Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO)

Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) N00164-25-S-C001 Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC, Crane) The procedures outlined in this CSO apply to Areas of Interest posted under N00164-25-S-C001 OBJECTIVE: this announcement is intended to enable the rapid selection of innovative commercial solutions through a three-phased, competitive process. Including commercially-available technologies fueled by commercial or strategic investment, concept demonstrations, pilots, and agile development activities that can incrementally improve commercial technologies, existing Government-owned capabilities, or concepts for defense application. SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background and Authority NSWC Crane's mission is to deliver innovative solutions and readiness to the Nation and its Warfighters through application of Technical Capabilities; advance all-domain system of systems within the Mission Areas of Expeditionary Warfare, Strategic Missions, and Electromagnetic Warfare; conduct science and technology, research, development, test and evaluation, acquisition and in-service engineering across the Defense lifecycles. To achieve these mission imperatives, NSWC Crane regularly partners with private industry using a variety of collaborative tools in order to streamline the incorporation of innovative technology into the products and services delivered to the Warfighter. To accelerate the adoption of advanced technology, curate solutions to technology gaps, and lead rapid prototyping NSWC Crane issues this Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) as authorized by 10 U.S.C. 3458 for the acquisition of innovative commercial products or commercial services through the use of a general solicitation. In this context "Innovative" means- (1) Any technology, process, or method, including research and development, that is new as of the date of submission of a proposal; or (2) Any application that is new as of the date of submission of a proposal of a technology, process, or method existing as of such date. NSWC Crane is seeking innovative commercial solutions relevant to the following areas of technological exploration: • Expeditionary Warfare Guided by the National Defense Strategy, NSWC Crane recognizes the priorities and threats shifted to the Pacific. NSWC Crane's efforts must counter the multi-domain threats and deter aggression posed in the Indo-Pacific region. This reinforces the need of a Joint Force that is even more lethal, resilient, agile and responsive. Autonomous solutions with a focus on payload and sensor integration to enhance detection, tracking, identifying, decision making, maneuver and kinetic/non-kinetic engagement capabilities for multi-domain, uncrewed and counter-crewed systems are a strategic priority. Expeditionary Warfare Development's heritage has been and continues to focus on rapid prototyping and proven solutions supporting the evolving needs of the Expeditionary force. • Strategic Missions As the Navy's primary organic field activity for full life cycle management including hardware, ordnance and power systems, NSWC Crane applies the distinct capabilities inherent to its people and facilities to assure 100% operational readiness of strategic missile systems. Fleet Readiness and Modernization and Hypersonics are a top priority of the Navy and DoD. These strategic priorities require collaboration between the Navy, Air Force, and Missile Defense Agency to align appropriate requirements, technology development, rapid prototyping, production, sustainment and protection activities of ballistic missile systems to enable affordability, advance technology and reduce program risks to modernize the nuclear enterprise to defeat emerging threats worldwide. • Electromagnetic Warfare NSWC Crane's Spectrum Warfare Department is the largest concentration of Electronic Warfare experts in the DoD. NSWC Crane provides non-kinetic expertise and electromagnetic spectrum dominance to all the services. Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (EMSO) is a strategic priority due to the increasingly congested, contested and constrained environments. NSWC Crane supports multi-domain integrated solutions through multispectral capabilities utilizing technology development, rapid prototyping, production and sustainment. Pursuant to DFARS 212.7002, NSWC Crane will only use this CSO to obtain innovative solutions or potential capabilities that fulfill requirements and to close capability gaps, or provide potential innovative technological advancements. All products and services acquired using this CSO will be treated as commercial products or commercial services, awarded on a fixed-price basis. In accordance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 206.102-70, this announcement is a competitive selection of proposals based on a review by scientific, technological, or other subject-matter expert peers and is a competitive procedure. As a result of the competitive processes used under this CSO Announcement, multiple awards may be executed. The methods utilized to execute awards include: FAR-based contract, Purchase Order, Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), and/or Bailment Agreement. Under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 4022, NSWC Crane may award an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) to vendors to carry out prototype project(s) directly relevant to enhancing the mission effectiveness of personnel of the Department of Defense or improving platforms, systems, components, or materials proposed to be acquired or developed by the Department of Defense, or to improvement of platforms, systems, components, or materials in use by the armed forces. Under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 4023, NSWC Crane may procure (by contract or otherwise) ordnance, signal, chemical activity, transportation, energy, medical, space-flight, telecommunications, and aeronautical supplies, including parts and accessories, and designs thereof, that the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary concerned considers necessary for experimental or test purposes in the development of the best supplies that are needed for the national defense. 1.2 General Solicitation and Evaluation Procedures NSWC Crane's CSO is soliciting Solution Briefs in response to individual Areas of Interest (AOIs). AOIs are focused topic(s) categories that will be published separately and posted on the SAM.Gov website and the NSWC Crane public-facing website. All Solution Briefs submitted in response to AOIs will be governed by this CSO unless otherwise noted in the AOI. AOIs will be written in broad terms to maximize latitude in creativity when approaching a problem and to allow for maximum participation from nontraditional defense contractors and interested parties (entities) who may be unfamiliar with submitting traditional proposals to Government solicitations. The Government may post AOIs at any time. Interested parties are encouraged to frequently check the SAM.Gov website and the NSWC, Crane website for new AOI postings. Evaluation of responses will consist of the following 3 Phases: 1) Solution Brief, 2) Pitch, and 3) Full written proposal - described in more detail here: Phase 1 Solution Briefs: Solution Briefs submitted in response to an AOI shall be submitted as specified in Section 2 of this CSO. The Government will evaluate Solution Briefs against the criteria stated in this CSO. The Government will not pay entities for the costs associated with Solution Brief submissions. Phase 2 Pitch Session: Respondents whose Solution Briefs are evaluated to be of merit may be invited to provide a pitch following the instructions provided in Section 2.3 of this CSO. The Government reserves the right to limit the number of parties invited to pitch. As such, a company's solution may be evaluated to be of merit, but not invited to pitch. In the event that the Government requires a demonstration, additional information will be provided in the specific AOI highlighting those procedures, otherwise Phase 2 will be comprised solely of ...