Amendment 1_DRAFT CSO ANNNOUNCEMENT_FSN_7.7.2025 Draft.pdf

CUI

UNITED STATES ARMY

COMMERCIAL SOLUTIONS OPENING (CSO)

FOR

AVIATION TRAINING SOLUTIONS

W9113M25SC0060

****AMENDMENT #1****

02 JULY 2025

AMENDMENT DESCRIPTIONS

1. AMENDMENT #1 – The purpose of Amendment #1 is to provide a QR Code and Link to Section 5 – Point of Contact. This allows the ACC Contracting team to better capture, organize, and ensure thorough responses to all questions.

a. LINK: https://forms.osi.apps.mil/r/S7WiMJ7hpG

b. QR CODE:

https://forms.osi.apps.mil/r/S7WiMJ7hpG

Table of Contents

1. AUTHORITY

2. GENERAL INFORMATION

3. BACKGROUND

4. CSO APPROACH AND OVERVIEW

5. POINTS OF CONTACT

6. SUBMISSION INFORMATION

7. SUBMISSION PHASES AND EVALUATION PROCEDURES

8. BASIS FOR EVALUATION AND SELECTION

9. AWARD GUIDELINES & ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

10. DEFINITIONS

11. ATTACHMENTS

U.S. Army Contracting Command – Redstone Arsenal

1. Authority

Contracting Officers may acquire innovative commercial items, technologies, or services using a competitive procedure called a Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) in accordance with (IAW) 10 U.S.C. 3458. Under a CSO, the Department of Defense (DoD) may competitively select proposals received in response to a general solicitation, similar to a broad agency announcement, based on a review of proposals by scientific, technological, or other subject-matter expert peers. Use of a CSO IAW DFARS Subpart 212.70 is considered to be a competitive procedure for the purposes of 10 U.S.C. 221 and FAR 6.102. Finally, Contracting Officers shall treat items, technologies, and services acquired using a CSO as commercial products and commercial services. Contracts or agreements under this authority shall be fixed-price, including fixed-price incentive fee contracts.

Awards issued under this CSO include but are not limited to the following award instruments:

FAR contracts under FAR Part 12 Commercial Procedures; any fixed price, or fixed price incentive contract type specified under FAR Part 16; and non‐FAR agreements such as transaction agreements under 10 U.S.C. 4022 and 10 U.S.C. 4023; for the Army and/or its customers that are directly relevant to enhancing the effectiveness of training, curriculum development, integration of innovation in training methodologies, demonstration of capabilities and evidence of mastery of basic aviation operation abilities to support Army modernization priorities and improve readiness.

The Army intends to select the vendor whose solutions demonstrate the greatest potential to achieve its missions. This CSO is maximizing the following existing authorities, either as a single authority or a combination of the authorities below:

10 U.S.C. §4022 – Authority of the Department of Defense to carry out certain prototype projects 10 U.S.C. §4023 – Procurement for Experimental Purposes 10 U.S.C. §3458 – Authority to acquire innovative commercial products and commercial services using general solicitation competitive procedures / DFARS 212.70 – Defense Commercial Solutions Opening

Offerors are informed that ONLY a warranted Army Contracting/Agreements Officer (not a Contracting Officer Representative or other personnel) may contractually bind the Army. The Army shall not be obligated to pay for work performed by an Offeror unless a warranted Contracting/Agreements Officer has signed an agreement in writing agreeing that the Army shall pay. The Army does not fund preparation of solution briefs/proposals, or support work efforts or tasks that are inferred from discussions with technical project officers.

2. General Information

Issuing Agency: U.S. Army Contracting Command – Redstone Arsenal

Agencies Capable of Issuing Contracts/Agreements: U.S. Army Users and all other DoD organizations.

Period of Availability: This CSO will remain open until canceled by the U.S. Army (Army). Calls for Solutions will specify individual response times and requirements.

Description of Program: This solicitation aims to support the Army Mission by delivering commercially innovative solutions to fill capability gaps in the means and methods of training aviators for the U.S. DoD.

Federal Agency Name and Contracting Officer Address: Army Contracting Command – Redstone Arsenal. Bldg. 5303, Sparkman Complex, Redstone Arsenal, AL 35898

3. Background:

The Army has identified the following needs: (1) to rapidly train and qualify aviators in all platforms; (2) to transform aviation training to improve pilot proficiency by using the latest commercial practices and technology; and (3) to grow the aviation industrial base to better support the Army. This solicitation aims to provide the Army with access to innovative solutions enabling the Army to evolve quickly and maintain a competitive edge over adversaries.

4. CSO Approach and Overview

Applicable NAICS Code and Associated Description:

NAICS Description 611512 FLIGHT TRAINING (Primary)

488190 OTHER SUPPORT ACTIVITIES FOR AIR TRANSPORTATION

541611 ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT AND GENERAL

MANAGEMENT CONSULTING SERVICES

611430 PROFESSIONAL AND MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT TRAINING

611519 OTHER TECHNICAL AND TRADE SCHOOLS

Commercial Solutions Opening Type: This is the initial announcement. This will be an Open CSO wherein the Army will establish two pathways for response from industry: Through submissions against the defined Areas of Interest (Attachment 001), or through direct response to individual Calls for Solutions posted on the Government Point of Entry.

Classified Information: Access to unclassified sensitive or classified information is not anticipated for awards under this CSO. Offerors are encouraged to submit unclassified responses to simplify and expedite reviews and responses by the Army.

Proprietary Information: Solution briefs, presentations, and proposals containing data that is not to be disclosed to the public for any purpose or use by the Army except for evaluation purposes shall include the following general disclaimer on the cover page:

“This [select one: solution brief, Presentation, or Proposal] includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the government, except to non-government personnel for evaluation purposes, and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed - in whole or in part

- for any purpose other than to evaluate this submission. If, however, an agreement is awarded to this Offeror as a result of - or in connection with - the submission of this data, the government shall have the right to duplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent agreed upon by both parties in the resulting agreement. This restriction does not limit the government's right to use information contained in this data if it is obtained from another source without restriction. The data subject to this restriction are contained in sheets [insert numbers or other identification of sheets]”

Recommend marking (header or footer) for portions of business plans and/or technical information that are to be protected for a period of five years from FOIA disclosure. Codified at 5 U.S.C. §552, FOIA provides that disclosure of certain types of information (i.e. trade secrets and commercial or financial information) is not required, and may not be compelled, for five years after the date on which the information is received by the Department of Defense.

NOTE: Foreign-Owned businesses may independently submit a solution or do so as part of a teaming arrangement with one or more United States-owned businesses. However, the ability to obtain an agreement based upon a submission may depend upon the ability of the Foreign- Owned business to obtain necessary clearances and approvals to obtain prescribed information.

Commercial Items: All items, technologies, and services acquired using a CSO will be treated as commercial items. The Army encourages proposals that span a wide spectrum of possible technical and business solutions. The Army reserves the right to award any combination of proposals which offer the best overall value to the Army.

SAM.gov: All coordination and communication between offerors and the Army will be conducted using (www.sam.gov).

Notice of Funding: No funds will be awarded at the CSO level. All funding will be provided at the time of award, regardless of the pathway pursued.

5. Points of Contact:

Questions regarding the content of this CSO must be addressed to the provided LINK or QR CODE.

http://www.sam.gov/

a. LINK: https://forms.osi.apps.mil/r/S7WiMJ7hpG

b. QR CODE:

The Contracting Officer for this action is Michael A. Metje; work phone: (520) 674-7936, email: michael.a.metje.civ@army.mil.

6. Submission Information:

There are two methods for responding under this CSO: (1) Area of Interest submissions and (2) Calls for Solution submissions. Submissions against the Areas of Interest shall be submitted to the POC listed for that area of interest. Calls for Solutions will have POC information and submission instructions provided within the announcement.

Method 1 - Area of Interest (AOI) Provides a flexible and open-ended opportunity for industry partners to submit solution briefs addressing any of the identified Area of Interests. This aspect of the Open Solicitation is designed to identify and bridge gaps in mission-critical capabilities by inviting innovative solutions from the private sector. The purpose is to encourage a wide range of responses that can enhance and support the example areas, fostering collaboration and leveraging cutting-edge technologies and methodologies to meet evolving operational needs.

Offerors shall follow the procedures outlined in Section 7 when providing a submission to an AOI.

Method 2 - Call for Solutions (Call) Provides an opportunity for industry partners to submit innovative solutions in response to a DoD issued Call for Solutions under any Area of Interest. Calls for Solutions aim to pinpoint and address critical gaps in essential capabilities by welcoming creative proposals from private sector entities. The Calls for Solutions will identify how to submit a response as well as specific timelines for that requirement.

7. Submission Phases and Evaluation Procedures

The following procedures shall be used to assess and evaluate all submissions under Method 1, described above. The evaluation and assessment procedures for submissions under Method 2 are intended to follow the same overall structure but may differ depending on the nature of the solution. Please read the specific evaluation and assessment procedures for each Call for Solutions for specific procedures and timelines.

Phase I: Solution Brief & Quad Charts https://forms.osi.apps.mil/r/S7WiMJ7hpG mailto:michael.a.metje.civ@army.mil

Offerors shall submit a Quad Chart and Solution Brief consisting of the following:

i. A Quad Chart that includes the information indicated in Attachment 002.

ii. A Solution Brief that conforms to and follows the instructions in Attachment 003

iii. The Army will assess the merits of the Quad Chart and Solutions Brief using the evaluation methodology specified in Section 8, “Basis for Evaluation and Selection,” below.

iv. All offerors providing Phase I submissions will be contacted by the Army via email with one of the following messages:

a. the proposed solution brief/quad chart is not of interest to the Army,

b. a request to provide a Phase II Presentation, or

c. a request to submit a Phase III Commercial Solutions Proposal.

Phase II: Presentation (unless bypassed) Some Offerors’ Solution Briefs and Quad Charts may be selected for further consideration and are invited to provide a live presentation (Attachment 004). The Army reserves the right to limit the number of Offerors invited to make presentations. As such, an Offeror’s solution may be selected for further consideration, however not invited to present. The Army will not pay Offerors for costs associated with live or virtual presentations, unless otherwise stipulated.

The Army reserves the right to record live presentations. The Army also reserves the right to bypass Phase II in its entirety.

Phase III: Written Commercial Solution Proposal (CSP) Offerors whose Solution Briefs are selected for further consideration may be invited to submit a written CSP (Attachment 005). At a minimum the written CSP shall fully describe the technical solution, the program management approach in executing the solution, a discussion on how the solution is innovative or fills an AOI, a price proposal complete with any supporting documentation, and any other aspects necessary for the Army to fully assess the written CSP.

Additional Evaluation Phases The Army reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of Evaluation Phases. Based upon the nature of the AOI or the Call for Solutions, there may be the need for additional evaluation, inspection or validation before selection determination.

8. Basis for Evaluation and Selection

The Army intends to evaluate the submissions to determine which proposed solutions have the potential to best meet the Army’s needs utilizing the evaluation criteria below.

i. Technical Merit: The Army will evaluate the Technical Merit of an Offeror’s submission.

Technical merit is defined as having relevance to the AOI or the Call and/or provides an innovative approach. The Offeror’s approach shall demonstrate the ability to scale and be determined to be feasible and achievable. In addition, the Army must find or determine the approach and/or underlying technology to be a compelling solution.

ii. Schedule: The Army will evaluate the feasibility of the Offeror’s proposed solution/concept project schedule and maturity path.

iii. Affordability: The Army will evaluate the submission for affordability.

Selection into the next Phase will be based on the criteria listed below, Army need, and funding availability.

Based on the evaluation, the Solution Brief will be categorized as either:

a) Recommended for Further Consideration,

b) Selectable, but Not Recommended or

c) Not Selected for Further Consideration.

Recommended for Further Consideration: The submission has been determined to be of technical merit, represents a feasible schedule, is considered reasonable and the Offeror is considered award eligible.

Selectable, but Not Recommended: The submission has been determined to potentially be of technical merit, it possibly represents a feasible schedule, is considered reasonable and the Offeror is considered award eligible.

Not Selected for Further Consideration: The submission does not represent the necessary degree of technical merit, or it does not present a feasible schedule, the price is not considered reasonable, and/or the Offeror’s award eligibility does not warrant further consideration.

Offerors selected for further consideration may be invited to participate in the next Phase, subject to the availability of funds. The Army anticipates that AOI may routinely receive more submissions than resources to award. All compliant submissions will be fairly evaluated, however; only select presentations and proposals with the most compelling solutions will be invited to Phase II and/or Phase III. The Army reserves the right to limit the number of Offerors invited to Phase II and/or Phase III. As such, an Offeror’s solution may be evaluated and selected for further consideration, however; not invited to Phase II and/or Phase III.

Debriefing: Debriefs for submissions against Method 1 may be requested. Debriefs are intended to be informative and provide insight into the solution submitted. Debriefing instruction for submissions against Method 2 shall be specified in the Call for Solutions.

9. Award Guidelines & Eligibility Requirements

Upon favorable review of technical merit and importance to agency programs, the Army anticipates a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) and/or Firm Fixed Price Incentive (FFPI) award in accordance with FAR Part 12 Acquisition of Commercial Items or other authorities such as 10 U.S.C. 4022 or 10 U.S.C. 4023. The Contracting Officer reserves the right to negotiate directly with the Offeror on the terms and conditions prior to execution of the resulting contract or agreement, including payment terms, and will execute the contract or agreement on behalf of the Army.

a. Award eligibility requirements.

i. An Offeror shall be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior with a

Unique Entity ID (UEI) and prior to submitting their Solutions Briefs and Quad Charts.

Offerors are advised to commence SAM registration upon responding to a Call for Solutions or AOI announcement.

ii. An Offeror must also register in the prescribed Army invoice system (ex. Wide Area Work Flow) within 10 days of the award.

iii. The proposed solution must meet all the technical requirements and schedules as requested by the Army.

iv. An Offeror must be determined to be responsible by the Contracting Officer and must not be suspended or debarred from award by the Federal Government nor be prohibited by Presidential Executive Order and/or law from receiving an award.

b. Security Clearances. If awarded a contract or an OT under the procedures of this open solicitation, the Offeror will be responsible for providing personnel with appropriate security clearances to ensure compliance with Government security regulations. The Offeror shall fully cooperate on all security checks and investigations by furnishing requested information to verify the Offeror employee's eligibility for any required clearance.

The Offeror's proposed solution (e.g., data, integration with supporting DoD Infrastructure, architecture) will determine the personnel security clearance and/or facility clearance requirements for the prototype effort. The Government will provide additional details regarding the personnel security clearance and/or facility clearance requirements in the appropriate Phase.

c. Security Requirements and Classification. Responses under this open solicitation shall be unclassified. Any security requirements and security classification specifications will be determined and requested at the appropriate phase in Section 4 above. If the Offeror requires classification, please contact the email identified in CSO Base Document, Section 5 – Points of Contact.

d. Offeror Incurred Evaluation Costs. As specified in CSO, the Government will not reimburse Offerors for any costs incurred while participating in the open solicitation process.

Additionally, the Government will not consider the costs associated with participating in open solicitation process, as allowable charges and such costs shall not be included within the ROM or any pricing information.

e. Payment Obligations. All payment obligations of the Government shall be subject to receiving appropriations from Congress for the purpose, time, and amount of the obligation.

NOTE: The Army reserves the right to amend this CSO as necessary. Offerors should monitor (www.sam.gov) for amendment postings to this CSO.

10. Definitions

i. “Commercial Solutions Opening” (CSO) is a competitive procedure contracting officers may use to acquire innovative commercial items, technologies, or services.

ii. “Commercial Solution Proposal” (CSP): is a commercial proposal that is submitted in response to an Area of interest or Call for Solutions that is governed by a CSO. CSPs may be requested as a result of solution briefs and/or presentations/presentations.

iii. “Innovative” means —

a. any technology, process, or method, including research and development, that is new as of the date of submission of a proposal; or

b. any application that is new as of the date of submission of a proposal of a technology, process, or method existing as of such date.

11. Attachments:

- Attachment 001: Areas of interest

- Attachment 002: Quad Chart Template

- Attachment 003: Solutions Brief Format and Instructions

- Attachment 004: Presentation Format

- Attachment 005: Commercial Solution Proposal Format http://www.sam.gov/