Other Transaction Agreement Solutions Offering (OTASO) for TechAccess: AI-Ready America Program

The U.S. National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships is seeking an eligible organization to serve as the National Coordination Lead for the TechAccess: AI-Ready America program through an Other Transaction (OT) agreement authorized under the CHIPS and Science Act, 42 U.S.C. § 19116. This is not a FAR-based procurement or financial assistance award, offering flexibility in structure and terms that will be negotiated post-selection. The selected organization will be responsible for executing seven core workstreams over a five-year period, including direct support to State and Territory Coordination Hubs, establishing national AI deployment capacity, engaging industry and philanthropic partners, strengthening coordination in underserved sectors, managing AI-Ready Catalyst Award competitions, and developing a comprehensive reporting framework with key performance indicators. The National Lead must demonstrate proven capability to operate as a semi-autonomous, agile entity with deep expertise in AI readiness across technical, policy, education, workforce, and applied domains, alongside national convening power and neutrality to effectively coordinate diverse stakeholders across the country. Proposals must be submitted as a single PDF not exceeding 20 pages by 4:00 p.m. EDT on July 21, 2026, to Benjamin Patterson at bpatterns@nsf.gov, with a required subject line and title page containing the lead organization’s name and Unique Entity Identifier. Applicants must maintain an active SAM registration and are subject to eligibility restrictions excluding foreign entities of concern as defined by the CHIPS and Science Act, as well as individuals involved in Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs. The proposal must include biosketches of key personnel, letters of commitment from subcontractors, and a detailed 12-month budget broken down by labor, materials, travel, consultants, and indirect costs, with justification for each category. Compliance is evaluated through a pass/fail gate ensuring eligibility and completeness, followed by a competitive assessment based on confidence ratings tied to organizational experience, workstream execution approach, and budget realism. Data handling, research security, privacy protocols, and access requirements will be finalized during negotiations, and the contractor must safeguard sensitive applications from researchers and innovators. The award is expected to use a blended payment structure of fixed-price and milestone-based disbursements, with performance initiation contingent on the full establishment of the National Lead organization within the United States.