These awards mark a significant step in expanding the NRO’s access to cutting-edge multi-phenomenology remote sensing capabilities, including electrooptical (EO), hyperspectral imaging (HSI), and radio frequency (RF) to enhance NRO’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance mission. The SCE CSO represents a flexible, industry-aligned acquisition model designed to rapidly integrate commercial technologies such as EO, HSI, radar, RF, and Light Detection and Ranging.

Building on the success of prior SCE efforts, this initiative features a rolling five-year proposal window, enabling the NRO to engage a diverse range of providers—including emerging startups and non-traditional innovators—without fixed deadlines. These partnerships accelerate the delivery of operational capabilities to the NRO and its interagency partners, ensuring resilience and adaptability in a rapidly evolving global landscape.

“These awards underscore the NRO’s commitment to leveraging the best of commercial innovation to stay ahead of emerging challenges,” said Pete Muend, director of the NRO’s Commercial Systems Program Office. “By combining multi-phenomenology data from providers like EarthDaily, ICEYE, and Pixxel, we can deliver more comprehensive, timely insights for national security, environmental monitoring, disaster response, and humanitarian efforts.”

Commercial providers receiving awards include EarthDaily for daily global EO coverage, ICEYE for RF capabilities, and Pixxel for HSI. These selections highlight NRO’s commitment to dismantling traditional barriers and fostering efficient pathways for industry engagement. An alternate acquisition approach to Broad Agency Announcements, CSOs can be used to acquire innovative commercial items, technologies, or services that directly meet NRO requirements. The first NRO CSO contract awards were announced Feb. 10. The CSO complements existing SCE Broad Agency Announcements and does not replace them, instead expanding the NRO’s toolkit for agile acquisitions. Budget permitting, the NRO anticipates additional awards later in 2026 to further diversify its multi-phenomenology portfolio and address evolving mission gaps.

Source: NRO

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“The NRO is always looking for innovative ways to bring on new partners,” Dr. Chris Scolese, director of the NRO, said. “The CSO is a flexible contracting mechanism that enables us to bring in new ideas and technologies. This helps ensure we have access to the latest technologies to advance our mission.”

Companies receiving awards include HEO for non-Earth imagery, SatVu for medium wave infrared imagery, and Sierra Nevada Corporation for RF capabilities. These selections highlight NRO’s commitment to dismantling traditional barriers and fostering efficient pathways for industry engagement.

An alternate acquisition approach to Broad Agency Announcements, CSOs can be used to acquire innovative commercial items, technologies, or services that directly meet NRO requirements. NRO released the final request for proposal for this CSO in July 2025, marking a first for NRO Commercial Systems Program Office (CSPO) and introducing an opportunity to reach a broader marketplace that leverages non-traditional providers. The CSO includes a two-stage awards process: the first stage focuses on modeling and simulation, while the second focuses on assessing on-orbit capabilities and growing operational products to support mission needs. Budget permitting, NRO anticipates issuing additional awards later this year to expand these multi-phenomenology capabilities.

“The NRO is using a variety of acquisition processes and contract models to bring in new talent and providers and cut the time from concept to delivery,” CSPO Director Pete Meund said. “We are excited to continue advancing our mission by gaining new commercial capabilities and strengthening ties with commercial providers, while collaborating closely with our mission partners.”

These awards follow prior Strategic Commercial Enhancements efforts, including five commercial EO contracts in December 2023, six hyperspectral imaging contracts in March 2023, six RF contracts in September 2022, and five radar contracts in January 2022.

Source: NRO

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NSWC and its subordinate and associated commands seek to accelerate the development, procurement and integration of UxS capabilities in support of the Joint Force, Special Operations Forces (SOF), and allied SOF.

NSWC seeks to award Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) contracts or Other Transaction Authority agreements (OT) (see 10 U.S.C. §§ 4021-23) to provide a new method of delivering UxS systems capability called “UxS as a service” and First Person View (FPV) platforms.  Resultant contracts or agreements should provide systems with a broad range of capabilities that directly support mission effectiveness in terms of platforms, payloads, Processing-Exploitation-Dissemination (PED), programming (i.e., firmware, software, and artificial intelligence (AI)), communications/data transfer, Command and Control (C2) systems, components, and/or material to be acquired, developed, or already in use by NSWC, United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), the Department of War (DoW), or the U.S. Government, as well as interagency and FVEY partners.  As such, under the authority of DFARS 212.70, NSWC releases this Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO).

NSWC anticipates the award of a Firm-Fixed Price type contract in accordance with FAR Part 12.  Offerors are encouraged to review FAR 52.212-4 and 52.212-5 for standard terms and conditions of a FAR Part 12 contract.

In addition, NSWC may award an OT in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 4022-23. Non‐FAR Contracts and Agreements are anticipated with nontraditional and traditional defense contractors to carry out projects that are directly relevant to enhancing the mission effectiveness of the SOF Operator and the supporting platforms, systems, components, or material to be acquired or developed by the NSWC, or the improvement of platforms, systems, components, or materials in use by NSWC.

Use of a CSO in accordance with DFARS Subpart 212.70 is considered to be a competitive procedure for the purposes of 10 U.S.C. chapter 221 and FAR 6.102 and the procedures set forth in this announcement satisfy the competition requirements within 10 U.S.C 4022(b)(2) and 4022(f)(2)(A).  Contracting Officers shall treat items, technologies, and services acquired using a CSO as commercial items. Agreement Officers may make awards in accordance with 10 U.S.C. §§ 4021-23. Awards made in accordance with 10 U.S.C. §§ 4023 are not subject to competition requirements.

AOI 1: Submissions shall be due 25 January 2026. AOI 2 and 3: Submissions for either AOI 2 or AOI 3 shall be due on 9 January 2026, 9 April 2026, 9 July 2026, and 9 October 2026. Evaluations response will be conducted on quarterly submissions.

Review the NSWC UxS CSO.

Source: SAM

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NSWC and its subordinate and associated commands seek to accelerate the development, procurement and integration of unmanned systems (UxS) capabilities in support of the Joint Force, Special Operations Forces (SOF), and allied SOF.

NSWC seeks to award Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) contracts or Other Transaction Authority agreements (OT) (see 10 U.S.C. §§ 4021-23) to provide a new method of delivering UxS systems capability called “UxS as a service” and First Person View (FPV) platforms.

Resultant contracts or agreements should provide systems with a broad range of capabilities that directly support mission effectiveness in terms of platforms, payloads, Processing-Exploitation-Dissemination (PED), programming (i.e., firmware, software, and artificial intelligence (AI)), communications/data transfer, Command and Control (C2) systems, components, and/or material to be acquired, developed, or already in use by NSWC, United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), the Department of War (DoW), or the U.S. Government, as well as interagency and FVEY partners.  As such, under the authority of DFARS 212.70, NSWC releases this CSO.

Review the NSWC UxS CSO.

Source: SAM

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The Special Operations Forces and Personnel Recovery Division’s (AFLCMC/WIS) mission is to: Deliver Dominance to Air Force Special Warfare and Special Operations Command warfighters worldwide. The division delivers support to Special Warfare operators across the spectrum, provides Asymmetric Operations support, and fields Tactical and Small Uncrewed Aerial Systems. Additionally, the Division holds a Rapid Development Integration Facility that performs engineering, design, manufacturing, and modifications across Air Force platforms.

The Capabilities Development Office (CDO) is responsible for the analysis, planning, and development of future Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) & Strike capabilities to satisfy the United States Air Force’s responsibility to meet joint military capability requirements. The CDO assesses current airborne capabilities, identifies capability gaps, evaluates potential non-materiel and materiel solutions, and conducts technology maturation activities. Additionally, the CDO represents the ISR & Special Operations Forces Directorate in support of all capability development and planning activities. Demand for ISR, Strike, and Special Operations capabilities are only growing, and the need to integrate best-of-breed commercial solutions has risen rapidly across the portfolio. Evaluations are done with the operator in mind, and the government may select vendors who show greatest potential to achieve the WIS & CDO mission.

This CSO is based on 10 U.S.C. 3458 authority. This CSO may use FAR part 12 award procedures or other Department of the Air Force authorities to award innovative solutions, including agreements under 10 U.S.C. 4022. The information provided in this CSO is intended to ensure that, to the maximum extent practicable, competitive procedures are used when entering into awards, agreements, and prototypes. The government is not seeking proposals from this posting and will not accept unsolicited proposals. No funding is available for this posting. All FAR-based contracts resulting from this CSO will be treated commercially, notwithstanding the definition under FAR 2.101.

This CSO is a competitive solicitation seeking proposals for innovative technologies that accelerate the attainment of defense and asymmetric capabilities. This CSO will result in the award of agreements or FAR-based contracts, which include not only commercially-available technologies fueled by commercial or strategic investment, but also concept demonstrations, pilots, and agile development activities that can incrementally improve commercial technologies, existing Government-owned capabilities, or concepts for defense application.

Review the Small UAS and Asymmetric Capabilities CSO.

Source: SAM

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Under a CSO, NGA may competitively award proposals received in response to a general solicitation, similar to a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), to acquire innovative commercial items, technologies, and services based on a review of proposals by scientific, technological, or other subject matter expert peers within NGA and their National System for Geospatial Intelligence (NSG) partners. Under this CSO, all items, technologies, and services shall be treated as commercial items.

The full CSO is posted on the Intelligence Community (IC)-Acquisition Research Center (ARC) Classified website, https://acq-ui.ace.proj.nro.ic.gov, under CODE. All submission of questions and responses will be done via the Classified ARC due to the security requirement of this effort.

Review the NGA CODE CSO.

Source: SAM

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Task Force SABRE (TFS) is a limited duration organization charted to provide the DIA with foundational, enterprise-wide AI capabilities while accelerating adoption. TFS will establish conditions which ensure widespread adoption of AI in DIA, ensuring the Agency outpaces our adversaries and provides warfighters with decision advantage in the era of Artificial General Intelligence and Agentic AI.

The TFS seeks revolutionary or innovative AI/ML prototype project, as defined in 10 U.S.C 4022(e)(5), focusing on the next generation of capabilities and platforms to outpace strategic competitors and advance enterprise integration. Competitive submissions will develop and demonstrate new AI/ML capabilities currently not resident in legacy systems, but may significantly improve existing capabilities, and/or will apply techniques developed for commercial or non-intelligence applications to current intelligence gaps in an ingenious manner (i.e., innovation).

Potential projects will be considered if the benefits clearly outweigh the cost and time involved to mature innovative prototype into functioning AI/ML capabilities.

Review the DIA Task Force SABRE call.

Source: SAM

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NeedipeDIA CSO HHM402-23-SC-0002 Designates an interest in the full range and full scope of possible innovative ideas from all interested and qualified sources, to include participation by, and potentially with both traditional and non-traditional members (e.g. large businesses, small businesses, independent consultants, academic institutions, consortium participants, other) that may assist the agency in maximizing operating efficiency and effectiveness in operations, or otherwise provide preeminent technological and/or innovation capability that most capably allows the agency to support its mandated national and international mission requirements.

This is a follow-on solicitation to HHM402-19-SC-0002.

Review the NeedipeDIA CSO.

Source: SAM

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Project Aegir is NGA’s response to increasing customer requirements for rapid commercial analytics and unclassified intelligence products supporting maritime domain awareness. The CSO solicited commercial techniques for identifying, monitoring and tracking illicit maritime vessel activity in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility.

“We challenged the commercial industry to show us the most innovative solutions to address hard problems in the Indo-Pacific theater,” said NGA Director of Commercial Operations Devin Brande.

NGA is leveraging CSOs as an innovative procurement method to expedite acquisition timelines, reduce barriers to entry and address ever-expanding mission needs. The entire CSO solicitation, from public announcement to selection, occurred in under 90 days.

“NGA’s first CSO used a new acquisition authority to increase the speed of procurements by bringing together mission experts in a streamlined evaluation process,” said Brande.

Eighty-two teams competed for the CSO, and 12 finalist teams were selected by a panel of analysts and collection managers from NGA and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to pitch in-person at the Defense Innovation Unit headquarters in Mountain View, California, July 8-12. Maritime experts from the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Intelligence Fusion Center Pacific also attended the pitches at DIU to offer mission-based input.

DIU’s Senior Scientist and Program Manager for Remote Sensing Nirav Patel, PhD, hosted the pitch sessions, where finalists were assessed on their ability to fuse diverse data types to both identify maritime vessels and to increase confidence in using automation to confirm the characterization of maritime activity.

The finalists included: Airbus U.S. Space and Defense, Anduril Industries, Inc., BlackSky Geospatial Solutions, Inc., Freedom Technology Solution Group, HII Mission Technologies, Orbital Insight, Inc., NV5 Geospatial, Inc., Planet Labs Federal, Inc., Royce Geospatial Solutions, Inc., Space-Eyes (Channel Logistics, LLC), Striveworks, Inc. and Ursa Space Systems.

Over the next five months, pilot testing will be conducted on Orbital Insight’s proposed solution and capabilities, the results of which will determine any long-term contracts or broader acquisition efforts.

Source: NGA

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This Commercial Services Opening (CSO) Call is intended to be as streamlined as possible to allow for the exploration of modern solutions to support a variety of critical national security systems. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) invites vendors to submit innovative and novel technical solutions which address all aspects of Digital Infrastructure (DI), focusing on the user story focus areas below.  This requires delivering an enduring, secure, robust, efficient, responsive, agile, elastic and extensible DI solution spanning all classification levels.

Many AFLCMC projects operate in varying classification environments, including highly classified environments (collateral, Sensitive Compartmentalized Information (SCI), and Special Access Program (SAP)).  Though some DI Focus Areas may require unclassified work, respondents should be aware that to be eligible for any contract/instrument award, vendors must be cleared to work in SCI/SAP environments at white paper submission. If vendor intends to perform classified work at their facility (or subcontractor or sub-awardee’s facility), they will need to provide a Facility Accreditation Letter (FAL) for each facility to the Contracting Officer/Agreements Officer by no later than (NLT) contract award (anticipated September/October 2024).

This CSO Call may result in the award of a FAR-based contract or an Other Transaction for Prototype Project pursuant to 10 USC 4022.  AFLCMC intends to follow the processes identified in the Data Operations CSO unless otherwise noted or annotated in this Call.  AFLCMC is not obligated to make any awards as a result of this Call and all awards are explicitly subject to the availability of funds and successful negotiations. The Government is not responsible for any monies expended by any vendor prior to the issuance of any awarded contract/agreement.

AFLCMC reserves the right to modify the solicitation requirements of this CSO Call at its’ sole discretion.

Digital Infrastructure (DI) Technology Focus Areas

AFLCMC is seeking a Managed Service Provider to provide operations and sustainment support for a major SAP Weapon System. Currently, AFLCMC is on contract with a Cloud Service Provider (CSP) who provides edge cloud devices (Azure Stack Hubs (ASH) and hyperscale capabilities. The CSP also provides networking across campus area networks and wide area networks, including purchase and installation of aggregation switches, access switches, Azure access points (AAPs) and Network as a Service (NaaS). Further, the CSP provides disaster recovery and help desks for cloud services, edge, and ASH equipment. Further, the CSP is contracted to provide Network Operations Center (NOC) and Cyber Threat Operations Center (CTOC) services for the network and cloud only.

Within the cloud environments, AFLCMC operates an Azure cloud-based software DevSecOps environment supporting multiple USAF programs (hereafter referred to as Crucible). The Crucible environment contains cloud resources at the IL5 (Controlled Unclassified Information), IL6 (Secret) and IL6+(Secret Special Access Program) classifications. Enrolled USAF programs work within separate, segregated enclaves with multiple security enclaves (ex. Program A has its own IL5, IL6 and IL6+ environment separate from Program B’s enclaves).

Further, Programs access the Crucible environment from varying USAF networks. AFLCMC designed the Crucible environment to permit future USAF programs not currently enrolled to access and establish enclaves to meet specific mission needs. When new programs enroll, the Crucible environment may need to peer to a new network. Therefore, Crucible requires sufficient security controls and artifacts to obtain an authority to operate (ATO).  The CSP is providing initial environment automation and establishment.

The CSP will continue to provide these services. Therefore, interested vendors shall not include any of these services in their proposal. AFLCMC is providing CSP responsibilities as contextual information necessary to ensure below requested services are not duplicated to CSP activities.

Review the Project Night Owl CSO.

Source: SAM

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