Private Capital Investor Cohort (PCIC)
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 SOFWERX, in collaboration with USSOCOM, is seeking private capital organizations to form a Private Capital Investor Cohort (PCIC). This initiative aims to identify firms with novel technology companies that align with the Special Operations Forces Acquisition Technology and Logistics (SOF AT&L) portfolio to accelerate capability development. Submissions are due by February 27, 2026, 11:59 PM ET.
Scope of Work
USSOCOM requires a private capital cohort to accelerate capability development across its Program Executive Offices. Organizations must understand markets and technologies aligned with SOF interests and possess expertise in academic and accelerator services. The objective is to create a purpose-driven community focused on delivering new capabilities at speed and scale to the SOF warfighter through in-person and virtual events.
Who Should Submit
Criteria for inclusion in the Cohort include:
- A record of investing in defense technology, highly desirable if aligned with SOF AT&L portfolio and successful exits.
- Experience investing at Seed, Series A, Series B, or later stages.
- May be growth equity and/or traditional banking.
- Must have raised an investment fund and be deploying capital.
- Must be accredited investors as defined by Rule 501 of Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933.
- Participants must be US Citizens. Non-US Citizen employees must be excluded from the active PCIC program.
- Passive Limited Partners that are non-U.S. entities will be evaluated case-by-case.
Why Participate & Path Forward
USSOCOM seeks to enter into non-FAR or FAR-based agreements with favorably evaluated Industry, Academic, and National Lab partners. The Assessment Event (AE) is competitive, with solutions evaluated primarily for technical merit. Potential awards include:
- Business to business R&D agreement as a sub-award through the SOFWERX Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA).
- Other Transaction Authority (OTA) for research or prototype projects (10 U.S. Code Sections 4021, 4022), potentially leading to follow-on production without additional competition.
- Procurement for experimental purposes (10 U.S. Code Section 4023).
- Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA).
- Prizes for advanced technology achievements and/or prize competitions.
- FAR-based procurement contract.
Contract & Timeline
- Type: Special Notice (Assessment Event)
- Submissions Open: February 9, 2026
- Submissions Due: February 27, 2026, 11:59 PM ET
- Downselect: February 27, 2026 – March 6, 2026
- Assessment Event (AE): March 11, 2026 – March 27, 2026 (Virtual via MS Teams)
- Published: March 2, 2026
- Set-Aside: None specified (criteria for participants outlined)
Evaluation
Solutions will be evaluated for technical merit. Favorably evaluated submissions will receive a Request for Information (RFI). The AE will involve review by a USSOCOM evaluation panel, potentially including Q&A. Successful evaluations may lead to immediate negotiations for Phase 4 awards.
Additional Notes
Awardees may need to be compliant with NIST SP 800-171, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in Non-Federal Systems and Organizations. For event-related questions, contact Alana Hymel.