Other Transaction Agreement Solutions Offering (OTASO) for AI-Ready America Program
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 U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP), seeks proposals for an Other Transaction Agreement Solutions Offering (OTASO) to establish a National Coordination Lead for the TechAccess: AI-Ready America program. This initiative aims to accelerate Artificial Intelligence (AI) readiness and adoption across the U.S. by strengthening national coordination, knowledge sharing, and technical assistance. NSF anticipates issuing one Other Transaction (OT) award.
Scope of Work
The National Coordination Lead will support national coordination, knowledge sharing, technical assistance, AI deployment, partner engagement, and program documentation. Key responsibilities are organized into seven workstreams:
- Workstream 1: State/Territory-level Coordination Hub Support and Technical Assistance.
- Workstream 2: National-Level Knowledge Sharing, Visibility, and Identification of Gaps.
- Workstream 3: National AI Deployment Support.
- Workstream 4: Industry and Philanthropy Engagement.
- Workstream 5: National Coordination Within Priority Sectors.
- Workstream 6: Develop and Execute AI-Ready Catalyst Award Competitions.
- Workstream 7: Documentation and Reporting of Progress.
The selected lead must demonstrate capability to execute an OT Award, operational agility, comprehensive AI expertise, national convening power, trusted stewardship, and commit key personnel (minimum 75% FTE for the lead role).
Contract Details
- Instrument: Other Transaction (OT) Agreement, pursuant to the CHIPS and Science Act.
- Award Type: One award for the National Coordination Lead.
- Estimated Value: $5,000,000 per year for a five-year commitment (total $25M).
- Period of Performance: Five years.
- Place of Performance: Within the United States at the awardee site.
- Payment Structure: Combination of fixed-price and milestone-based payments.
Eligibility & Set-Aside
Any responsible source organization (excluding foreign entities of concern) with active SAM.gov registration may submit a proposal. Proposers are prohibited from serving as a lead or partner on State/Territory Coordination Hub awards or AI-Ready Catalyst Award Competitions. Specific entities and individuals on restricted lists (e.g., BIS Entity List, Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Programs) are ineligible. There is no specific set-aside for this opportunity.
Submission & Evaluation
- Proposal Submission Deadline: July 21, 2026, 4:00 p.m. EDT.
- Submission Method: Via email to Benjamin Patterson (bpatters@nsf.gov) in PDF format.
- Questions Deadline: June 15, 2026, 4:00 p.m. EDT, submitted via email to ai-ready@nsf.gov.
- Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be assessed on Organizational Experience, Strengths, and Capabilities; Workstream Execution Approach; and Budget Realism and Alignment.
- Oral Presentations: May be invited for further evaluation (August-September 2026).
Additional Notes
This is not a FAR-based procurement contract or financial assistance award. Coordination Hubs will be selected through a separate solicitation (NSF 26-508).