RFI NAWCAD Acquisition Strategy

The Department of the Navy issued a Request for Information on May 12, 2026, to solicit industry recommendations on Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) service acquisition improvements, with responses due June 19, 2026. The RFI targets four primary areas: optimizing outcome-based contracting through measurable performance criteria and requirement type assessment; reducing government contract administration workload by identifying top drivers of internal burden and recommending mitigation actions; accelerating contract award timelines and reducing protests by pinpointing delay drivers and proposing PALT reduction strategies; and driving competition by identifying barriers for non-traditional defense contractors and small businesses, alongside solicitation process improvements and lifecycle competition approaches including on-ramping strategies for multi-award IDIQs. NAWCAD also seeks input on unintended industry impacts, contract vehicle definitions, and faster evaluation methods such as Highest Technically Rated Offer and Rack and Stack procedures. Respondents should submit electronically by June 19, 2026. Selected respondents may be invited to conduct reverse pitch briefs to the NAWCAD acquisition workforce later in the fiscal year. All feedback will be treated as anonymous in reporting.