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).

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

+1 410-874-6740,,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 – rosalind.davis.3@spaceforce.mil

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 – rosalind.davis.3@spaceforce.mi

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.

01 May 2026 Updated: Release of Consolidated Questions and Answers (Q&As) and Updated PEDS PWS. 

The Government is pleased to announce the release of the long-awaited consolidated Questions and Answers (Q&A) matrix resulting from the recent industry engagement phase. Please be advised that this Q&A release primarily focuses on the information required for successful Phase I submissions.

Additionally, an updated Performance Work Statement (PWS) for PEDS have been included with this post.

31 March 2026 Updated: Apologies for the omission. The RFI response deadline is 1400 on Tuesday, 7 April 2026. 

30 March 2026 Updated: Rejection of Early White Paper Submission – CNECTS Acquisition

The draft CSO and AOIs were published for reference and feedback only! Please DO NOT submit any white papers prior to the authorized submission window. The Government will only accept white papers submitted within the designated submission period. Any submission received before the official opening date or after the closing date is considered non‑responsive and cannot be reviewed, evaluated, or retained.

To preserve the integrity, fairness, and transparency of the competitive process, the Government strictly enforces all procedural requirements. No exceptions or waivers may be granted for early submissions.

Submit white papers only after the official submission window opens, in accordance with the instructions and timelines that will be published in the solicitation.

27 March 2026 Updated: Official Release of Industry Day Materials & Request for Feedback

SAIO has officially uploaded the presentation slides and supporting documents from the recent CNECTS Industry Day conference.

Q&A Posting Delay: Please be advised, due to the large quantity of questions received and the need to coordinate with our mission partners, the consolidated Q&A log will be delayed. The Government anticipates posting the official Q&A document by 10 April 2026

The following materials are now available to assist our industry partners in preparing for the forthcoming solicitation.

Newly available materials include:

• Official Industry Day Presentation Slides

• Draft copy of the CSO and AOI(s) 

• Supporting solicitation documents

• PEDS PWS: This document has been re-added for reference, as some requirements from the PEDS program will be retained for the CNECTS acquisition

Industry Day Recordings: Due to their large file size, the recordings are available upon request and will be sent through DOD SAFE. Interested parties should submit a request via email to rosalind.davis.3@spaceforce.mil. 

All interested parties are encouraged to review these materials thoroughly. To help us refine the final solicitation, please provide all feedback on the posted materials via the RFI link posted here: https://forms.osi.apps.mil/r/wEcneQjVku

We appreciate the valuable engagement from industry and look forward to your participation in the CNECTS program. Please continue to monitor this channel for further updates.

04 March 2026 Updated: CNECTS Industry Day _General Session Information

Due to the large number of attendees, we did not send individual notifications. Instead, a representative from each company was sent the information for Industry Day. Please note that a mass email with these details was sent out to a company representative yesterday, March 3, 2026, at 9:03 AM MST.

For In-Person Attendees:

No ID Required: You will not need to present an ID for entry.

Company Sign-In: A sign-in sheet will be available. We ask that each company sign in once. Companies that requested two seats will have two slots. We will rely on companies to manage their own attendees.

Information Card: Each company will receive a registration card to be turned in at the end of the day. This card will be used to collect contact information (Name, Email, Phone), note interest in partnering, and submit questions for the government.

For Virtual Attendees (MS Teams):

Recording: The entire event will be recorded. 

Identification: When joining the Teams meeting, please set your display name to include your Full Name and Company Name.

Dial-In Participants: If you join by phone, you will be asked to self-identify. Anyone who does not self-identify will be removed from the call."

25 Feb 2026 Updated: CNECTS Request for Information (RFI) and Industry Day.

The CNECTS RFI submission period has officially closed, and we are no longer accepting additional responses. We appreciate the effort and interest shown by all participants in supporting this initiative. 

Additionally, we regret to inform you that attendance for Industry Day has reached full capacity, and no further spots are available. Due to the overwhelming response and limited space, we are unable to accommodate any new requests. 

However, we remain committed to engaging with interested parties and will continue to offer one-on-one engagements upon request. If you would like to schedule a one-on-one meeting with our team, please feel free to reach out to me directly at rosalind.davis.3@spaceforce.mil, and we will make arrangements to address your questions and provide further insights.

We value your engagement and encourage you to stay connected for future updates related to this effort. 

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

17 Feb 2026 Updated: RFI #2 document was updated to add the reply to email address found under "Submission Instructions" paragraph. 

12 Feb 2026 Updated: Seeking Industry Input for CNECTS Industry Day Agenda

This is the third Request for Information (RFI) concerning the CNECTS acquisition.

The Government is preparing to host an Industry Day, and this RFI is intended to make that event as productive as possible. To ensure the Industry Day directly addresses your most pressing questions, we are asking for your input now.

To facilitate a focused dialogue, we ask that you submit your questions prior to the event. We request that you submit suggested discussion topics, or concerns you would like to see included on the Industry Day agenda. Your feedback is critical for structuring an event that is relevant and directly addresses the key interests of industry.  

When submitting, please clearly identify which questions are suitable for public discussion and which you consider proprietary. This distinction will help us formulate a comprehensive Q&A for the main session while respecting the confidentiality of your unique business concerns.

In addition to the group presentation, the Government will hold a limited number of one-on-one sessions on the subsequent dates of 12th and 13th March 2026. These meetings are intended to provide a forum for more in-depth, company-specific discussions. Instructions for requesting a session are detailed in the RFI #3 attachment. Your input will help shape a productive and valuable engagement for all participants.

Please submit response no later than 23 February 2026 as stated in the RFI #3 attachment. 

23 Jan 26 Update: This acquisition posting has been updated with the following changes:  

  a. PEDS PWS has been removed, as the workload has been absorbed by the BIMS contract.

   b. Added: Second Request for Information (RFI #2) has been added with a response date of February 23, 2026. 

   c. Added: CNECTS Requirement and Legacy Contract Differences_a document outlining the differences from the legacy contract, and

   d. Added: Requirements Matrix for RFI #2

5 Aug 25 Update: The previous attachment #1 could not be opened and has now been updated. The document name is "1. BOS IT PWS - 7 Oct 24 (2)," and has been uploaded.