Defense Innovation Unit Commercial Solutions Opening
Special Notice Posted
- Solicitation number
- HQ0845-20-S-C001
- Agency
-
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Department of Defense
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- PSC
- 9999 Miscellaneous Items
- Points of contact
-
- DIU Acquisition Directorate acquisition@diu.mil
- info@diu.mil
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), operating under the Office of the Secretary of Defense, released a Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) solicitation (HQ0845-20-S-C001) on January 13, 2020, with subsequent amendments including one effective March 13, 2026. This special notice announces a competitive, open-ended opportunity available for five years that invites both nontraditional and traditional defense contractors to submit innovative commercial technologies and prototype projects. The CSO seeks solutions that enhance military mission effectiveness and support the development or improvement of platforms, systems, components, or materials used by the Department of Defense and Armed Forces. The solicitation emphasizes innovation broadly defined as any new technology, process, business practice, or novel application of existing solutions that contributes to global peace and U.S. national security. Interested parties are directed to the DIU website at diu.mil/work-with-us for detailed information and to monitor updated Areas of Interest with limited submission windows.
The CSO operates through a three-phase competitive evaluation process: Phase 1 requires submission of solution briefs (maximum five pages or fifteen slides) aligned with posted Areas of Interest by specified deadlines; Phase 2 involves pitch presentations with rough order of magnitude pricing and schedules for selected companies; and Phase 3 culminates in full proposal submissions from qualified companies for direct negotiation by an Agreements Officer. All contractors must be registered in SAM and the Government invoicing system prior to award, with prototype projects capped at 24 months in duration. The opportunity is open to nontraditional defense contractors, nonprofit institutions, small businesses, and foreign-owned entities subject to applicable clearance restrictions, and companies may participate independently or through teaming arrangements. Awards will be issued as Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) without cost reimbursement for submission phases, and successful prototypes may transition to follow-on production contracts without further competition. The solicitation encourages companies with current or developmental innovative solutions to visit the DIU website frequently, as submission periods for solution briefs are limited and Areas of Interest are subject to updates.
Notice text
3 versions
Update #3 · Latest ·
The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is interested in awarding funding agreements (Agreements) to nontraditional and traditional defense contractors to carry out prototype projects that are directly relevant to enhancing the mission effectiveness of military personnel and the supporting platforms, systems, components, or materials proposed to be acquired or developed by the Department of Defense (DoD), or to improvement of platforms, systems, components, or materials in use by the Armed Forces of the United States.
As such, DIU hereby announces the release of their streamlined Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO). This CSO is seeking proposals for innovative, commercial technologies that accelerate attainment of asymmetric defense capabilities. In this context, innovative means any new technology, process, or business practice, or any new application of an existing technology, process, or business practice that contributes to the sustainment of global peace and U.S. national security. This CSO is considered a competitive process, intended to ensure that competitive procedures are used to the maximum extent practicable when entering into Agreements to carry out these prototype projects.
Interested parties with current or new/developmental innovative technological solutions or enhancements are highly encouraged to visit the DIU website to obtain more information regarding the process of presenting their solutions to DIU and the potential for securing said Agreements under this CSO. Topic Areas of Interest (AoI) will be posted on the DIU website and may be updated at any time. Please note that the submission period for solution briefs under the identified AOI's will be open for a limited period of time, so check the DIU website for updates frequently. DIU's website is: https://www.diu.mil/work-with-us
Update #2 ·
The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is interested in awarding funding agreements (Agreements) to nontraditional and traditional defense contractors to carry out prototype projects that are directly relevant to enhancing the mission effectiveness of military personnel and the supporting platforms, systems, components, or materials proposed to be acquired or developed by the Department of Defense (DoD), or to improvement of platforms, systems, components, or materials in use by the Armed Forces of the United States.
As such, DIU hereby announces the release of their streamlined Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO). This CSO is seeking proposals for innovative, commercial technologies that accelerate attainment of asymmetric defense capabilities. In this context, innovative means any new technology, process, or business practice, or any new application of an existing technology, process, or business practice that contributes to the sustainment of global peace and U.S. national security. Agreements will be sought under an open (available for five (5) years), competitive (solution brief/demonstration followed by proposal) CSO. This CSO is considered a competitive process, intended to ensure that competitive procedures are used to the maximum extent practicable when entering into Agreements to carry out these prototype projects.
Interested parties with current or new/developmental innovative technological solutions or enhancements are highly encouraged to visit the DIU website to obtain more information regarding the process of presenting their solutions to DIU and the potential for securing said Agreements under this CSO. Topic Areas of Interest (AoI) will be posted on the DIU website and may be updated at any time. Please note that the submission period for solution briefs under the identified AOI's will be open for a limited period of time, so check the DIU website for updates frequently. DIU's website is: https://www.diu.mil/work-with-us
Update #1 ·
The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is interested in awarding funding agreements (Agreements) to nontraditional and traditional defense contractors to carry out prototype projects that are directly relevant to enhancing the mission effectiveness of military personnel and the supporting platforms, systems, components, or materials proposed to be acquired or developed by the Department of Defense (DoD), or to improvement of platforms, systems, components, or materials in use by the Armed Forces of the United States.
As such, DIU hereby announces the release of their streamlined Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO). This CSO is seeking proposals for innovative, commercial technologies that accelerate attainment of asymmetric defense capabilities. In this context, innovative means any new technology, process, or business practice, or any new application of an existing technology, process, or business practice that contributes to the sustainment of global peace and U.S. national security. Agreements will be sought under an open (available for five (5) years), competitive (solution brief/demonstration followed by proposal) CSO. This CSO is considered a competitive process, intended to ensure that competitive procedures are used to the maximum extent practicable when entering into Agreements to carry out these prototype projects.
Interested parties with current or new/developmental innovative technological solutions or enhancements are highly encouraged to visit the DIU website to obtain more information regarding the process of presenting their solutions to DIU and the potential for securing said Agreements under this CSO. Topic Areas of Interest (AoI) will be posted on the DIU website and may be updated at any time. Please note that the submission period for solution briefs under the identified AOI's will be open for a limited period of time, so check the DIU website for updates frequently. DIU's website is: diu.mil/workwithus
***THIS CSO DOES NOT SUPERSEDE DIU CSO HQ0845-19-S-C001 PUBLISHED ON APRIL 2, 2019***
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| DIU_CSO_Amend_0001_HQ0845-20-S-C001.pdf | ||
| DIU CSO HQ0845-20-S-C001.pdf | ||
| DIU CSO HQ0845-20-S-C001.pdf |
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