Solicitation
Solicitation S-280C/G Vehicle Mounted Shelter
Department of Defense · Department of the Army
AI summaryArmy Contracting Command - Detroit Arsenal (ACC-DTA) wants one small business to build S-280C/G Vehicle Mounted Shelters in four variants. It is a single five-year contract: firm-fixed-price (FFP, one set price per item) and indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ, orders placed as needed). Only small businesses can bid, and the export-controlled technical data package is open only to firms holding a current DD Form 2345 certificate (a military technical data agreement). The minimum guaranteed value is $100,000.00 and the ceiling is $4,000,000.00. The response due date is October 30, 2026 (an amendment moved it to Nov 13, 2026, 3:30 PM EST), 3:30 PM Eastern. More in the summary
A newer version of this notice was posted Oct 29, 2026. It moves the due date from Oct 30, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026, which is the date shown on this page. See the latest version.
AI summary Beta
Summary of the version posted Oct 20, 2026. The notice was amended Oct 29, 2026. The due date moved from Oct 30, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Check what else changed on SAM.gov. This summary may miss requirements: 1 of 8 attachments weren't read (Attachment 0001_TDP_S-280 Shelters.zip). Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
Army Contracting Command - Detroit Arsenal (ACC-DTA) wants one small business to build S-280C/G Vehicle Mounted Shelters in four variants. It is a single five-year contract: firm-fixed-price (FFP, one set price per item) and indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ, orders placed as needed). Only small businesses can bid, and the export-controlled technical data package is open only to firms holding a current DD Form 2345 certificate (a military technical data agreement). The minimum guaranteed value is $100,000.00 and the ceiling is $4,000,000.00. The response due date is October 30, 2026 (passed), 3:30 PM Eastern.
Who can bid
- Small business: this is a 100% small business set-aside. The notice gives the size standard for NAICS 332311 as 750 employees.
- A current and valid DD Form 2345 (Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement) certification on file with the U.S./Canada Joint Certification Office, to gain access to the export-controlled TDP
- Active System for Award Management (SAM) registration for NAICS 332311 before submitting a proposal, and valid in SAM before award
How to submit: Email to Contract Specialist nicholas.a.lang.civ@army.mil with the Contracting Officer copied; subject header: Proposal Submission - W912CH-26-R-A096 (company name). Fax, hardcopy, DVD/CD-ROM and hand-carried offers are not accepted., due October 30, 2026, 3:30 PM Eastern. What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (9)
- Serious: Small business set-aside. Only small businesses can bid. The notice gives the size standard for North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 332311 as 750 employees, and bidders are told to review the Small Business Administration's affiliation rule.
- Serious: Export-controlled technical data needs a DD Form 2345. The technical data package can be requested only after a DD Form 2345 is certified, which the solicitation estimates takes six to ten weeks. Without the data package you cannot price or design the shelter.
- Serious: First article test is mandatory, no waiver. Amendment 0003 removes all waiver language. You must price and complete the test in CLIN 0011 and deliver the report within 240 calendar days after order; an offer that depends on a waiver may be unacceptable.
Show all 9Show fewer
- Serious: All-or-none offer; single award. You must offer every item and the full quantities; one award will be made, and an offer for less is deemed nonresponsive.
- Worth checking: Price must cover delivery anywhere, including overseas. About 25% of shelters may go to destinations outside the continental U.S. (OCONUS), and prices must include the cost of delivery to any location the Government picks.
- Worth checking: Data deliverables are not separately priced. The manuals, validation, maintenance and provisioning data are not separately priced (NSP), so their cost must be built into the hardware and first article prices.
- Worth checking: Contracting Officer's email appears three ways. The notice lists daniel.j.gibson43.civ@army.mil, Section A.6.7 lists daniel.j.gibson43@army.mil, and Section L in Amendment 0003 lists daniel.j.gibson.civ@army.mil. Ask the Contract Specialist which address to copy.
- Minor: Rated order under DPAS. The contract carries a priority rating (DO-A4) under the Defense Priorities and Allocation System, so the Government can require this work to be scheduled ahead of unrated orders.
- Minor: Date passed (Oct 30, 2026): Response due date moved by Amendment 0002. Amendment 0002 moved the response due date from October 9, 2026 to October 30, 2026, both at 3:30 PM Eastern. Acknowledge every amendment in the offer.
Read from the notice and 7 attachments. 1 of 8 not read. Show which files.
- Solicitation - W912CH26RA096.pdf (read)
- AMD 0003_W912CH26RA096.pdf (read)
- AMD 0002_W912CH26RA096.pdf (read)
- AMD 0001_W912CH26RA096.pdf (read)
- Attachment 0003 - S280C Technical PUBS SOW.pdf (read)
- Attachment 0004 - Provisioning SOW.pdf (read)
- Attachment 0002 - Additional Guidelines for CUI.pdf (read)
- Attachment 0001_TDP_S-280 Shelters.zip: not read (access is restricted): request it on SAM.gov
Full summary
What they want
- Build the S-280C/G shelter, a lightweight tactical shelter that houses electronics and people, in four variants (shielded or unshielded, with or without a Mobilizer Adapter Kit), to the Government-owned technical data package (TDP) and ASTM E1975-22. National stock numbers (NSNs): 5411-01-304-3069 (Shielded) and 5411-01-092-0892 (Unshielded).
- Complete First Article Testing (FAT, a test of the first built units before production): CLIN 0011 (contract line item number, one priced line), QTY 1 Lot, with the First Article Test Report due no later than 240 calendar days after order.
- Deliver production units after the test: period 1 within 90 calendar days after Government approval of the FAT report or 120 calendar days after order, whichever is later; periods 2 to 5 within 120 calendar days after order. The contractor need not exceed 20 shelters per month.
- Quantities seen in the schedule: shielded without kit QTY 1 Each in period 1 (CLIN 0021) and QTY 3 Each in each of periods 2 to 5; unshielded without kit QTY 1 Each in each period (CLINs 0031 to 0035); shielded with kit QTY 9 Each in period 1 (CLIN 0041) and QTY 3 Each in period 2 (CLIN 0042).
- Deliver FOB destination (delivered to the buyer's site, price includes shipping): about 75% to a U.S. destination (Sierra Army Depot, Herlong, CA, for planning) and about 25% overseas (for example Germany, Korea, Japan).
- Develop an Operator Manual (TM 10-5411-207-13&P) with a validation plan and report, and provisioning data: a Maintenance Allocation Chart, a Provisioning Parts List and Engineering Data for Provisioning.
- Mark items with Department of Defense (DoD) unique identification (Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement clause 252.211-7003) and follow the priority rating DO-A4 under the Defense Priorities and Allocation System (DPAS) shown on each line.
- Protect the export-controlled TDP and controlled unclassified information (CUI, sensitive but unclassified data), and destroy the data when the work is done.
- Contract type
- Firm-fixed-price (FFP) indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ), single award; non-commercial requirement; 100% small business set-aside
- Period of performance
- Five one-year ordering periods beginning on the award date
- Place of performance
- USA (SAM.gov gives no city). Deliveries FOB destination: about 75% to a U.S. destination and about 25% overseas.
- Estimated value
- Minimum guarantee $100,000.00; maximum ceiling $4,000,000.00 for all delivery orders
- How they'll choose
- Best-value tradeoff under FAR Part 15. Technical and price are of approximately equal importance. The Government intends to award without negotiations but may hold discussions.
- Offers due
- October 30, 2026, 3:30 PM Eastern (from the version posted Oct 20, 2026; amended since)
- How to submit
- Email to Contract Specialist nicholas.a.lang.civ@army.mil with the Contracting Officer copied; subject header: Proposal Submission - W912CH-26-R-A096 (company name). Fax, hardcopy, DVD/CD-ROM and hand-carried offers are not accepted.
- Page limits
- Optional executive summary or transmittal letter: no more than 5 pages, and it is not evaluated. Each email: 10 megabytes maximum.
What they'll judge offers on
- Technical (two equal-weight subfactors): (1) electromagnetic interference (EMI, unwanted signals that disrupt electronics) shielding design: shielding architecture, door and hatch openings, power and signal interfaces, design validation; (2) manufacturing processes: fabrication and assembly methods, production facility capacity, supply chain and materials
- Price: total evaluated price from each line's unit price times its estimated quantity, checked for price reasonableness and unbalanced pricing
What to include when you submit
- Technical Volume: no pricing. Address both subfactors: for EMI shielding design, the shielding architecture, openings and penetrations, power and signal interfaces, and design validation data; for manufacturing processes, assembly methods, production facility capability, and supply chain and material management.
- Price: a firm-fixed-price offer completing Section B for every contract line item, with a brief narrative covering how the price was estimated, the major cost drivers and any pricing history for similar items.
- Send a scanned signed copy of the SF 33 cover page, all completed fill-ins for Sections A through K, and signed copies of all amendments; acknowledge Amendments 0001, 0002 and 0003.
- State the offer's acceptance period in calendar days; the minimum is 120 calendar days.
- Include a statement of how far you agree with all terms; exceptions to the attachments or terms may be treated as a deficiency or grounds for rejection.
- List all of your assumptions in one place with a statement that none contradict or take exception to the solicitation.
- If Government property will be used, submit a stand-alone Property Management Plan.
- Offer all items: an offer for less than the total quantities is deemed nonresponsive.
- Optional: fill in the accelerated delivery table in Section F.3.3; if it is left blank, the Government's required delivery schedule is accepted.
- File format: PDF or Microsoft Office; file names of 50 characters or fewer, no periods, spaces or special characters; no active links to web pages. Number multiple emails as Message 1 of 3, 2 of 3, and so on.
After award, you must have
- Every person supporting the contract signs a CUI non-disclosure agreement before getting access, and completes DoD CUI training From Attachment 0002 - Additional Guidelines for CUI.pdf:
All personnel supporting this contract shall sign a CUI Non-disclosure Agreement…
Not in the notice text
- The export-controlled technical data package (Attachment 0001_TDP_S-280 Shelters.zip) is attached on SAM.gov but not read, and parts of the solicitation, Amendment 0003 and the two statements of work were attached but only partly read.
- The full schedule of quantities for every line (the lines after CLIN 0042 were not fully read), the performance, inspection and packaging requirements (Sections C through K) and any page limits for the technical volume are in the unread parts.
- Whether the Army inspects and approves manufacturing facilities before award is not clear; Section F.2.3 mentions facilities inspected and approved prior to award.
- The notice gives no manufacturing site; check the full solicitation for any domestic-source or place-of-manufacture rules.
Eligibility and how to respond
- Set aside for small businesses: only a business that counts as small under this notice's NAICS code can bid as the prime contractor. The notice also names requirements: More open small business set-asides under NAICS 332311
- The notice mentions export-controlled data. You may need a Joint Certification Program (DD Form 2345) approval to see the drawings.
- How to submit, from the AI summary: Email to Contract Specialist nicholas.a.lang.civ@army.mil with the Contracting Officer copied; subject header: Proposal Submission - W912CH-26-R-A096 (company name). Fax, hardcopy, DVD/CD-ROM and hand-carried offers are not accepted. Check it in the notice before you send anything.
Notice details
- Posted
- Oct 20, 2026
- Notice type
- Solicitation
- Office
- W6QK ACC- DTA, Warren, MI
- Product/service code
- 5411 · Rigid Wall Shelters
- Business type
- Manufactured parts & equipment (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 332311)
- Versions
5 versions have been posted, newest first.
- Oct 29, 2026 · Amendment 0004Due Nov 13, 2026 (changed)
- Oct 20, 2026 · Amendment 0003 (this version)Due Oct 30, 2026
- Oct 13, 2026 · Amendment 0002Due Oct 30, 2026 (changed)
- Sep 10, 2026 · Amendment 0001Due Oct 9, 2026
- Sep 8, 2026 · SolicitationDue Oct 9, 2026
- 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
- Set-aside contracts explained
Terms on this notice: Solicitation, Set-aside
Full notice text from SAM.gov
***20 OCT 2026 - AMD 0003 issued*** ***13 OCT 2026 - AMD 0002 issued*** ***10 SEP 2026 - AMD 0001 issued*** The Army Contracting Command - Detroit Arsenal (ACC-DTA) is issuing this Request for Proposal (RFP) to establish a new five-year, Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP), Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for the manufacture and delivery of four (4) variants of the S-280C/G Vehicle Mounted Shelter. This is a non-commercial requirement. Requirement: The S-280C/G is a lightweight, tactical military shelter designed to house and protect sensitive electronic equipment and personnel. Manufacturing shall be in strict accordance with the Government-owned Technical Data Package (TDP) and ASTM E1975-22. The scope includes First Article Testing (FAT), production, and delivery of all associated technical and logistics data. National Stock Numbers (NSNs): 5411-01-304-3069 (Shielded) and 5411-01-092-0892 (Unshielded). Set-Aside: This is a 100% Small Business Set-Aside. The applicable size standard for NAICS 332311 is 750 employees. Award Basis: The Government intends to award a single IDIQ contract to the responsible offeror whose proposal represents the best value to the Government. This will be a tradeoff source selection conducted in accordance with FAR Part 15. Contract Value: The minimum guaranteed value for this contract is $100,000.00. The maximum estimated contract ceiling is $4,000,000.00. Technical Data Package (TDP): The TDP for this solicitation is Export-Controlled (Distribution Statement C). To gain access, interested parties must have a current and valid DD Form 2345, "Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement" certification on file with the U.S./Canada Joint Certification Office (JCO). The TDP can be accessed through the attachments section of this announcement on SAM.gov by certified offerors. Questions: All questions regarding this solicitation must be submitted in writing to the points of contact listed below no later than September 24, 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted. Points of Contact: Nicholas A. Lang, Contract Specialist, nicholas.a.lang.civ@army.mil Daniel J. Gibson, Contracting Officer, daniel.j.gibson43.civ@army.mil Disclaimer: Offerors are responsible for monitoring SAM.gov for any amendments to this solicitation.