Call for Solutions for Maritime Body Armor Load Carriage Systems (M-BALCS) Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) Only
Closed Solicitation Posted
- Solicitation number
- W911QY-26-R-MBALCS
- Agency
-
ACC Aberdeen Proving Ground
Army Contracting Command, Department of Defense
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 315250 Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing (except Contractors)
- PSC
- 8465 Individual Equipment
- Place of performance
- Massachusetts 01760, United States
- Points of contact
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Department of the Army Materiel Command, Army Contracting Command Aberdeen Proving Ground, seeks innovative modular tactical protection and load-bearing systems for Maritime Body Armor Load Carriage Systems (M-BALCS) supporting Naval Special Warfare special operations, with Phase 1 white paper submissions due September 29, 2026 at 8:00 PM EDT. This procurement is a small business Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)-only set-aside restricted to entities meeting non-traditional defense contractor requirements under 10 U.S.C. 4022.
Place of performance is Natick, Massachusetts. The requirement encompasses two Body Armor Vest variants—Maritime Interdiction optimized for water-resistant mobility with 30–40 pounds buoyancy, and Littoral-Land designed for heavy combat loads with 60–75 pounds buoyancy—plus three mission-specific harnesses (Automatic Weapon, SEAL, and SWCC) and a full suite of interoperable Load Carriage System pouches and accessories. All components must integrate with legacy SPEAR systems, meet MultiCam/OCP compliance with VIS/NIR spectral reflectance standards, achieve emergency quick-release in 10 seconds (5 seconds objective), support single-operator donning within 30 seconds, withstand -50°F to 130°F operational temperatures and -50°F to 160°F storage, maintain 18-month service life, and deliver 300-pound drag handle capacity. Estimated procurement volume is 3,000 to 3,500 units.
Questions are due September 17, 2026. The Government employs a three-phase down-select: Phase 1 is Go/No-Go white paper screening (maximum 20 pages), Phase 2 involves demonstration days anticipated October 27–29, 2026, and Phase 3 requires prototype submission anticipated January 5, 2027. The Government anticipates awarding multiple Other Transaction Agreements that may transition to follow-on production contracts without further competition. All offerors must possess UEI registration in SAM, complete Affirmation of Business Status Certification, and submit organizational conflict of interest analysis. Berry Amendment compliance is required for production items. NAICS 315250; PSC 8465.
Notice text
3 versions
Update #3 · Latest ·
Added Attachment Attachment 0002 CFS QandA 20260922
Amendment 0001 - 09/14/2026; Call for Solutions for M-BALCS
Amendment 0002 - 09/22/2026; Call for Solutions for M-BALCS
09 SEPTEMBER 2026 CALL FOR SOLUTIONS
The Program Manager – Protection and Integration (PM-PI) is seeking new innovative solutions for the Maritime Body Armor Load Carriage System (M-BALCS). The requirement is for a modular tactical protection and load-bearing system that supports special operations across a full range of missions.
The Call for Solutions document (.pdf) and associated attachments, outlining the full problem statement and objectives, can be found in the Attachments section of this posting.
The Army Open Solicitation that this Call for Solutions is associated with can be found at: https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/923946ff85b94746be9249b5ed5f2fc7/view
Update #2 ·
Amendment 0001 - 09/14/2026; Call for Solutions for M-BALCS
09 SEPTEMBER 2026 CALL FOR SOLUTIONS
The Program Manager – Protection and Integration (PM-PI) is seeking new innovative solutions for the Maritime Body Armor Load Carriage System (M-BALCS). The requirement is for a modular tactical protection and load-bearing system that supports special operations across a full range of missions.
The Call for Solutions document (.pdf) and associated attachments, outlining the full problem statement and objectives, can be found in the Attachments section of this posting.
The Army Open Solicitation that this Call for Solutions is associated with can be found at: https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/923946ff85b94746be9249b5ed5f2fc7/view
Update #1 ·
09 SEPTEMBER 2026 CALL FOR SOLUTIONS
The Program Manager – Protection and Integration (PM-PI) is seeking new innovative solutions for the Maritime Body Armor Load Carriage System (M-BALCS). The requirement is for a modular tactical protection and load-bearing system that supports special operations across a full range of missions.
The Call for Solutions document (.pdf) and associated attachments, outlining the full problem statement and objectives, can be found in the Attachments section of this posting.
The Army Open Solicitation that this Call for Solutions is associated with can be found at: https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/923946ff85b94746be9249b5ed5f2fc7/view
Files
Similar open opportunities
| Opportunity | Agency | Set-aside | Responses due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Solutions Opening Tactical Maritime Survivability (TMS) and Target Vessel Embarkation Equipment (TVEE) | US Special Operations Command | No set-aside | |
| Multispectral Camouflage Overgarment | Marine Corps | Total Small Business |
On GovTribe
Work this opportunity
- Track it in your pipeline
- Find teaming partners
- Similar opportunities
- Ask GovTribe AI about this opportunity