Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO)

The Washington Headquarters Services Acquisition Directorate (WHS/AD) operates as the Single Enterprise Contracting Office (SECO) to the Office of the Secretary of War and mission partners within the Department of War, managing innovative acquisitions under authorities granted by 10 U.S.C. §§ 3458 and 4022. This Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) serves as a special notice solicitation (HQ0034259WHSCSO) posted on March 26, 2026, with responses accepted through March 12, 2030. It is designed to solicit innovative commercial solutions, including commercially available technologies, concept demonstrations, pilots, and agile development activities capable of accelerating defense capability delivery. The CSO encourages participation from traditional and nontraditional defense contractors, including small businesses and non-profits, across a diverse range of Areas of Interest (AOIs) posted separately on the Government Point of Entry (https://sam.gov). Amendments to the CSO have updated various aspects such as description, contact points, and submission instructions, reflecting the evolving nature of this solicitation over its five-year open period. Unlike traditional FAR-based contracts, this CSO uses Other Transaction Authority (OTA), allowing for flexible, prototype-driven agreements outside the Federal Acquisition Regulation framework. The award process emphasizes holistic evaluation factors, primarily including the technical merit and feasibility of solutions relative to the posted AOIs, business viability of offerors, acceptability of cost estimates and schedules, and the impact of data rights assertions. Awards are made via a trade-off evaluation focused on potential impact rather than lowest-price criteria. Performance periods typically span up to 24 months per project and require deliverables that meet agreed-upon technical goals and success metrics, with completion and acceptance decisions made by the Government’s Agreements Officer. Proposals must adhere to strict submission formats outlined in the Request for Prototype Proposal (RPP), including an Affirmation of Business Status Certification (ABSC) to verify eligibility as small or nontraditional defense contractors or foreign-owned entities with additional compliance requirements. Special contract conditions include Comptroller General audit access for awards exceeding $5 million, procurement integrity requirements, and iterative prototyping authority permitting mutual modifications to project scope. Communications and submissions are conducted electronically in unclassified formats, and contractors are obligated to maintain active registrations in SAM with valid UEI and CAGE codes. The contract administration relies on the WHS/AD Agreements Officer exclusively for contract execution, oversight, and acceptance decisions, and invoicing is processed through the Wide Area Work Flow (WAWF) system. No packaging, marking,