4.5. Non-Traditional Defense Contractor (NDC) Status 405

For awards executed as OTAs under 10 U.S.C. § 4022, the project requires one of the following: (1) 406 Significant participation by at least one NDC or nonprofit research institution; (2) All significant 407 participants are small businesses or NDCs; or (3) The Offeror provides at least one-third of the total 408 project cost from non-Federal funds. Offerors will be required to indicate their eligibility in their 409 formal Proposal. (See 7.2.4.1 Responsibility) 410

4.6. Government Furnished Property (GFP) Availability 411

GFP is not anticipated to be made available under any resulting contract or agreement, but a 412 determination regarding GFP will be made for each individual award. 413

For FAR-based awards: In accordance with RFO 45.201(b), the contractor is responsible for all costs 414 related to making the property available for use, such as payment of all transportation, installation, or 415 rehabilitation costs. 416

For OTA awards: If GFP is ultimately authorized, the specific property list, maintenance 417 responsibilities, and liability risk allocation will be custom negotiated and explicitly documented 418 within the terms of the resulting agreement. 419

4.7. Definitions 420

“Area of Interest” (AOI) means an announcement from this CSO which may result in the award of an 421 OTA or FAR-based contract. 422 “Commercial Solutions Opening” (CSO) is method for employing the prototyping authority 424 conducted pursuant to 10 U.S.C. §3458. 425 "Other Transaction for Prototype Projects” refers to the type of OTA that may be awarded as a result 427 of this CSO and associated AOIs. This type of OTA is authorized conducted pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 428 §4022 for prototype projects that are directly relevant to enhancing the mission effectiveness of 429 personnel of the Department of Defense or improving platforms, systems, components, or materials 430 proposed to be acquired or developed by the Department of Defense, or to improvement of platforms, 431 systems, components, or materials in use by the armed forces. 432

“Prototype Project” can generally be described as a proof of concept, model, or process, including a 434 business process, reverse engineering to address obsolescence, pilot or novel application of 435 commercial technologies for defense purposes, agile development activity, creation, design, 436 development, demonstration of technical or operational utility, or combinations of the foregoing. The 437 quantity should generally be limited to that needed to prove technical or manufacturing feasibility or 438 evaluate military utility. 439 “Nontraditional Defense Contractor” is defined in 10 U.S.C. § 3014 as an entity that is not currently 441 performing and has not performed, for at least the one-year period preceding the solicitation of 442 sources by the DoD for the procurement or transaction, any contract or subcontract for the DoD that 443 is subject to full coverage under the cost accounting standards prescribed pursuant to 41 U.S.C. § 444 1502 and the regulations implementing such section. 445 “Nonprofit Institution” means a nonprofit institution, as defined in 15 U.S.C. § 3703 as an 447 organization owned and operated exclusively for scientific or educational purposes, no part of the net 448 earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual. 449 “Small Business” is defined under Section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632). 451 “Innovative” means any technology, process, or method, including research and development (R&D), 453 that is new as of the date of the submission of a proposal, or any application that is new as of the date 454 of the submission of a proposal of a technology, process or method, existing as of such date. 455

5. Evaluation and Selection Process 456

5.1. General Information 457

This section describes the Evaluation Process, Factors and Technical Ratings used for Phase 1 White 458 Paper selection and Phase 2 proposal evaluation and award. 459 The Government will review each White Paper and ultimately select the Offeror(s) that have the 461 greatest potential to meet the needs of the SCAR Program technology requirements based on the 462 AOIs and their respective problem statements. 463 AOIs are written broadly to maximize latitude in creativity when approaching the SCAR PMO 465 technical requirements and to allow for maximum participation from commercial vendors who may 466 not be familiar with submitting proposals to Government solicitations. 467 Evaluation results for all criteria and factors will be fully supported by narrative findings. The 469 summary for the Price factor will assess the reasonableness of the proposed prices. The Evaluation 470 Team will adhere to the requirements, selection process, and criteria stated in the solicitation during 471 evaluation of proposals. 472 Relative Importance for Evaluation Factors: Technical and Importance to the SCAR Program 474 Requirements are equal primary evaluation factors. The Technical factor and Importance to the SCAR 475 Program Requirements factor, when combined, are substantially more important than Funds 476 Availability/Price. 477 Methods of Evaluation that may be used: scientific, technological, or other subject matter expert 479 peers within the program management office (PMO). 480

5.2. Interchanges 481

Interchanges with industry may occur during the evaluation and selection process. All such 482 interchanges with industry will be documented in the contract file. Interchanges with industry may 483 be through email, telephone, or face-to-face/virtual meetings. The Government Evaluation Team will 484 adhere to controls to preserve the integrity of the selection process, as described herein. 485

5.3. Evaluation Process 486

The Government will evaluate submissions in two phases. Phase 1 White Papers will be evaluated on 487 the basis of the merit of the proposed concept in addressing the AOI identified, not against other 488 White Papers submitted in response to the same AOI. All submissions will be evaluated; however, the 489 Government reserves the right to limit the number of Offerors invited to submit a Phase 2 proposal. 490 Progression from one phase to another, and ultimately to award, is at the sole discretion of the 491 Government, subject to review and evaluation results and availability of funds. As such, an Offeror’s 492 White Paper may be evaluated for merit but not invited to submit a Phase 2 proposal. The 493 Government may invite one, some, all, or none of the Offerors to submit a proposal in response to an 494

RFP/RPP. 495

With regards to Phase 2 proposals, Offerors will be notified that the Government may award all, part, 498 or none of the proposals received. This allows the SCAR PMO the flexibility to specifically negotiate 499 portions of the proposed effort or implement the most innovative aspects of proposals received. 500

5.4. Evaluation Factors 501

5.4.1. Phase 1 –White Paper Evaluation Factors 502

Phase 1 White Papers will be evaluated against the factors as defined below. These factors will be 503 used to identify White Paper submissions that demonstrate sufficient interest and technical merit 504 based on the AOIs and their Problem Statements to justify further consideration. The Government 505 will then determine if Phase 2 Proposals will be requested. 506

5.4.1.1. Technical 507

• The White Paper proposes a solution that is technically feasible, can be executed, and is 508 innovative. 509

• The White Paper includes a description of the effort that is aligned clearly with the selected 510

AOI. 511

• The White paper describes the benefits of the proposed approach. The White Paper identifies 512 and substantiates the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the proposed solution. 513

5.4.1.2. Importance to the SCAR Program Requirement 514

• The White Paper describes keys system performance specification metrics. 515

• The White Paper describes a manufacturing capacity and growth plan that clearly identifies 516 the state of the solution, the integration strategy, and the solution approach aligned with the 517 selected AOI. 518

5.4.1.3. Outcome 519

Based on the evaluation, Offerors may be: 520

• Invited to submit a Phase 2 proposal; 521

• Notified that the White Paper submission is selectable and being held for a future invitation to 522 submit a Phase 2 proposal; or 523

• Notified that the submission will not be pursued. 524

5.4.2. Phase 2 – Proposal Evaluation Factors 525

Phase 2 Proposals will then be evaluated against the factors as defined below. These factors will be 526 used to identify Proposal submissions that demonstrate sufficient technical merit based on the AOIs 527 and their Problem Statements to justify an award. 528

5.4.2.1. Technical 529

• The proposed SOW meets the requirements of the SOO, TRD, and addresses the key 530 capabilities identified in the AOI. 531

• The SOW demonstrates the ability to comply with applicable cybersecurity frameworks. 532

• The proposed architectural block diagram delivers the key capabilities of the selected AOI 533

• The proposal includes a realistic schedule that identifies dependencies and incorporates key 534 program milestones identified in the SOO. 535

5.4.2.2. Importance to SCAR Program Requirements 536

• The proposed hardware and software deliverables described in the SOW contribute to mission 537 need and alignment and meet the needs identified in the AOI description. 538

• The resources needed to execute the proposed solution are achievable and the proposed 539 solution can integrate into existing mission operations with manageable risk while minimizing 540 mission disruption. 541

• The data rights and IP proposed will satisfy the Government’s minimum data requirements 542 and objectives of the selected AOI. 543

• The proposed support requirements from the Government are feasible and executable. 544

5.4.2.3. Statement of Work (SOW) – 545

The SOW submission is not a separate Factor, but will be evaluated against both the Technical Factor 546 and Importance to SCAR Program Requirements Factor 547

5.4.2.4. Funds Availability/Price 548

The proposal demonstrates a fair and reasonable price. 549

5.4.2.5. Outcome 550

Based on the evaluation, the Government may: 551

• Select proposals for negotiation leading to award 552

• Fund all, some, part of, or none of the proposals 553

5.5. Technical Ratings 554

Phase 1 White Papers and Phase 2 Proposals will be evaluated against the Government’s factors for 555 technical merit to determine whether a White Paper or Proposal is Recommended, Selectable or Not 556 Selectable as defined below. 557

5.5.1. Recommended 558

The White Paper or Proposal demonstrates exceptional technical merit, outstanding operational 559 feasibility, or minimal integration risk to the SCAR program. The solution represents a highly mature, 560 logical, or robust approach that fully addresses the AOI and problem statement without requiring 561 significant technical maturation. 562

These White Paper submissions are recommended for immediate negotiation. These Proposal 563 submissions are recommended for award if sufficient funding is available, and they are normally 564 displaced only by other…