technical and instructional services for the US Naval Academy ARES Squadron

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial supplies/services for technical and instructional services for the US Naval Academy ARES Squadron. The acquisition is for a Firm-Fixed-Price purchase order under NAICS 611710, with a Small Business Size Standard of $24M. The solicitation documents and incorporates provisions and clauses in effect through FAC 2024-05 and DFARS Change Notice 20251110.

• Item 0001: Weekly ARES instruction, mentorship, counter-UAS training, Capstone advising, field scenarios, emerging technology integration, and Midshipman supervision (30 hours/week, 15 weeks) IAW SOW.

• Item 0002: Authorized travel and minor material expenses (reimbursable upon COR approval).

• Option Line Item 1001: Week-long special event support (full time participation - 40 hours).

• Option Line Item 2001: Week-long special event support (full time participation - 40 hours).

• Option Line Item 3001: Summer ARES training support (10 hours/week for 11 weeks).

• Contract Type: Firm-Fixed-Price purchase order.

• Period of Performance:

  • Base Period: 15 March 2026 to 30 June 2026 (30 hours/week).
  • Option 1 & 2: 01 July 2026 to 15 Aug 2026 (40 hours for special events).
  • Option 3: 01 July 2026 to 15 Aug 2026 (10 hours/week for summer training).

• Performance Location: U.S. Naval Academy, 121 Blake Road Annapolis, MD 21402.

• Questions Deadline: 1:00 PM EST, 27 February 2026 (via email to Megan Evans).

• Closing Date: 10 March 2026, 10:00 AM EST.

• Submission Method: Email responses to Megan Evans at megan.m.evans18.civ@us.navy.mil.

• Evaluation: Award will be made to the responsible quoter whose quote conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government, price and other factors considered. Factors include Technical and Price. Technical will be evaluated on an Acceptable/Unacceptable basis. Price will be ranked initially, but may become more significant depending on quote equality.

• Full and open competition.

• NAICS 611710.

• Small Business Size Standard: $24M.

• Vendors must be registered in the SAM database to be considered for award.

• Quotes must include price(s), point of contact, name and phone number, GSA contract number (if applicable), business size, and NET 30 payment terms.

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides responses to industry questions regarding solicitation N0018926QL029, clarifying various aspects of the Statement of Work (SOW) and evaluation criteria.

• Technical Acceptability: General statements are insufficient; quotes require specific details such as a sample weekly training schedule and a sample field scenario package.
• "Unmatched Operational Expertise": This refers to encompassing technical, operational, legal, and strategic aspects of drone initiatives. Evidence such as recent AARs, white papers, or training modules addressing current events (e.g., Operation Epic Fury) is expected. "Real-time" insight is generally considered within the last 6 months.
• Training Reports: Standardized Weekly Status Reports and Event-Based After-Action Reports (AARs) are expected, with the COR and USNA ARES faculty/staff lead as the audience.
• Validated Field Scenarios: Validation will be a simple review of preparations and observation of execution by the USNA COR and ARES faculty/staff lead. A lesser number of scenarios may be acceptable if a full semester is not covered.
• Partner Engagement: This involves general exchanges of UAS/cUAS efforts with military context, potentially including recurring touchpoints and guest instructors. Pre-existing experience or relationships are ideally sought.
• On-Site Presence: A primarily in-person presence in the Annapolis area is expected for mentorship and interaction with midshipmen and staff. The 15-hour per week goal is a weekly training plan developed in advance.
• Staffing Construct: The evaluation is not lowest price technically acceptable. The government seeks ready-to-go contractors for immediate integration and is open to a small team with a primary lead, subject to review by the USNA COR and ARES faculty member.
• Summer Training Dates: The SOW "Summer Training - June 31 - Aug 15" (7 weeks) is correct, and CLIN 3001 has been corrected to reflect this.

These clarifications provide specific guidance on expected detail in quotes, definitions of key terms, reporting requirements, personnel qualifications, and evaluation factors, directly impacting how bidders should prepare their proposals.

Amendment / Modification

This document is Amendment 001 to the Combined Synopsis-Solicitation N0018926QL029. It serves as the sole solicitation and a written solicitation will not be issued. The amendment announces that the combined synopsis/solicitation will be available for download on or about February 25, 2026.

This amendment does not appear to modify specific sections of the original solicitation but rather announces the availability of the solicitation document itself.

This amendment does not change proposal deadlines or submission requirements, but it does inform vendors of the availability date for the solicitation.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial supplies/services for the US Naval Academy ARES Squadron. The government is procuring technical and instructional services to support the Adaptive Rapid Engagement Squadron (ARES) initiatives. The services will focus on integrating emerging technologies, drone operations, and small unit tactics into midshipman development. This acquisition is fully funded and will result in a Firm-Fixed-Price purchase order.

• Specialized instruction, mentorship, and technical services.

• Integration of emerging technologies, drone operations, and small unit tactics into midshipman development.

• Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (cUAS) program support, including training and threat simulation.

• Capstone project advising for autonomous systems, tactical cyber, ISR, or counter-drone operations.

• Guidance for Midshipmen ARES activities (e.g., Counter-UAS, VBSS tactics, GPS spoofing, Naval Integration).

• Organization and leadership of USNA participation in interservice and NATO-aligned tactical competitions.

• Validation of research through simulation, field trials, and wargaming.

• Collaboration with ONR, NSW, NATO forces, and fleet units.

• Introduction to emerging defense technologies and innovation labs.

• Integration of current conflict lessons (e.g., Ukraine, Israel) into training scenarios.

• Authorized travel and minor material expenses (reimbursable upon COR approval).

• Week-long special event support (40 hours).

• Summer training support (10 hours/week for 11 weeks).

• Contract Type: Firm-Fixed-Price purchase order.

• Period of Performance: Base Period: March 15, 2026 – June 30, 2026. Option periods for special events and summer training.

• NAICS Code: 611710

• Small Business Size Standard: $24M

• Proposals are due by March 5, 2026, 10:00 AM EST.

• Submissions must be via email to Megan Evans at megan.m.evans18.civ@us.navy.mil.

• Quotes must be held firm for thirty (30) days.

• Evaluation will be based on Technical and Price factors.

• Technical factor will be evaluated on an Acceptable/Unacceptable basis.

• Price will be ranked initially, with potential for price-past performance tradeoff.

• Full and open competition.

• Vendors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM).

• Questions regarding solicitation requirements must be submitted via email by 1:00 PM EST on February 27, 2026.

• This solicitation documents and incorporates provisions and clauses in effect through FAC 2024-05 and DFARS Change Notice 20251110.

• Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) requirements apply.