Pre-solicitation Notice: On-Ramp for the Department of Defense OMNIBUS IV Multiple-Award Contract

The Defense Health Agency Contracting Activity is preparing to issue an on-ramp to the OMNIBUS IV Multiple Award, Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract vehicle, which supports military medical research and development services across four distinct market segments: medical research and development support, general research and development support, regulatory processes for human and animal research, and translational science services for moving innovations from laboratory to clinical practice. This on-ramp opportunity is exclusively set-aside for small businesses certified under the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Program, with the aim of expanding the pool of qualified contractors while maintaining alignment with the existing unrestricted contract vehicle. The OMNIBUS IV IDIQ has a cumulative ceiling of $10 billion and has already generated over $600 million in task order awards across 51 task orders since its base period began in 2022, with the majority of activity occurring in fiscal years 2024 through 2026. Task orders are competitively awarded, including set-asides for 8(a) participants, and may be issued by various DoD entities including DHACA, the Naval Supply Systems Command, and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. The upcoming solicitation, expected to be posted on SAM.gov in late February 2026, follows a delay to align with the February 2026 implementation of the FAR Overhaul, which significantly impacts how small business status is handled under unrestricted IDIQ contracts. Under the new rules, contractors do not need to recertify their small business status at the task order level when bidding on 8(a)-set-aside work, as they may rely on their original IDIQ-level size and status representation—even if they have graduated from the 8(a) Program or grown beyond small business size thresholds. However, contractors must still recertify their status at the IDIQ level within 60 to 120 days prior to the end of the fifth contract year, in compliance with FAR 19.301-2(b)(1)(iii)(A). Proposals must be submitted via the PIEE Solicitation module using a SAM.gov-registered account, and while the initial pre-solicitation notice provides the framework and intent, detailed evaluation criteria, submission instructions, and contract clauses will be formally outlined in the forthcoming RFP. All awards under this on-ramp will be made to small business 8(a) participants, and the government anticipates issuing multiple new contracts