Presolicitation
FOUNDATIONS OF TRUSTED SYSTEMS
Dept of Defense · Dept of the Air Force · Sol. FA875025S7001
AI summary Beta
Some details are in the notice's attachments, which this summary didn't read. Check the attachments on SAM.gov.
The Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, NY, is running an open research announcement (BAA) called Foundations of Trusted Systems. It seeks research on trusted hardware and software for secure, resilient command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) and cyber systems. About $99.9M is available in total, with awards usually up to 36 months, and the announcement stays open until December 4, 2028.
Watch out for
- White papers only at first. Full proposals are accepted only if the Air Force invites you after reviewing your white paper, so effort may be spent without an invitation.
Only white papers will be accepted as initial submissions; formal proposals will be accepted by invitation only.
- No commitment to award. The Air Force may award nothing, and funding can change, so a good white paper may still not lead to a contract.
the Air Force reserves the right to award zero, one, or more Procurement Contracts or Other Transactions
- Research-level technical work. This is advanced research on trusted hardware and software for defense systems, which usually suits firms with strong R&D credentials.
Read from the notice text only.
Full brief
What they want
- Innovative research on trusted foundations for hardware and software
- Secure, resilient and affordable C4I and cyber information processing systems
- Follow-on work to the earlier Foundations of Trusted Systems BAA (FA8750-20-S-7012)
- Contract type
- Broad Agency Announcement (BAA); may result in FAR-based procurement contracts, grants/cooperative agreements, or Other Transactions
- Period of performance
- Individual awards will not normally exceed 36 months
- Estimated value
- About $99.9M total for the BAA; individual awards normally $100K to $5M
- Contract vehicle
- AFRL BAA FA8750-25-S-7001 (open, 2-step: white papers first, then invited proposals)
- Offers due
- No fixed deadline; open until 04 December 2028 (2 pm EST). Suggested white paper dates: FY27 by 02 SEP 2026, FY28 by 03 SEP 2027, FY29 by 04 SEP 2028
- How to submit
- White papers go to the technical point of contact (the program manager named in the BAA, currently Qasim Zafar, qasim.zafar@us.af.mil); contract questions to Amber Buckley (Amber.Buckley@us.af.mil)
What to include when you submit
- Submit a white paper first; formal proposals are by invitation only
- Reference the BAA number and title in emails
- Follow the proposal format and submission instructions in the full announcement attachment
- For FAR-based awards, include financial resources information
You must have
- For FAR-based awards, show adequate financial resources to perform the work
Proposals shall include information to determine adequate financial resources to perform the effort
- Offerors must check SAM for any applicable FASCSA (supply chain security) orders on covered articles or sources
the Offeror shall search for the phrase “FASCSA order” in the System for Award Management (SAM)
Current contractor
Follow-on to BAA FA8750-20-S-7012, Foundations of Trusted Systems; no named incumbent
Not in the notice text
- How white papers and proposals are evaluated (criteria are in the attachment)
- White paper format and page limits
- Specific technical focus areas and any foreign ownership (FOCI) or security requirements in the full announcement
- Place of performance
FedReady checks notices like this against your business profile, tracks deadlines, and alerts you to new matches. Creating an account is free.
Key facts
- Posted
- May 28, 2026
- Notice type
- Presolicitation
- Solicitation
- FA875025S7001
- Agency
- Dept of Defense · Dept of the Air Force
- Office
- FA8750 Afrl Rik
- NAICS
- 541715
- Product/service code
- AC12
- Business type
- Engineering, architecture & research
- Contracting contact
- Qasim Zafarqasim.zafar@us.af.mil315-330-2710
- Versions
- 8 (amended since first posted)
Full notice text from SAM.gov
Similar open opportunities
- STAR-FISH CALL 017 - Secure By DesignThe Air Force Research Laboratory (Space Vehicles Directorate, Kirtland AFB, NM) is asking for white papers under its STAR-FISH research announcement, CALL 017, Secure by Design…
- Synthetic Training Environment (STE) Virtual Software (VSW)The Army (ACC-APG Orlando, for the Simulation program office) is asking industry for solutions to the Synthetic Training Environment Virtual Software, a soldier training…
- Restorative and health-Enhancing Sleep Time (REST)ARPA-H, a federal health research agency, is seeking proposals for its REST program on objective, home-based, closed-loop sleep technologies that detect sleep patterns and…
- 2025 Army Geospatial Center (AGC) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)The Army Geospatial Center (part of the Army Corps of Engineers, Alexandria, VA) is running an open Broad Agency Announcement that invites research ideas on many geospatial…
- Lunar Enabling Infrastructure Accelerator (LEIA) -Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) NextSTEP-3 Appendix A - Final SolicitationNASA Glenn Research Center is soliciting proposals under the NextSTEP-3 Broad Agency Announcement (Appendix A, LEIA) to mature five lunar infrastructure technologies toward TRL…