Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) for Space Domain Awareness (SDA) Solutions.
Department of Defense · Department of the Air Force
AI summaryPhase I submissions for AOI-2025_01 (small businesses only): January 20, 2026 (passed), 2:00 PM MST; only firms the Government invites after Phase I may send a Phase III full proposal. The U.S. Space Force is buying research and prototype software tools for space domain awareness (SDA: detecting and predicting activity in space) under a five-year Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO, a flexible way to buy innovative commercial solutions). Awards are fixed-price, the Government's estimate for this topic is $1.5M combined, and work is up to 12 months. More in the summary
A newer version of this notice was posted Oct 26, 2026. See the latest version.
AI summary Beta
Summary of another version of this notice: check what changed on SAM.gov. This summary may miss requirements: 1 of 6 attachments weren't read (Tab 1. Military Space Operations Terms of Reference.pdf). Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
Phase I submissions for AOI-2025_01 (small businesses only): January 20, 2026 (passed), 2:00 PM MST; only firms the Government invites after Phase I may send a Phase III full proposal. The U.S. Space Force is buying research and prototype software tools for space domain awareness (SDA: detecting and predicting activity in space) under a five-year Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO, a flexible way to buy innovative commercial solutions). Awards are fixed-price, the Government's estimate for this topic is $1.5M combined, and work is up to 12 months.
Who can bid (5)
- Small business: AOI-2025_01 is set aside for small businesses (total small business, 100%) under NAICS 541715
- U.S. entities only; foreign firms are not eligible
- Registered in SAM.gov and meeting the Federal Acquisition Regulation responsibility standards (FAR 9.104) to be considered for a Phase III award
Show all 5Show fewer
- Current NIST SP 800-171 DoD assessment (a cybersecurity self-check) posted in the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) before award
- Be ready for Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 2 if the work involves Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI); the level is set in a later phase
How to submit: Email to the AOI contracting officer, Rosalind Davis, rosalind.davis.3@spaceforce.mil; no hardcopies, due AOI-2025_01 Phase I: January 20, 2026, 2:00 PM MST. SAM.gov lists the response date for the whole CSO as January 23, 2030, 12:00 PM Mountain.. What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (9)
From the version posted Oct 26, 2026.
- Serious: Invitation-only later phases: Phase III by invitation. Phase I (white paper and PowerPoint) is required for everyone; Phase II pitch sessions are optional and by invitation; only invited firms send Phase III full proposals, and the Government may skip Phase II.
- Serious: That step closed Mar 18, 2026. Check whether taking part in it was required to bid on the next one.
- Serious: Set-aside differs: SAM.gov says none, text says small business. SAM.gov lists "No Set aside used," but the notice text and the AOI say small business only, and the CSO says each AOI sets its own status; check before bidding.
Show all 9Show fewer
- Worth checking: Cybersecurity assessment before award. The Government cannot award without a current NIST SP 800-171 assessment in SPRS, and CMMC Level 2 is highly likely if the work involves Controlled Unclassified Information.
- Worth checking: Funding may not be awarded. The Government may fund all, some or none of the proposals, and a shared $1.5M pool covers the whole AOI.
- Minor: Research-level work, TRL 2 through 6. Phase I should stress research and experimental prototyping, not finished deployable software.
- Minor: No corporate or past performance content in the white paper. Phase I papers are judged on the proposed solution; adding company qualifications or past performance breaks the format rules.
- Minor: Evaluation factors listed two ways. Attachment 6 lists three equally important criteria, while section 8.3 lists four factors weighted by each AOI; ask the contracting officer which applies.
- Minor: Separate receipt email required. A submission is not confirmed unless a second email with no attachments follows it right away.
Read from the notice and 5 attachments. 1 of 6 not read. Show which files.
- AOI-2025_01 _Amendment 1_01-05-2026.pdf (read)
- SDA_CSO_AOI-2025_01 _Q and A Updated_1-16-26.pdf (read)
- SDA_CSO_AOI-2025_01 _Questions_Answers.pdf (read)
- AOI-2025_01 _12-22-2025.pdf (read)
- SDA Solutions CSO 2025-12-19.pdf (read)
- Tab 1. Military Space Operations Terms of Reference.pdf: not read (access is restricted): request it on SAM.gov
Full summary
What they want
- Technical Focus Area (TFA) 1: research and prototype new databases, data formats and tagging methods for storing and managing space sensor data (radar, EO/IR, passive RF)
- TFA 2: modeling and analytics, such as models of sensor performance, space environment effects on phased array radar, and tools to weigh sensor observations
- TFA 3: rapid prototyping of experimental software, including reuse of government-developed astrodynamics models and plans for turning prototypes into maintainable systems
- Deliverables expected to be prototypes, models and experimental frameworks rather than production-ready systems
- Solutions in the technology readiness level (TRL) range of 2 through 6, and able to integrate with SDA Enterprise workflows
- Phase I: a PowerPoint briefing with a quad chart (one-page summary) and a two-page white paper, both unclassified
- Contract type
- Fixed-price (FAR-based) contract under a Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) authorized by DFARS 212.70; the notice cites FAR Part 12 and Part 35
- Period of performance
- Up to 12 months from contract award for AOI-2025_01 (the CSO itself stays open for five years from posting)
- Place of performance
- Colorado Springs, CO (as listed on SAM.gov)
- Estimated value
- Government's estimate: $1.5M combined for AOI-2025_01 and its three technical focus areas. The whole CSO is up to $6M over five years.
- Contract vehicle
- Space Force Space Domain Awareness Commercial Solutions Opening FA2518-25-S-C001; each Area of Interest (AOI) is a separate topic posted under it
- How they'll choose
- Peer review of each phase's submission by subject-matter experts, rated Recommended, Selectable or Not Selectable; not run under FAR Part 15; the Government may fund all, some or none
- Offers due
- AOI-2025_01 Phase I: January 20, 2026, 2:00 PM MST. SAM.gov lists the response date for the whole CSO as January 23, 2030, 12:00 PM Mountain.
- How to submit
- Email to the AOI contracting officer, Rosalind Davis, rosalind.davis.3@spaceforce.mil; no hardcopies
- Page limits
- White paper: 2 narrative pages plus a cover page. PowerPoint: 5 content slides plus a title slide, and the quad chart is separate (1 page). Files: PowerPoint up to 10 MB, white paper PDF up to 10 MB.
What they'll judge offers on
- Technical Merit/Applicability: sound engineering, meets the AOI's objectives, feasible to integrate into the SDA Enterprise
- Importance to Agency Programs: advances operational needs, fills capability gaps or improves mission performance
- Price: evaluated as appropriate, and no award is made unless the price is fair and reasonable
What to include when you submit
- Send two Phase I files together: a PowerPoint (.pptx) briefing and a white paper (PDF)
- PowerPoint order per the question-and-answer file: title slide, the quad chart, then up to five content slides; Times New Roman, 12 point or larger
- Quad chart: landscape, one page, on the Government's template, covering objective, description of effort, benefits, challenges, milestones by Government fiscal year and month, and a rough order of magnitude (ROM) price estimate
- White paper: 8.5 x 11 inches, one-inch margins, single-spaced, Times New Roman 12 point or larger; cover page required
- White paper content: objective, description of the effort, benefits, technical challenges, solution approach, milestones by fiscal year and month, and a ROM price
- Leave out corporate or personnel qualifications, past performance and supplemental material not requested
- Send a separate email with no attachments to the contracting team right after the submission, so receipt is confirmed
- Name files [AOI#]Phase[#][Document Type][CompanyName][YYYYMMDD], up to 50 characters; for several white papers, number them in order of importance with one white paper per solution
- Mark every page that contains proprietary information
- Phase I must be unclassified; contact the contracting officer for classified submissions in later phases
Current contractor
AOI-2025_01 was previously performed under contract number FA2544-20-C-0001, which is why it is competed as a small business set-aside; the incumbent's name is not given. The notice says the Phase I effort drew a significant number of responses (no count given).
Not in the notice text
- Tab 1, the Military Space Operations Terms of Reference, was attached but not read; it is controlled, and access must be requested on SAM.gov.
- Whether and when AOI-2025_01 or new AOIs reopen for Phase I submissions is not stated; future AOIs will be posted on SAM.gov under this CSO.
- Phase III page limits and the due date, set in an invitation-only Phase III request for proposals (RFP), are not given; the CSO says offerors will have 30 to 45 days after the request.
- How many awards are planned for AOI-2025_01 is not stated; the answers file says the Government can make multiple awards for a single technical focus area.
- The Government quad chart template is not in the text provided.
Eligibility and how to respond
- SAM.gov lists no set-aside, but the notice text limits who can bid:
- The notice mentions CMMC, the Defense Department's cybersecurity certification. Check the level it asks for.
- The notice text says this is set aside for small businesses, but SAM.gov lists no set-aside. Ask the contracting officer which one applies before you bid.
- How to submit, from the AI summary: Email to the AOI contracting officer, Rosalind Davis, rosalind.davis.3@spaceforce.mil; no hardcopies. Check it in the notice before you send anything.
Notice details
- Posted
- Jan 16, 2026
- Notice type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- Office
- FA2518 USSF Spoc/Saio, Peterson AFB, CO
- Product/service code
- AR12 · Space R&D Services; Space Flight, Research and Supporting Activities; Applied Research
- Business type
- Engineering, architecture & research (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 541715)
- Versions
7 versions have been posted, newest first.
- Oct 26, 2026 · AmendmentSAM.gov date Jan 23, 2030
- Mar 18, 2026 · AmendmentSAM.gov date Jan 23, 2030
- Feb 25, 2026 · AmendmentSAM.gov date Jan 23, 2030
- Jan 16, 2026 · Amendment 0002 (this version)SAM.gov date Jan 23, 2030
- Jan 5, 2026 · AmendmentSAM.gov date Jan 23, 2030
- Dec 19, 2025 · AmendmentSAM.gov date Jan 23, 2030
- Dec 19, 2025 · Combined Synopsis/SolicitationSAM.gov date Jan 23, 2030
- Attachments
Past awards and competition
Who has won work like this before, the likely incumbent, and what similar contracts paid, from USAspending.gov.
Before you respond
- How to respond to a solicitation (8 steps)
- How to read a government solicitation
- How to price a government contract
Terms on this notice: Solicitation
Full notice text from SAM.gov
18 Mar 2026 Updated: Space Domain Awareness (SDA) Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) Phase I. The initial evaluation for phase I has been completed. We received a significant number of responses, and our team has given each submission the careful consideration it deserves. We will now begin the process of formally notifying all participants. This will be conducted in stages, starting with the offerors who were identified as "Not Selectable", followed by those deemed "Selectable", and concluding with the offeror(s) "Recommended" for selection. We appreciate your patience as we proceed with these Phase I final steps, and thank you for your continued patience as the notification process is executed. All participants will receive a formal notification regarding the status of their submission. 25 Feb 2026 Updated: Space Domain Awareness (SDA) Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) Phase I. We would like to inform you that the evaluation of white papers is currently ongoing. Due to the overwhelming response to this solicitation, our team is carefully reviewing all submissions to ensure a thorough and fair assessment are in alignment with the program's objectives and requirements. We appreciate the effort and thoughtfulness demonstrated in your submission and your interest in supporting this initiative. Once the evaluation process is complete, we will provide further updates regarding next steps and any additional requirements. Should you have any questions or need clarification in the meantime, please feel free to reach out to us directly. Thank you for your continued engagement and support of the SDA CSO program. Amendment 03_AOI 01 AOI-2025_01 - Amendment 2: CO Q&A Document Updated Amendment 2 has been posted to update the Question and Answer (Q&A) document for this acquisition. Please feel free to reach out with any further questions. Amendment 02_AOI 01 AOI-2025_01 - Amendment 1: CO Contact Updated and Q&A Amendment 1 has been posted to update the Contracting Officer contact information for this acquisition. A list of questions and answers for AOI-2025_01 are also attached. Please feel free to reach out with any further questions. Amendment 01 _ AOI 01 AOI-2025_01 - Solicitation Request: CFC SAIO/PKO is soliciting white papers on the effort(s) identifed as Area(s) of Interest (AOIs) to this solicitation. Type of Contract: This is a Fixed-Price type contract IAW FAR Part 12 and Part 35. Limitation: This acquisition is set aside for small business. Anticipated Award: Government reserves the right to award all, some, or none of the proposed solutions. Classified Information: Offerors are encouraged to submit unclassified White Papers to simplify and expedite reviews and response by the Government. Description The United States Space Force (USSF), through the Space Acquisition & Integration Office (SAIO), is issuing this Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO)to solicit innovative commercial solutions that enhance Space Domain Awareness (SDA)capabilities. This CSO is authorized under DFARS 212.70and is designed to identify and acquire innovative technologies, products, and services that support the USSF's warfighting missions. The CSO provides a flexible, enterprise-wide acquisition mechanism to address SDA mission challenges through advanced software engineering, data analytics, and other innovative approaches. Submissions will be evaluated under a multi-phase process to ensure alignment with mission needs and operational priorities. Scope of the CSO The CSO seeks solutions that address the following Space Domain Awareness (SDA)mission challenges: Detecting, characterizing, and predicting activities in the space domain. Enhancing the accuracy and timeliness of SDA data. Supporting emerging SDA missions through innovative technologies. Specific Areas of Interest (AOIs) will be issued under this CSO to define technical focus areas, submission requirements, and evaluation criteria. Each AOI will be posted as a standalone solicitation module under this CSO. Submission Process The CSO employs a three-phase submission process: Phase I – White Paper and PowerPoint Briefing Offerors must submit a PowerPoint briefing (including a Quad Chart) and a White Paper summarizing their proposed solution. Submissions must align with the specific AOI requirements. Phase II – Pitch Session (Optional) Selected Offerors may be invited to present their proposed solution in greater depth during a virtual or in-person pitch session. Phase III – Full Proposal Offerors invited to Phase III must submit a complete proposal package, including a Technical Proposal, Performance Work Statement (PWS), and Price Proposal. The Government reserves the right to proceed directly from Phase I to Phase III. Key Information Security Requirements: Phase I submissions must be unclassified. Subsequent phases may require higher classification levels, as specified in the AOI and any draft or final DD Form 254. Foreign Participation: Restricted to U.S. entities due to export control and national security considerations. Cybersecurity Compliance: Offerors must comply with NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC 2.0 requirements. How to Respond Interested Offerors must monitor SAM.gov for AOI-specific postings under this CSO. Each AOI will include detailed submission instructions, evaluation criteria, and deadlines. Submissions must comply with the formats and requirements outlined in the CSO and the applicable AOI. For general inquiries, contact the SAIO CSO Contracting Officer at SAIO.SDA.CSO@spaceforce.mil. Use the subject line: "SDA CSO – General Question(s)". Disclaimer This CSO does not obligate the Government to award a contract, nor does it commit the Government to pay for any costs incurred in the preparation and submission of responses. The Government reserves the right to fund all, some, or none of the proposals received under this CSO.
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