DCSA INNOVATION GATEWAY

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) Innovation Gateway is a long-term, open solicitation under Other Transaction Authority (10 U.S.C. § 4022) designed to engage nontraditional innovators in solving critical mission challenges through prototype development. This initiative, identified by solicitation number HS0021-26-CSO-DCSA and active from June 2026 through June 2031, is structured as a flexible, non-FAR vehicle that bypasses traditional procurement constraints to accelerate collaboration with companies, research institutions, and small businesses. Proposals are submitted in response to individual Innovation Calls published on SAM.gov, which reference the broader gateway framework and define specific areas of interest such as Digital Transformation Enablement, Data Integration and Advanced Analytics, Cyber and Industrial Security, and Digital Workforce and Governance. All submissions must follow the mandatory Solution Concept Paper Template, limited to six pages across six core sections, with strict formatting rules to ensure uniformity and fairness in evaluation. Only proposals submitted in direct response to an Innovation Call will be considered; unsolicited submissions are rejected. Evaluation is conducted in three phases, beginning with a merit-based review of the Solution Concept Paper under three qualitative factors: Concept Viability, Mission Alignment, and Affordability, assessed individually without comparison to other proposals. No numerical weights or adjectival ratings are assigned, and decisions are based on the inherent quality and potential of the concept. To be eligible, proposers must meet strict OTA requirements: at least one participant must be a nontraditional defense contractor or nonprofit research institution; all significant participants must be small businesses or nontraditional contractors; and at least one-third of the total project cost must be cost-shared by non-federal sources. Proposers must also be actively registered in SAM with a valid UEI, not suspended or debarred, and registered in the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment for invoicing. Proposals containing proprietary data must be clearly marked, or the Government assumes unlimited rights. Successful prototypes may transition directly into production without competition under the OTA’s follow-on authority, and scope adjustments can be made during performance without recompetition. Security clearances may be required depending on the Innovation Call, and Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence must be disclosed and mitigated. Place of performance is flexible, payment details are handled through PIEE, and no formal contract value is established at the concept stage—only a Rough Order of Magnitude cost estimate is solicited for initial evaluation.