CALL FOR SOLUTIONS AMENDMENT 1

MODERNIZED PAINT LINE IN SOD

Project Number PANRSA-26-P-0000 040601

Army Open Solicitation (AOS) Number W9124P-26-S-C001

Call for Solution Title Modernized Paint Line in SOD

Issued By Army Contracting Command – Redstone Arsenal (ACC-RSA) Redstone Services & IT Solutions Branch

(CCAM-CAC-B)

Submission Instructions To respond to this Call for Solution, please refer to Sections 7 of this Call for Solution

*Solutions Briefs Due Date/Time (Suspense)

16 September 2026 at 12:00 PM Central Standard Time (CST)

Points of Contract (POCs) for Solution Brief Submission:

Contracting Officer: Stephanie Dillon Contract Specialist: Benjamin Hymas Email: usarmy.redstone.acc.mbx.acc-rsa-advm-cso@army.mil

NOTE: Please advise the cognizant Contracting Officer and Specialist as soon as possible via the emails above if your organization intends to submit a Solution Brief in response to this Call for Solution.

*Any submissions that are received by the Contracting Officer after the suspense date/time listed above will be deemed late and not evaluated. It is the sole responsibility of the company to ensure that its submission is received in the email inboxes listed above before the deadline specified.

This Call for Solutions may result in the Government awarding Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) contracts In Accordance With (IAW) Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) Subpart 212.70 – Defense Commercial Solutions Opening. Any contract awarded under this Call for Solutions shall be a fixed-price type contract.

mailto:usarmy.redstone.acc.mbx.acc-rsa-advm-cso@army.mil mailto:usarmy.redstone.acc.mbx.acc-rsa-advm-cso@army.mil

1. BACKGROUND.

Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) is a military industrial Depot specializing in overhaul and fabrication of military assets, which may include application of paint (pretreatment, primer, and/or topcoat) on certain assets. Workload is generally subject to the robust requirements of various Military Specifications.

TYAD seeks to automate and modernize its existing paint conveyor line. Currently, two booths exist within the conveyor line for application of primer, followed by topcoat.

There is also an oven for forced cure operations. TYAD utilizes the paint conveyor line for hanging and processing large batches of small parts, however, the painting operations within the line are manual (application by technician). Automation of the paint operations within the conveyor line can provide benefits within the areas of quality, safety, environmental, and efficiency.

This CSO encourages participation from nontraditional defense contractors, industrial automation firms, and companies developing emerging technologies.

2. PROBLEM STATEMENT.

The paint conveyor line at TYAD is currently run manually, and is lacking in the advantages that modern, automated technology can furnish.

The benefits of implementing automation within this operation include reduction of employee exposure to hazardous chemicals, increased quality of final products, increased throughput, decreased operational costs, and increased efficiency, which may account for reduction in the use and emission of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

An appropriate solution would incorporate automated painting operations within the existing conveyor line, a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) platform to oversee and control all paint conveyor line operations, records keeping capability, automated alarming, user access levels, Safety features (to include appropriate electrical systems), and more. Automated operations must be able to consistently produce coatings which meet or exceed Military Specifications.

For the purposes of this CSO, “paint” shall, at a minimum, refer to the application of a primer followed by a topcoat. Application of spray-on pretreatment prior to primer application within the automated line may also be desired within the scope of this Call.

All equipment and processes must be designed to minimize Safety and Environmental concerns and should take into account Local, State, and Federal laws and regulations (e.g. EPA, DEP, OSHA, and NFPA regulations).

3. DESIRED SOLUTION OBJECTIVES

The Government seeks a comprehensive, fully functioning solution consisting of a suite of hardware, automated parts handling equipment, and open-architecture SCADA software to perform all aspects of automated paint application, curing, and automated shop operations. Proposing vendors are expected to provide a complete solution that includes the design, chemical-safe electrical design (Class I, Division 1, Groups C-D), hardware procurement, installation, validation, systems integration (conveyor and oven), and operator training necessary to achieve a fully automated end state.

To allow for maximum procurement flexibility, scalability, and modular implementation, the technical requirements are structured around a unified COTS SCADA control platform capable of managing individual, automated painting lines and digital process recipes. Offerors must propose solutions addressing the complete automated overhaul of the Paint Conveyor Line, as described in Section 3.1.

3.1. General Requirements

a. Automation of Paint Conveyor Line: Operation of conveyor line (to include painting operations, paint kitchen, fluid delivery system, movement of the conveyor system, and oven operation) must be automated to the fullest extent possible/practicable.

b. Interoperability with Existing Infrastructure: System must be able to control and monitor existing equipment (conveyor system, oven, ect.). If interoperability with existing equipment is not possible/practicable, appropriate replacements must be sourced which will be compatible with other existing equipment/materials (such as the paint chemistries, plumbing and electrical facilities, ect.).

c. Hardware and Software: Solution to include software and hardware components, as required for control of paint conveyor line operations. To the extent possible, new hardware and software must be compatible with existing infrastructure (electrical facilities, ect.)

d. SCADA Platform: A SCADA platform must be available for control and overview of conveyor line operations. The SCADA system must be built upon a widely supported, Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) open-architecture platform (e.g., Inductive Automation Ignition, AVEVA, or equivalent). The system must prioritize configuration over custom-coded software to ensure long-term, vendor-agnostic supportability and ease of modification by TYAD personnel.

e. Multiple Coating Capability: Ability to select from multiple primers and topcoats for various paint system combinations. At a minimum, options for three primers and six topcoats may be desired. Coating chemistries may vary, with the most common being epoxy, polyurethane, and polysiloxane coatings. Application of these coatings through the automated system must not require excessive thinning.

f. Handling of Multi-Component Paints: Automated portioning and proper mixing of multi-component (up to 2-component) paints at the point of use without fouling or destruction of paint lines due to gelling/curing within the lines and without excessive waste. Mixing procedures must not affect upstream unmixed components that may be attached to the system in the paint kitchen.

g. Self-Cleaning: Functionality of the automated paint system to clean itself when switching to a different paint and in preparation for shut-down (to avoid cure within the equipment/lines during idle times).

h. Automated Alarming: Alarms and alerts must be built into the system to notify the operators in the event of equipment failure or parameters outside their setpoint range.

i. User Access Levels: Functionality must be tiered to restrict certain operations to select personnel.

j. Access for Adjustment of Parameters: System must have the ability for ad hoc adjustment of automated parameters (such as paint thickness range).

k. Final Coating Quality: The system must exercise automated, precise control over the paint thickness during application. The final coating must be free of paint defects, including but not limited to blisters, misses, holidays, amine blushing, fish-eyeing, ect.

l. Paint Kitchen/Fluid Delivery: Design must include a paint kitchen with hook-ups for multiple paints including multi-component paints, as well as a fluid delivery system from the paint kitchen to the point of application.

m. Safety and Environmental Features: All equipment and processes must be designed to minimize Safety and Environmental concerns and should take into account Local, State, and Federal laws and regulations. Reference Table 1 in Appendix A.1 for more information. Equipment and processes must not interfere with existing Safety and Environmental equipment (e.g. ventilation systems).

Physical and remote Emergency Stops must be available. Lockout-tagout procedures/features to be included. Automatic shut down operations if dangerous conditions build.

n. Electrical Systems: All electrical must be explosion proof and able to be operated in an area that processes Class I, Division 1, Groups C through D chemicals, as defined in NFPA 70.

o. Coating Compliance: Automated operations must be able to consistently produce coatings which meet or exceed Military Specifications. Specifications include, but are not limited to MIL-DTL-53022, MIL-DTL-53039, MIL-PRF-23236, MIL-PRF- 24635, and MIL-PRF-22750.

p. Maintenance Manual: Reference material must be provided with detailed breakdowns of the system (hardware and software) for the purpose of system maintenance.

q. Size: Design must accommodate parts with an approximate maximum envelope of 48” X 40” X 12” and weighing less than 100 lbs.

r. End State Functionality: A fully functioning automated system that does not require outbound, external communication for autonomous communication.

System will be connected to the enterprise Industrial Control Network to allow for communication between components.

Desired Attributes:

a. Transfer Efficiency: High desire to maximize transfer efficiency in order to minimize waste of hazardous materials and emissions.

b. Automated Robotic Paint Path Creation: System ability to automatically and flexibly develop paint sequences (movements required for painting parts) unique to the configuration of part(s) loaded onto the conveyor without requiring input of three-dimensional Computer Aided Design (CAD) model data.

c. On-Going Support: A plan for continued support after the system is operational.

Support may include: on-site troubleshooting, recommendations for substitution of obsolete parts used in the system, technical questions, system updates, correction of bugs/glitches, ect.

d. Materials Availability: Where possible, use of modular, commercial-off-the-shelf, and/or open-source components may be desired. Use of readily available parts without known obsolescence is highly desired. Obsolescence/life-cycle plans with requirements for substitution may be desired.

4. AWARDING INSTRUMENT

The Government anticipates awarding a FAR-based, Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) contract as a result of this Call for Solutions. This Call for Solutions will utilize Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) procedures. Use of a CSO in accordance with Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) subpart 212.70 is considered to be a competitive procedure for the purposes of 10 U.S.C. chapter 221 and RFO FAR subpart 6.101.

5. CALL INSTRUCTIONS AND NOTES

5.1 Overview of Submission Phases

This Call for Solutions utilizes a multi-phased evaluation approach:

a. Phase 1 - Solution Brief: Interested vendors submit a concise written brief outlining their proposed capability, integration approach, and commercial viability.

Vendors must propose solutions addressing the complete automated paint conveyor line and highlight how their control and hardware baseline natively scales to future paint shop expansion requirements.

b. Phase 2 - Pitch (If Invited): Selected vendors from Phase 1 may be invited to provide a virtual or in-person pitch and technical discussion with Government subject matter experts.

c. Phase 3 - Request for Solution Proposal (RFSP) (If Invited): Highly rated vendors from Phase 2 will receive a formal RFSP to submit a full technical and price proposal.

5.2 General Notes:

a. Offerors are reminded that all awards are subject to the availability of funds and the Government reserves the right to make multiple awards, a single award, or no award as a result of this Call.

b. Only a Contracting Officer has the authority to enter into, modify, or execute a binding instrument on behalf of the United States Government. All payment obligations are subject to Congressional appropriations.

c. In order to be eligible for award, offerors must:

i. Possess a Unique Entity ID (UEI) and be registered in the System for

Award Management (SAM) prior to award, and maintain active registration throughout the period of performance.

ii. Register in the prescribed government invoicing system (e.g., Wide Area

Work Flow).

iii. Accurately represent their small business size and status as required.

iv. Be determined responsible by the Contracting Officer and not be suspended, debarred, or otherwise prohibited from receiving an award.

v. Disclose any actual or potential Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCIs) to the Contracting Officer prior to award.

d. Offerors are responsible for monitoring SAM.gov for any amendments or updates to this Call.

e. Notice to Offeror(s): The Government reserves the right to cancel this open Call, either before or after the closing date. If the Government cancels this open Call, the Government has no obligation to reimburse an offeror for any costs.

6. SOLUTIONS SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

6.1 Phase 1 – Solution Brief

6.1.1 Phase 1 – Solution Brief Content

To be considered for evaluation and potential selection under this Call for Solutions (CfS), offerors must submit a complete Phase 1 package (collectively referred to as the 'Solution Brief') consisting of two (2) separate PDF files: (1) Attachment 1: Quad Chart, and (2) Attachment 2: White Paper.

ATTACHMENT 1: QUAD CHART FORMAT

Project Title:

Company Name:

Objective & Description Graphic or Illustration

Objective: (1-2 sentence description of the goal.) Description of Effort: (Brief description of the proposed solution and method.)

Commerciality: (Brief statement on why this is a commercial solution)

(Insert a compelling photograph, diagram, or graphic illustrating the concept or technology.)

Benefits & Challenges Execution Plan

Benefits: (Brief statement on the advantages of the proposed solution over current practices.)

Challenges: (Bulleted list of key technical or commercial hurdles.)

Maturity: (Description of the current maturity of the concept/technology, e.g., TRL/MRL.)

Major Goals & Milestones:

Bulleted list of key milestones Deliverables: (e.g., study, report, proof of concept) Proposed Funding: ($) Period of Performance:

Contact Info: (Name, Email, Phone)

ATTACHMENT 2: WHITE PAPER FORMAT

The White Paper shall be no more than five (5) pages, 8.5 x 11 inches, with one-inch margins, single-spaced, using 12-point Times New Roman font. It should expand on the information in the Quad Chart and include the following sections:

1. Project Title, Offeror, and Area of Interest or Call for Solutions #:

2. Executive Summary: A brief overview of the project/solution, technology, and expected outcome.

3. Description of Effort: A detailed explanation of the proposed solution, the technical approach, the work to be performed, and why this is commercial in nature.

4. Benefits to the Army: An analysis of how the proposed solution meets Army needs and provides a significant improvement over existing capabilities.

5. Technical Challenges: A discussion of potential risks and a mitigation strategy.

6. Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM): An estimated cost and schedule for a potential prototype project/solution.

7. Corporate and Personnel Qualifications: A brief summary of the company's capabilities and the qualifications of key personnel.

8. Data Rights: A preliminary identification of any intellectual property, technical data, or computer software the offeror intends to furnish with restrictions on the Government's right to use, release, or disclose it.

Solutions Briefs shall include the following at a minimum:

a. Title Page (does not count against page limit)

i. Company Name, Title, Date, Point of Contact Name, E-Mail Address, Phone, Address, and Call reference number. If registered in SAM.gov, include the Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code and Unique Entity Identification (UEI) code.

ii. Specifically identify the Call for which the Solution Brief is submitted.

b. Executive Summary (one page)

i. Provide an executive summary of the technology. Provide a brief overview of the proposing company and the proposed turn-key solution, clearly confirming that the proposal covers a complete, unified automated solution for the entire paint conveyer line (including all automated painting systems, fluid delivery/paint kitchen equipment, and COTS SCADA capabilities), and briefly stating how the open-architecture design supports future growth and process modification.

c. High-Level Technology Solution/Concept

i. Describe the unique aspects of your solution/concept and its relevance to the respective Call/Topic.

ii. Explain whether the solution/concept is innovative and/or a potential capability.

iii. Describe how your proposed solution/concept solves a capability gap/problem and/or provides innovative technological advancements.

iv. Detail how the proposed equipment, fluid delivery systems, and SCADA platform meet the baseline elements in Section 3.1. Describe your high-level approach to project management, logistics, physical setup (including electrical integration complying with Class I, Division 1, Groups C-D safety standards), and site acceptance testing for the paint conveyor line and curing oven. Explicitly describe how your proposed design remains modular and utilizes a Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) open-architecture platform to ensure long-term adaptability and vendor-agnostic support.

v. Facility & Utility Requirements: Clearly state any specialized power, exhaust, plumbing, structural, or compressed gas requirements necessary for operation beyond standard utilities.

vi. Outline the capabilities and scalability of the solution/concept.

vii. Describe the benefits of your solution/concept as it applies to the respective Call/Topic.

viii. Explain how the proposed technical approach is feasible, achievable, and supported by a technical team with the expertise and experience to accomplish the proposed solution/concept.

ix. Commercial Viability & Schedule: Describe the commercial readiness (TRL/MRL) of the proposed equipment, estimated lead times for installation, and your strategy to provide ongoing lifecycle support.

d. Company Viability

i. Provide a brief overview of the company. Include a summary of current fundraising to date or a summary of top-line (gross sales/revenues).

ii. If CSO, provide a summary of product/solution commercialization and go-to-market strategy.

e. Intellectual Property Statement/Agreement/Disclosures (does not count against page limit)

i. As needed, include a separate disclosure for each company that would be a participant in the solution/concept.

The Government may be unable to evaluate the Solution Brief if a Company fails to provide the information requested above.

6.2 Phase 2 Oral Presentation / Demonstration (At Government’s Discretion) Offerors whose White Papers are evaluated as meritorious may be invited to provide an oral presentation and/or demonstrate their solution to a panel of Government subject matter experts. This provides an opportunity to elaborate on the technical approach and business viability. The Government is not required to hold a Phase 2 evaluation and may proceed directly to Phase 3.

6.3 Phase 3 Request for Solution Proposal (RSP)

Offerors who are successfully evaluated in the preceding phases may be invited to submit a formal, full written proposal in response to an RSP. The RSP will provide detailed instructions for the technical, price/cost, and contractual portions of the proposal. An award may be made upon a favorable evaluation of the full proposal.

7. EVALUATION CRITERIA

7.1 Phase 1 – Solution Brief Basis of Evaluation

During Phase 1, the Government will evaluate Solution Briefs based on the following criteria, listed in descending order of importance:

a. Technical Merit: The degree to which the proposed solution effectively, modularly, and cohesively addresses the automation, paint kitchen, fluid delivery, and COTS SCADA requirements for the physical paint conveyor line across the baseline elements in Section 3.1. This includes evaluating the solution’s design modularity, utilization of a Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) open-architecture SCADA platform, self-cleaning efficiency, and ease of multi-component paint mixing to ensure a highly adaptable system that Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) personnel can modify and maintain with minimal lifecycle disruption

b. Schedule and Integration Approach: The feasibility and practicality of the vendor’s strategy for project management, collaborative site layouts, equipment delivery, physical installation, safety integration, and system acceptance.

c. Company Viability and Support: The vendor's demonstrated capacity to successfully manage complex systems integration, provide comprehensive training, and deliver sustainable support (including perpetual licensing structures).

(Note: Price is not evaluated in Phase 1 but will be a factor in Phase 3 for invited offerors).

7.2 Phase 1 – Solution Brief Selection Process

Based on the evaluation, the Solution Brief will be categorized as Selected for Further Consideration, or Not Selected for Further Consideration.

The selection of one (1) or more submissions into the next Phase will be based on the criteria listed above and funding availability. Solution Briefs considered not to have (1) sufficient merit or relevance to the topic, (2) a Government need, or (3) funds are not expected to be available, the submission may be declined without further review.

a. Selected for Further Consideration: The submitted Solution Brief has been determined to be of technical merit, represents an innovative solution, has achievable schedule, and viable maturity pathway. As such, the Government intends to invite the Company to participate in next phase should funding be available.

b. Not Selected for Further Consideration: The submitted Solution Brief does not represent either the necessary degree of technical merit, technical innovation, or relevance to agency priorities to warrant further proposal effort or consideration.

The Army anticipates Topics may routinely receive more Solution Briefs than resources to award. All submissions will be fairly evaluated, however, only select Solution Briefs will be invited to Phase 2 and/or Phase 3. The Government reserves the right to limit the number of Companies invited to Phase 2 and/or Phase 3. As such, a Company’s solution may be evaluated to be of merit but not invited to Phase 2 and/or Phase 3.

Solution Briefs that are chosen for Phase 2 and/or Phase 3 will be notified in writing as soon as practicable. The Government reserves the right to bypass Phase 2 into Phase 3 to request a formal proposal should funding be available.

8. ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST (OCI)

Offerors must identify any potential Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI) with their submission. If an offeror believes a potential OCI exists, they must submit a mitigation plan along with their Phase 1 Solution Brief.

9. SECURITY AND COMPLIANCE

All Contractor personnel performing under this requirement must comply with TYAD installation security policies and OSHA guidelines.

a. AT/OPSEC: Standard Army Antiterrorism (AT) and Operations Security (OPSEC) clauses will be incorporated into the final award.

b. Information Security: The Contractor will not require access to classified information to perform this work. All technical data generated or handled under this effort will be Unclassified / Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

10. APPENDICES

A.1 Regulations Table 1: List of Relevant Regulations*

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

NFPA 1 Fire Code

NFPA 10 Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers

NFPA 13 Standard for Installation of Sprinkler Systems

NFPA 30 Flammable and Combustible Liquid Code

NFPA 33 Standard for Spray Application Using Flammable or Combustible Materials

NFPA 34 Standard for Dipping, Coating, and Printing Processes Using Flammable or Combustible Liquids

NFPA 70 National Electrical Code

NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code

NFPA 79 Electrical Standard for Industrial Machinery

NFPA 101 Life Safety Code

Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC)

UFC 3-600-01 Fire Protection Engineering for Facilities

UL Solutions

UL 508A Standard for Industrial Control Panels

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

ANSI/A3 R15.06 Industrial Robots and Robot Systems – Safety Requirements

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

OSHA 1910.94 Ventilation

OSHA 1910.107 Spray Finishing using Flammable and Combustible Materials

OSHA 1910.212 General Requirements for All Machines

*List is not exhaustive. Additional regulations may be relevant and referenced during the evaluation and potential execution of the proposed automation solution. No attempt is made to list Local, State, or Federal Laws which may be relevant.