16th Air Force Commercial Solutions Opening

Quick Summary

The 16th Air Force has issued Call 0011 under its Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) for Cybersecurity Service Provider (CSSP) - Assurance, Risk, Governance and Innovation Systems Security (ARGISS). This call seeks innovative technical and analytical support to operationalize Department of the Air Force (DAF) CSSP capabilities, crucial for Air Force and Combatant Command missions. The focus is on securing the DAF Information Network (DAFIN) and integrating emerging technologies. Step I submissions (Quad Charts and White Papers) are due by June 1, 2026.

Purpose & Scope

This CSO Call aims to enhance DAF CSSP services by proposing innovative courses of action for people, processes, and technology. The CSSP mission involves governing, identifying, protecting, detecting, responding to, and recovering from network operation and defensive cyber operations events across DAFIN (NIPRNET/SIPRNET/AFSCI). This includes onboarding, engineering, and integrating DAF Accredited systems, emerging technologies (OT, IoT, ICS SCADA), cloud operations, and new mission systems. The government is interested in approaches that leverage innovation to meet or exceed capability needs.

Key Requirements / Deliverables

Solutions should address:

• Developing a roadmap for onboarding and integrating processes for foundational CSSP functions.
• Providing technical direction for effective security across enterprise-wide IT, OT, IoT, and Cloud networks.
• Delivering technical recommendations and training for the DAF CSSP Program on emerging technologies and innovative hardware/software.
• Improving the 688th Cyberspace Wing's (CW) ability to execute DAF CSSP operations.
• Creating a more efficient DAF CSSP service model for mission partners.
• Delivering innovative processes and technologies for situational awareness and data fusion.
• Enhancing defensive cyber posture through advanced AI/Machine Learning (ML)-driven security solutions.

Contract Details

Awards will be in the form of contracts or Other Transactions (OT) under 10 U.S.C. §2371b. The government anticipates a single award for an integrated solution. Funding is intended for Fiscal Year 2026, with periods of performance ranging from 1-5 years. Only Firm Fixed Price (FFP) or Fixed Price Incentive (FPI) contracts may be awarded.

Submission & Evaluation

This is a two-step submission process:

• Step I: Submit Quad Charts and White Papers by 1200 CST on June 1, 2026.
• Step II: Select offerors will be invited to submit full proposals, including a Statement of Work (SOW) and detailed pricing. Step I submissions will be evaluated based on technical merit/applicability, importance to the 16th Air Force mission, and fund availability (all factors of equal importance). Step II proposals will be evaluated on technical merit, importance to agency programs, and funding availability.

Eligibility / Set-Aside

Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM). Required personnel security clearances and facility clearances are necessary, including a fully accredited Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) within a fifteen (15) mile radius of Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) - Lackland, TX, at the time of award. No specific set-asides are mentioned for this call.

Additional Notes

"Innovative" refers to new technologies, processes, or methods, or new applications of existing ones. Offerors are encouraged to submit unclassified white papers. Proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should not be included in responses. Funding is not guaranteed, and no reimbursement will be made for costs associated with providing information. All submissions become Government property.