W9132T26SC001_ Final Solicitation.pdf

Engineer Research and Development Center Construction Engineering Research Laboratory

Commercial Solutions Openings (CSO) Solicitation Number: W9132T26SC001

SECTION A: Introduction

The Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) is issuing a Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) pursuant to DFARS 212.70.

Under a CSO, the ERDC-CERL may competitively select proposals received in response to a general solicitation, similar to a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), based on a review of proposal by scientific, technological, or other subject matter expert peers within the ERDC. This CSO will be used to acquire innovative products, services, or technologies, and under this CSO, all products, services, and technologies shall be treated as commercial items. Products, technologies, and services do not have to be “commercially available” to be submitted in response to this solicitation. If the solution meets the requirements of the DFARS regulation, the solution is treated as commercial whereby the Contracting Officer will utilize commercial procedures to develop and execute the resultant award. The regulation states that Contracting officers may use a CSO:

To obtain innovative solutions or potential capabilities that fulfill requirements, To close capability gaps, or provide potential innovative technological advancements; and

When meaningful proposals with varying technical or scientific approaches can be reasonably anticipated.

The term “innovative” is defined as; 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.

This CSO contains broadly defined Areas of Interest (AOIs) that describe aspects of the CERL mission, however more specific individual program requirements (IPRs) may be added in the future. The CERL intends to obtain “innovative” solutions that fulfill requirements, close capability gaps, or provide potential technology advancements within the Areas of Interest (AOIs) advertised. Solutions may include existing technologies or procedures that are not currently in use that would enhance or streamline their mission capabilities. The AOIs are intentionally broad in nature, generally have no known funding specifically available, and will be posted under this CSO on an open-continuous basis for one (1) year from the date of original posting. Any IPRs that are posted under the authority of this CSO, will specifically describe the desired end result, offer additional context for the needs that seek solutions, provide a funding profile, and will stipulate a specific due date for solutions.

AOIs for the current annual posting are listed below, with the broad description details included in Attachment 1.

Materials and Structures – Sustainable Engineered Wood/Mass Timber/Bio-Structural Building Solutions

Materials and Structures – Bio-Based Building Insulating/Finishing Solutions

Installation Energy – Energy and Water Efficiency and Security

Warfighter Engineering – Advanced Methods and Designs for Additive Construction

Warfighter Engineering – Robotics for Engineering Operations

Operational Energy

Training Lands and Heritage – Natural Infrastructure Condition Assessment and Lifecycle

Management Optimization

Sustainment Management System – Facility and Infrastructure Lifecycle Investment Optimization

This CSO will utilize a 2 Step Process for proposal review and selection for award:

Step 1: This announcement is being issued to solicit solution briefs ONLY. The purpose of the solution brief submissions is to identify potential partners that may have promising solutions relative to the Areas of Interest specified herein. An offeror that describes a promising solution may be asked questions regarding their solution via email or requested to virtually attend a solution pitch with the Government project team. The Government reserves the right to move straight to Request for Proposal (RFP) based on solution brief only. Further, an offeror’s inability to accept an invitation to provide a solution pitch does not preclude them from receiving an RFP.

Step 2: If a solution is selected and funding is available, the Government will issue an RFP. If a solution is selected and funding is not available, the Government may request that the solution be maintained in the electronic library for consideration and subsequent funding availability up to three years after submission. If a solution is not selected, the offeror will be notified generally within 30 days of submission.

SECTION B: Instructions for Preparation and Submission of Solutions

The following section outlines the solution submission requirements and timelines.

All resultant contracts will be firm-fixed price. All items, technologies, and services (including research and development) procured via this CSO are treated as commercial. The Contracting Officer must determine the price fair and reasonable prior to award. CERL is conducting this CSO on a full and open basis and intends to award contracts in accordance with FAR part 12 and the FAR part that is deemed most appropriate for the solution proposed (i.e., FAR part 13, 15, and/or 35); the government reserves the right to award prototype agreements (e.g. Other Transaction Agreements), in accordance with 10 U.S.C.

§2371b, if deemed appropriate and in the government’s best interest.

Note: The Government reserves the right to not select a solution for award if it omits any of the required information below.

Solution Volume/Section Requirements/Limitations COVER LETTER • Maximum of 2 pages when printed.

Must Include:

i. Area of Interest for which solution is submitted

ii. Solution Team Member Names

iii. Solution “Validity” Date

v. Authorized Offeror Representative or

Point of Contact(s)

vi. An overview of the company, as it relates to the Area of Interest under which the proposed solution is submitted

vii. Offeror’s SAM.gov Cage Code or UEI VOLUME I – TECHNICAL • Solution brief shall not exceed 5 pages when printed

• Pitch/Slide deck shall not exceed 15 Slides

• OPTIONAL: Up to five-minute video clip to narrate or demonstrate the proposed Solution

VOLUME II – PRICE

Must include:

i. Proposed price(s)

ii. Proposed Delivery Date or Period of

Performance (suggest structuring as # of months after award as opposed to hard start and stop dates)

• No page limit

• Flexible quantities or pricing options should be provided to maximize the ERDC- CERL’s ability to award with available funding.

• Awards for supplies will be delivered Freight on Board (FOB) Destination

**Note: Submitted documents shall not contain any classified data or sensitive information and proprietary information shall be clearly marked.**

**Note: All prices shall be valid for a minimum of 90 days after response date.

To limit confusion, all proposal volumes must use the following naming convention:

• Solution-CoverLetter-<CompanyName>.pdf

• Solution-Brief-<CompanyName>.pdf

• Solution-PitchDeck-<CompanyName>.pdf

• Solution-Price-<CompanyName>.pdf

Technical Volume

The technical volume shall include a solution brief, a pitch/slide deck, and an OPTIONAL video clip to narrate or demonstrate the proposed solution that is no longer than 5 minutes in length. The technical volume will be reviewed holistically and there are no set format requirements for these documents. It is recommended (but not required) that more detailed information is included in the solution brief and higher-level information is included in the pitch deck.

The technical volume should address the technical importance to agency program factors: how the proposed solution is innovative and the feasibility of the solution solving the agency’s challenge(s), including examples demonstrating possible application of the proposed innovation or existing use of the solution in the commercial marketplace.

The quality of the video submissions will not factor into the government’s feedback. The government encourages low-cost video production, such as cell phone videos.

Video Submission Instructions – If you choose to submit a video as part of the technical volume, video submissions must be posted to a video hosting website that is accessible for the government. Videos may be marked public or private. The vendor must provide a link and password (if marked private) for the government to access the video submission. The government will not provide access to the vendor’s video outside of the government evaluation team without the permission of the vendor. Do not provide a shortened URL, such as YouTube.

Technology Concept and Company Capability

Offerors shall provide the following information in sufficient detail to allow the Government to assess their capability to support the proposed solution.

• Offerors shall describe the unique aspects of their proposed solution as it “relates” to the Area of Interest.

• The proposed solution shall not repeat the Areas of Interest/Topics or contain the contents of the solution brief pasted into slides, but rather provide convincing evidence that the proposed solution will meet the Government’s need.

The following examples of convincing evidence are strongly encouraged –

a. Authentic company URL or web address.

Note: The Government may elect to use the information provided as part of its continuous market research. However, the government is not obligated to use the URL or web address as part of its evaluation process to determine the Selectee or Awardee.

b. Summary of product commercialization currently used in the open market.

c. Pictures, diagrams, models, or figures to depict the essence of the proposed solution.

SAM Registration It is critical that offerors are registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), https://sam.gov/;

you will not be eligible for an award if not registered in SAM. Additionally, entities are required to be registered to receive contracts (not just assistance awards) and that your address from the solution matches your registration in SAM.

• When registering in SAM.gov, be sure to select ‘YES’ to the question ‘Do you wish to bid on contracts?’ in order to be able to compete for this CSO. Also be sure to complete both the FAR and DFARS portions of the representations and certifications section of the SAM registration.

If you are only registered to compete for grants, you will be ineligible for award.

• Please double check your CAGE code and UEI number to be sure they line up, if they are not correct at the time of submission, you may be considered ineligible for award.

Ask Me Anything (AMA) Due to the large amount of expected interest in this CSO, and to maintain a written record of questions, the CERL will be accepting individual questions through the ERDCWERX portal by using their Question Submission Form. The questions and answers will be published and regularly updated on the ERDCWERX Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.

Solution Submission

For your solution to be evaluated for a possible contract award, it must be submitted via the electronic form; submissions will be accepted through 5PM CST, 30 October 2026. A hardcopy will not be accepted. Offerors may submit solution amendments any time prior to the deadline.

Amended proposals will be considered a complete replacement of any previously submitted content.

Please ensure that the email address listed in your proposal is current and accurate. Please contact us by emailing info@erdcwerx.org to share details of changed email address and/or company points of contact after proposal submission.

When a submission is made, a confirmation email will be sent by the ERDCWERX portal to the email address supplied in the submission form.

**Notes: Offerors are responsible for ensuring that ALL Amendments to this solicitation are reviewed carefully prior to submitting a proposal.

SECTION C: Procedures and Criteria for Selecting Solutions

ERDC-CERL will generally utilize a one-step evaluation process, and in some rare cases may request a second step that would require a virtual or in-person pitch or demonstration.

ONE-STEP CSO Evaluation Process – Direct Full Solution Request (No Live Demo)

Evaluation of offeror’s proposed solution: The CERL technical team will conduct its evaluation based on three factors: technical, importance to agency programs, and funds availability.

• The technical factor will assess how innovative the solution is (as defined in this announcement) and the feasibility of the solution solving the agency’s challenges.

• The importance to agency programs factor will assess the solution’s potential to enhance the mission effectiveness of the agency.

• The funds availability factor will assess the availability of funding to procure the solution.

The government may not have funds available for every proposal that is deemed ‘selectable’ as it relates to the ‘technical’ and ‘importance to agency program’ factors. In the event there are insufficient funds to fund all ‘selectable’ proposals, the government has broad discretion in selecting the proposals it chooses to fund.

Based on the results of the evaluations, the CERL may send the offer an official request for full solution letter, which wall include a request for further details or documents prior to award (i.e., contractor self-developed Performance Work Statement (PWS), project milestone and delivery details… etc.) A PWS is similar to a Service Level Agreement (SLA) used in the commercial marketplace. The PWS shall detail the proposed work to be completed during the period of performance, deliverables, etc. As many solutions will likely be performed/provided at military installations, the Government will provide the applicable security requirements to be included in any award. As appropriate, the Government may engage in a collaborative process to develop the PWS, deliverables, data rights, and necessary terms and conditions for the award.

NOTE: PWS shall not contain classified data or sensitive information. Proprietary information shall be clearly marked.

NOTE: IF the proposed value of the full solution is valued at more than $900,000, and the offeror entity is not a small business, the solution will need to include a subcontracting plan prepared in accordance with FAR 19.704.

Price Reasonableness Determination: Price shall be considered to the extent appropriate, but at a minimum, the Contracting Officer will use market research as the primary method to determine that the price is fair and reasonable. The Government may elect to use external market research in the evaluation of the proposal. The CERL must determine the price fair and reasonable prior to award using the procedures at DFARS subpart 212.209. In some circumstances, the Contracting Officer may request information from the offeror regarding recent purchase prices paid by the Government and/or commercial customers for the same or similar items.

TWO-STEP CSO Evaluation Process (If applicable) – CERL reserves the right to request a virtual or in-person demonstration.

Step One: Evaluation of offerors’ proposed solutions: The evaluation criteria for a two-step process is the same as the one-step process: technical, importance to agency programs, and funds availability. Price reasonableness determination is also the same.

Step Two: Virtual or In-Person Demonstration: Offerors invited to participate in a two-step CSO Evaluation Process (Demo Day) will receive an invitation that will provide all the details for the demonstration session, request for additional information, as well as the time and date that the demo will be conducted. Offerors selected for Demo Day will have an opportunity to demonstrate (Virtually or In- Person) their solution to evaluators. The demonstrations will be evaluated using the same factors as the initial evaluation: technical, importance to agency programs, and funds availability.

After offerors demonstrate their solution to evaluators, to the greatest extent practicable, offerors will be notified if they were selected for an award immediately following their demo. Same as in the one-step process, offerors proposing service-based solutions will be required to provide a contractor self-developed PWS prior to award.

Note: The CERL reserves the right to award to an offeror even if they are unable to demonstrate due to unexpected circumstances or circumstances beyond its control.

Site Visits/Product Demonstration Site visits may be conducted at the discretion of the contracting officer throughout the solicitation and solution submittal/evaluation process. The purpose of the site visit is to:

i. Allow contractors and government to discuss their concerns while observing the product demonstration.

ii. Allow the government to determine whether the products can satisfy its needs as identified in the Area of Interest/Solicitation.

The site visit shall not be construed as a guarantee for award, and the government shall not bear any of the contractor’s costs for the site visit.

Note: During any step of the CSO, the CERL may send questions or comments for the offerors to address via email or during Demo Day.

SECTION D: Areas of Interest and Individual Program Requirements See Areas of Interest and specific Individual Program Requirements for this CSO by visiting https://www.erdcwerx.org/construction-engineering-research-laboratory-cso/

Note: The Areas of Interest and Specific Individual Program Requirements are subject to change at any time during the open continuous period. Revisions or additions of Areas of Interest may be made on a monthly, quarterly, or as needed basis.

SECTION E: AWARD

All resultant contracts will be firm-fixed price. All items, technologies, and services (including research and development) procured via this CSO are treated as commercial. ERDC is conducting this CSO on a full and open basis and intends to award contracts in accordance with FAR part 12 and the FAR part that is deemed most appropriate for the solution proposed (i.e., FAR part 13, 15, and/or 35).

FAR / DFARS clauses will be integrated into contracts on a case-by-case basis based on proposed scope.

Additional terms and conditions may be required as circumstances necessitate; examples of such would be data rights, security, R&D, educational institutions, etc.

The government does not plan to engage in the debrief process outlined in FAR part 15, but will provide feedback to unsuccessful offerors as appropriate and at its discretion.

Award may be made using any appropriate vehicle (e.g., FAR-based contracts and Other Transactions) in accordance with applicable authorities that are effective at the time of the award.