Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) for the DoD Office of Strategic Capital (OSC)

The Department of Defense Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) is seeking innovative commercial solutions through a Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) to attract and scale private capital toward critical component-level technologies essential to U.S. national security, particularly those with broad commercial applications that are often overlooked by traditional defense procurement. This CSO is designed to engage commercial companies with minimal or no prior ties to the defense sector, creating public sector revenue streams while disrupting adversarial access to emerging technologies. The solicitation operates under the authority of 10 U.S.C. §§ 3458 and 4022, enabling the use of both Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)-based Firm-Fixed-Price contracts for innovative technologies and non-FAR-based Prototype Other Transaction (OT) agreements for prototyping projects directly relevant to enhancing military capabilities. The framework supports flexible, iterative development with the possibility of early transition to production based on successful demonstration, bypassing rigid acquisition timelines. Submissions are initiated via a White Paper, limited to 10 pages, which is evaluated for relevance to designated Areas of Interest, technical merit, schedule feasibility, and resource planning, with only recommended submissions invited to submit a full proposal. Eligible offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), possess a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and provide a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code, and must disclose their small business status and participation in any socioeconomic programs. All proposals must be unclassified and submitted electronically via designated OSC email addresses, with no physical submissions permitted. Contractual obligations include strict compliance with the Procurement Integrity Act, Comptroller General audit access for awards over $5 million, and adherence to the Trade Secrets Act and Executive Order 12600 for data protection. Foreign participation is permitted only after notification and compliance with TAA, ITAR, and EAR. Performance is milestone-driven, with acceptance determined solely by the Agreement Officer based on predefined technical success thresholds, without formal inspection locations or physical delivery requirements. Contract administration is managed by OSC's contracting officers, with invoicing processed through the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment's Wide Area Workflow system, and no conventional clauses such as security clearance mandates, key personnel requirements, or organizational conflict of interest mitigation are specified, reflecting the OT agreement’s agility and focus on speed and innovation. The CSO remains open for ten years, with no estimated contract value provided, allowing for scalable investment based on demonstrated technical potential and alignment with strategic national security priorities.