Communications, Network, Engineering, Cybersecurity, and Information Technology Services (CNECTS), aka "Connects"

The Space Acquisition and Integration Office (SAIO), on behalf of the 21st Communications Squadron (21 CS) under Space Operations Command (SpOC) at Peterson SFB (PSFB), CO, is currently exploring the feasibility of consolidating several communications contracts across PSFB, Schriever SFB (SSFB), and Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station (CMSFS).

02 November 2026 updated: CNECTS Final Teaming/Partnering Matrix 

The Final Teaming/Partnering Matrix has been updated and the previous version removed. 

All Official Government correspondence, infromation, schedules, deadlines, etc will be posted and released through sam.gov.  Please continue to monitor for all official updates and information. 

29 October 2026 updated: CNECTS CSO Release Delayed 

Due to continued mission challenges, the offical release of the CNECTS CSO will not be relased today. Government is revising the CNECTS acquisition schedule. The revised tentative schedule will be posted when available.

The Government does not have additional information to share at this time. Interested parties should continue to monitor SAM.gov for all official CNECTS updates and announcements. Please note:

** Teaming/Partnering Matrix sign-up will expire at 3 PM today. The latest version of the spreadsheet has been provided and the final version will be uploaded on Monday, 2 Nov 2026. 

** Previous tentative acquisition schedule has been removed. Again, continue to monitor for the lastest version. 

** Please use this additional time to submit any questions related to the draft CSO and AOI. 

   20 October 2026 Updated: Providing a updated link to the CNECTS Teaming/Partnering Matrix

Good morning, 

The link posted on 15 October 26 is no longer working. Here is an updated link to use below:

https://forms.osi.apps.mil/r/LkHE57UpWm. Please copy link and paste in the browser. 

Also, I have uploaded a current copy of the Teaming/Partnering Matrix for your review since the count is up to 101. 

15 October 2026 Updated: CNECTS CSO Official Release Schedule Update.

Industry Partners,

Due to mission challenges, the official release of the CNECTS Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) will not occur today. The anticipated release schedule has slipped by approximately two weeks. 

A tentative updated milestone schedule is provided for planning purposes. All dates remain subject to change pending final coordination and approval.

While awaiting the official solicitation release, please review the updated Questions and Answers (Q&As) posted today. To reduce confusion and eliminate conflicting information, previous legacy documents and postings have been removed.

Additionally, the Teaming/Partnering Matrix has been reopened for two weeks. The matrix will close officially on 29 October 2026.

Please select this link to add your companies' name to the Teaming/Partnering Matrix.  https://forms.osi.apps.mil/r/LkHE57UpWmhttps://forms.osi.apps.mil/r/LkHE57UpWm

Thank you for your continued interest in the CNECTS CSO.

01 October 2026 Updated: Released of Draft CNECTS Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) and Areas of Interest (AOI)

The Government is pleased to release the long-awaited draft Communications Network Engineering, Cybersecurity, and Information Technology Services (CNECTS) Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO).

The draft CSO is being released to provide industry an opportunity to review the anticipated CNECTS approach, submission process, evaluation framework, and Areas of Interest (AOI) before official release of the CSO.

The AOI is provided in Attachment 6, Areas of Interest (AOI), to the draft CSO. 

Industry shall not submit White Papers at this time. White Papers submitted in response to the draft CSO will not be reviewed, evaluated, or retained for consideration under the official CSO. Submission instructions, the applicable AOI, and White Paper due dates will be provided with the official CSO release.

The Government anticipates official release of the CNECTS CSO on or about 15 October 2026. The draft CSO is substantially complete; however, the Government may revise the draft CSO, Attachment 6, submission instructions, evaluation approach, or anticipated schedule before official release.

Industry is encouraged to review the draft materials and submit questions, comments, and recommended clarifications to the contracting officer at contact@example.gov. The Government will consider industry's feedback as it finalizes the official CSO.

This notice is for planning and information purposes only. It does not constitute a solicitation, request for proposal, commitment by the Government, or authorization to incur proposal-preparation costs. No award will result from this draft notice. 

28 September 2026 Updated: CNECTS Draft Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) and Areas of Interest (AOIs) Release Update

The Government appreciates industry’s continued interest in the Communications Network Engineering, Cybersecurity, and Information Technology Services (CNECTS) requirement and thanks industry for its patience regarding the delayed release of the draft Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO).

As the Government prepares for the anticipated official CSO release date of 15 October 2026, the Government is completing a final review of the draft CSO and associated Areas of Interest (AOIs). The Government’s intent is to release a draft that is substantially complete—approximately 90 percent complete—and that will not require major changes between the draft release and the official solicitation.

The Government anticipates releasing the draft CSO and AOIs during the week of 28 September 2026. This anticipated release date is subject to completion of internal reviews and approvals.

Industry is encouraged to monitor SAM.gov for the draft release and any subsequent updates.

15 September 2026 Updated: Posting of the Draft Revision Documentation Timeline

To ensure the draft reflects the most recent updates, refined requirements, and the valuable leadership feedback captured during higher level reviews, the Government is adjusting the release schedule for the draft solicitation materials.

• Draft CSO Release Date: The draft Commercial Solutions Offering (CSO) document is now scheduled to be officially released on Friday, 18 September 2026.

28 August 2026 Updated: Posting of the Final CNECTS Teaming/Partnering Interest Spreadsheet

26 August 2026 Updated: Reopening of the CNECTS Teaming and Partnering Questionnaire

1. OVERVIEW & REOPENING ANNOUNCEMENT
Due to this high volume of interest and to maximize opportunities for robust teaming, joint ventures, and prime/subcontractor relationships, the Government has reopened the Teaming & Partnering Questionnaire to allow additional interested parties to sign up.

2. IMPORTANT DEADLINES
To ensure all new vendors are captured, we have established an new hard timeline:

• New Submission Deadline: Friday, 28 August 2026 at 1:00 PM MST. No submissions will be accepted after this time.

• Updated Matrix Release Date: The final, most updated CNECTS Teaming and Partnering Matrix spreadsheet will be released and available for public access on SAM.gov no later than 2:00 PM MST on Friday, 28 August 2026.

3. INSTRUCTIONS FOR NEW SUBMISSIONS
If your company previously submitted a questionnaire and is already on the current matrix, no further action is required.

If your company is not on the current matrix and wishes to be added, please complete the short questionnaire at the following link by the 1:00 PM MST deadline on August 28th. Ctrl + Click to follow this link: https://forms.osi.apps.mil/r/LkHE57UpWm

21 Aug 2026 Updated: Providing Updated Teaming/Partnering Spreadsheet 

21 Aug 2026 Updated: Additional PDF version of the virtual industry day slides for ease of access

20 Aug 2026 Updated: Vitural Pre-Release Industry Day _Post-Event Release:

Offical Release of the Informational Materials from the CNECTS Pre-Release Virtual Industry Day held on Wednesday, 19 August 2026.  The following attachments are now publicly available in the "Attachments/Links" section of this notice:

• CNECTS_Virtual Industry_Day_Slides_19_Aug_2026.pdf: The official presentation slides, including the detailed technical and acquisition briefs.

• CNECTS_Virtual Industry_Day_Transcript.pdf: A written, word-for-word transcript of the entire briefing portion of the event.

• CNECTS_Virtual Industry_Day_Video Recording (DoD SAFE Transmission): Due to the large file size of the video recording, the file cannot be hosted directly on this portal. Interested parties must request access to the video via email. Upon receipt of your request, the Government will issue a DoD SAFE (Secure Access File Exchange) drop-off link to your designated email address, allowing you to securely download the video file.

2. TEAMING & PARTNERING OPPORTUNITIES
To foster robust collaboration, joint ventures, and prime/subcontractor partnerships on this upcoming $330M requirement, the Government has compiled the responses from the Teaming and Partnership Questionnaire.

• CNECTS_Teaming_and_Partnering_Matrix.xlsx: This attached spreadsheet contains a consolidated list of all interested vendors, their business size/socioeconomic status, core capabilities, and contact information.

• How to Use: Industry partners are highly encouraged to review this spreadsheet to identify potential business partners to strengthen proposal teams.

⚠️ CRITICAL DISCLAIMER FOR INTERESTED PARTIES:

• Direct Industry-to-Industry Outreach: Industry partners are solely responsible for initiating contact and reaching out to one another to explore business partnerships.

• Independent Corporate Arrangements: Teaming agreements, joint ventures, and prime-subcontractor relationships are strictly private business arrangements between individual companies.

• No Government Guidance/Intervention: The Government is prohibited from assisting, intervening in, or providing guidance on the negotiation, execution, or structuring of private teaming arrangements. The Government's role is strictly limited to providing the contact spreadsheet to facilitate voluntary industry matchmaking.

We want to thank all of our industry partners for the immense level of interest and participation shown during our Industry Day. 

The Government is actively consolidating and reviewing all of the feedback, questions, and insights gained during these sessions to refine and strengthen the draft acquisition documents. We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we do our due diligence to solidify this major effort.

14 Aug 2026 Updated: Inquiries Regarding CNECTS 1-on-1 Meeting Schedule

Clarification: Our #1 priority this week has been to capture and finalize the schedule for the initial block of 1-on-1 meetings taking place on August 20th and 21st. To provide an update on our overall scheduling status:

• The first 22 eligible small business companies have now been officially scheduled for August 20th and 21st. Calendar invitations with specific times and MS Teams links were sent directly to the designated Point of Contact (POC) today.

• If your company's request was submitted prior to the official deadline of August 5, 2026, at 9:30 AM MDT, but you were not in the first group of 22, your request is still valid. The CNECTS Program Manager will contact you to schedule your meeting for the overflow sessions occurring the following week (the week of August 24, 2026).

If your request was submitted after the deadline, we regret that we are unable to accommodate your firm due to scheduling constraints. We highly encourage your participation in the main Virtual Industry Day on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.

Thank you for your inquiry and your continued interest in the CNECTS requirement. We appreciate your patience as we work through the remaining schedule and look forward to your engagement.

13 Aug 2026 Updated: CNECTS Pre-Release Virtual Industry Day Information and More.

1. CNECTS PRE-RELEASE VIRTUAL INDUSTRY DAY: MS TEAMS DIAL-IN (AUGUST 19, 2026)
The CNECTS Pre-Release Virtual Industry Day is open to all interested large and small businesses. No prior registration is required to attend this main session.

• Date: Wednesday, 19 August 2026
• Time: 09:00 AM – 1:00 PM Mountain Standard Time (MST)
• Location: Virtual Only via Microsoft Teams

Join the meeting on your computer, mobile app, or room device:
Microsoft Teams meeting (Highlight, Copy & Paste the link below in the browser to access)

Join: https://dod.teams.microsoft.us/meet/993644079118?p=bQaeu9hdFClT0ybufo

Meeting ID: 993 644 079 118

Passcode: cR2cH2eb

Need help? | System reference

Dial in by phone

+1 (555) 000-0000,,963402252# United States, Odenton

Find a local number

Phone conference ID: 963 402 252#

2. ONE-ON-ONE MEETING INVITATIONS SENT
The Government has officially scheduled all calendar invitations for the Small Business One-on-One sessions.

These calendar invites were sent today directly to the Point of Contact (POC) identified in your original request. Please check your inbox and spam/junk folders. Your invite contains the specific date, time, and private MS Teams link for your session. Note: If you received a prior email confirming you secured a slot but did not receive a calendar invite today, please contact the Contracting Office immediately.

3. TEAMING & PARTNERSHIP QUESTIONNAIRE
The CNECTS effort is a large-scale acquisition, and the Government highly encourages teaming arrangements, joint ventures, and prime/subcontractor partnerships.

To facilitate networking among industry partners, we are compiling an "Interested Vendors List" that will be distributed to all participants. If your company wishes to be included on this list to explore partnering opportunities, please complete the short questionnaire by Monday, 24 August 2026 at 12:00 PM MST.

(Highlight, Copy & Paste the link below in the browser to access): https://forms.osi.apps.mil/r/LkHE57UpWm

05 Aug 2026 Update: CNECTS 1-on-1 Meeting Requests Closed

This email is to inform you that the request window for the Small Business One-on-One meetings has officially closed. The final cutoff for submissions was today, August 5, 2026, at 9:30 AM MDT.

Due to the late publication of our notice, we are implementing the following scheduling protocols to accommodate our industry partners:

• For Requests Received PRIOR to the Cutoff (Before 9:30 AM Today): If your request was submitted before the cutoff, your meeting is being accommodated. Due to high demand filling the original August 20th–21st window, your One-on-One meeting will be scheduled for the following week (week of August 24, 2026). The Program Manager will reach out to you shortly to coordinate your specific date and time.

• For Requests Received AFTER the Cutoff (After 9:30 AM Today): We regret that we cannot accept any further requests. All sessions are fully booked with over 40 requests received. 

If you secured a slot, you will receive a separate calendar invite shortly with your official appointment details and MS Teams meeting link.

Even if you are not participating in a One-on-One session, we highly encourage you to attend the main Pre-Release Virtual Industry Day on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, for a comprehensive walk-through of the forthcoming Commercial Solutions Offering (CSO) and Area of Interest (AOI).

Thank you for your time and your interest in supporting the Space Force mission.

Respectfully,

Rosalind Davis
Contracting Officer
Space Acquisition and Integration Office (SAIO)

28 July 2026 Update: Correction to Government POC Email Address for One-on-One Requests

Primary POC: Rosalind Davis, Contracting Officer – contact@example.gov

28 July 2026 Updated: SAVE-THE-DATE: CNECTS Pre-Release Virtual Industry Day & One-on-Ones

The Space Acquisition and Integration Office (SAIO), on behalf of the 21st Communications Squadron (21 CS), is pleased to announce a Pre-Release Virtual Industry Day for the CNECTS acquisition. 

This event will provide critical updates on the CNECTS requirement, featuring a comprehensive walk-through of the draft Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) and Area of Interest (AOI) document(s).

Additionally, the Government will host virtual One-on-One meetings exclusively for new small business participants that have not had an opportunity to meet with the CNECTS acquisition team to ensure maximum opportunity for emerging partners to discuss their capabilities for he CNECTS requirements.

2. EVENT DATES & DETAILS

• Virtual Industry Day: Wednesday, 19 August 2026

  
  

  • Format: Virtual Only (MS Teams)

  • Audience: Open to all interested industry partners.

  • Key Focus: Detailed walk-through and Q&A session regarding the CNECTS draft CSO and AOI.

• Small Business One-on-One Meetings: Thursday, 20 August 2026 & Friday, 21 August 2026

  
  

  • Format: Virtual Only (MS Teams)

  • Eligibility Requirement (CRITICAL): These sessions are strictly reserved for new small business participants that have not previously met with the CNECTS acquisition team. If your company has already engaged in a One-on-One for this requirement, please do not request a slot for these dates. Space is highly limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis for eligible firms.

3. ONE-ON-ONE REGISTRATION (OPEN NOW) 📝
Eligible small businesses may begin requesting their 1-on-1 time slots immediately. Space is highly limited and slots will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

• How to Request: Email the Point of Contact listed below.

• Required Email Subject Line: CNECTS 1-on-1 Request - [Your Company Name]

• Information to Include in Request:

  
  

  1. Company Name & Unique Entity ID (UEI)

  2. Primary Point of Contact (Name, Email, Phone)

  3. Small Business and/or Socioeconomic Category (e.g., SDVOSB, WOSB, 8(a), HUBZone), if applicable

  4. Confirmation Statement: "We confirm that our company has not previously held a One-on-One meeting with the CNECTS acquisition team."

4. NEXT STEPS FOR THE VIRTUAL INDUSTRY DAY
For general attendance at the Virtual Industry Day on August 19 (which does not require a 1-on-1 slot), formal MS Teams dial-in links and draft CSO/AOI materials will be posted here in the coming weeks. No registration is required for the main briefings on August 19.

5. POINTS OF CONTACT
Submit your One-on-One meeting requests directly to:

• Primary POC: Rosalind Davis, Contracting Officer – contact@example.gov

14 July 2026 Updated: Important Notice to Industry: Immediate Suspension of CMMC Phase II Requirements

On behalf of the SAIO Acquisition Team, we want to ensure all industry partners are aware of a major policy announcement issued today by the Department of War (DoW) Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment.

Effective immediately, the Department has suspended the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Phase II requirements, which were originally scheduled to go into effect on November 10, 2026.

What does this mean? 

While Phase II is suspended to reduce administrative barriers, the Department maintains a strict cybersecurity posture:

• Phase I Remains Active: All CMMC Phase I self-assessment requirements remain firmly in place.

• Contractual Enforcement Continues: Contractual enforcement of cybersecurity remains fully active. All defense contractors must still comply with DFARS 252.204-7012, which requires the implementation of NIST SP 800-171 security controls to protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

9 July 2026 Updated: General Status Updated Regarding the Acquisition Path and Timeline

We appreciate your continued interest and your patience as we work through the pre-acquisition phases. This correspondence is to provide a general status update regarding the acquisition path and timeline:

• Current Review Status: The CNECTS follow-on is a highly complex acquisition that consolidates multiple legacy contracts across critical Space Force installations. At this time, several critical reviews and strategy documents have not yet been approved.

• Path Forward: Because of the technical and structural complexity of this effort, we are working diligently to secure all necessary senior-level approvals. As soon as we obtain a more definitive pathway and approved strategy, we will provide an updated milestone schedule to Industry.

• A Viable Requirement: We want to emphasize that this remains a highly viable contract action. The Government is fully committed to this consolidated effort and is actively progressing through the required regulatory steps.

• Virtual Industry Day: Due to the extensive delay between the initial Industry Day and the upcoming release of the CSO/Area of Interest (AOI), the Space Acquisition and Integration Office (SAIO) plans to host a Virtual-Only Industry Day. The purpose of this event will be to walk through the CSO and the specific AOI requirements prior to their release, aiming to address as many questions as possible before the official solicitation goes live.

• One-on-One Meetings: In conjunction with these updates, one-on-one (1-1) meetings will be offered to any new requesters that have not previously met with the CNECTS acquisition team. Due to high interest and resource constraints, we are unable to accommodate repeat meetings with previously engaged parties.

As a reminder, when the solicitation is released, it will be executed as a 100% Small Business Set-Aside using the Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) phased evaluation process.

We encourage you to continue to monitor SAM.gov for all future updates, draft releases, and formal announcements regarding this requirement.

Thank you again for your time, interest, and continued support of this mission.

10 June 2026 Updated: U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Decision

At this time, the acquisition strategy has not been approved. Unfortunately, this process has taken longer than initially anticipated, and the Government is still actively working through the approval process.

However, we are able to share an update regarding the SBA's decision:

• The SBA has officially released the two previous contracts—WICS II and PEDS—from the 8(a) program.

• Concurrently, the initially approved consolidated Justification and Approval (J&A) decision has been changed.

• Therefore, the CNECTS acquisition will now be competed as a 100% Small Business Set-Aside.

Thank you all for your continued interest in the CNECTS acquisition. We appreciate your patience as we finalize the remaining acquisition strategy approvals. All interested parties are advised to continue to monitor SAM.gov for all formal notifications, updated timelines, and future releases of information regarding this requirement.