Sources Sought: Evaluation-Driven Artificial Intelligence (AI) Development and Delivery Support for Mission-Critical Data Workflows

The Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), under the Department of the Navy Naval Sea Systems Command, is seeking evaluation-driven, mission-aligned artificial intelligence applications and systems designed to accelerate analyst workflows in areas critical to national security. This Sources Sought announcement (N61331-26-SN-Q18) is a market survey for information purposes only and does not constitute a formal request for proposals or a commitment to award a contract. The requirement encompasses two primary areas: production and delivery of a phased AI delivery program including model development, data collection and training, establishment of model evaluation scores, development of cold-start evaluators, extension to additional mission threads, creation of finalized deployment packages, and mission-aligned data ingestion with pipeline design; and support services including integration and testing, government personnel training, technical data support, and repair and maintenance. Interested companies must submit responses to Ryan Hodges, Contract Specialist, at ryan.t.hodges.civ@us.navy.mil by March 31, 2026 at 1500 CT, with the announcement number N61331-26-SN-Q18 as the email subject line. The government has explicitly stated that telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions.

This opportunity carries no set-aside designation, though the government reserves the right to consider 8(a) competitive or other small business set-asides based on responses received. The work represents a continuation of SBIR Phase III contract FA259520D0001, indicating an existing contractor relationship in this space. The NAICS code 541511 (Custom Computer Programming Services) applies, with an SBA size standard of $34 million annually, and responses should not exceed 10 pages in length. Interested companies must provide company information including CAGE code, business size, SAM registration, DUNS number, years in business, and point of contact details. While no specific award value or budget range is disclosed in this pre-solicitation notice, the phased nature of the AI delivery program and the continuation of prior SBIR Phase III work suggest a substantive, multi-year engagement with significant development and integration requirements.