FA221726CB001
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The Department of the Air Force is announcing a Justification and Approval (J&A) for a sole-source contract award to Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (JHU/APL). This acquisition is for strategic and technical expertise to perform an Analysis of Options (AoO) in support of a CAPE-directed study for the Mobile Command and Control Systems (MC2S). The AoO will assess materiel and non-materiel solutions to enhance MC2S capabilities. This notice was published on May 7, 2026.
Scope of Work
The contract requires essential research and expertise in:
- System engineering, system of systems engineering, and enterprise system of systems engineering.
- Analysis of alternatives based on the Department of War Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (OSW/CAPE) MC2S Study Guidance.
- Assessment of threats and scenarios, cost analysis, effective analysis, technology and alternatives, employment concepts, and risk analysis.
Contract Details
- Type: Sole-source, likely Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) and Cost Reimbursable (CR).
- Estimated Cost: Approximately $4,000,000.
- Period of Performance: Approximately 18 months.
- Funding: 3600 Research and Development (R&D) funds.
- Place of Performance: Colorado Springs, CO.
Eligibility / Set-Aside
This is a sole-source acquisition to Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (JHU/APL) under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 3204(a)(3) and FAR 6.302-3 (Industrial Mobilization; or Engineering, Developmental, or Research Capability). JHU/APL is uniquely qualified due to its status as a University Affiliated Research Center (UARC), extensive NC3 expertise, prior performance on the NC3 Next Trade Space Study (NNTS) Phase I, specialized expertise, cleared facilities, and its role as the leading Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) expert for MC2S.
Evaluation
This is not a solicitation for proposals. The contract will be awarded after a FAR Part 15 driven evaluation and negotiation process to ensure a fair and reasonable cost, including technical evaluation, cost analysis, price analysis, and profit/fee analysis.
Additional Notes
A notice to industry was not publicized due to national security concerns (exception 5.202(a)(1)). Future efforts will include extensive market research to identify potential respondents and outreach to other UARCs and FFRDCs.