Trusted Partner Program - Industry Day Notification

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is an industry day presentation deck for the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Office (ARO) Trusted Partner Program (TPP). The TPP is described as an innovative, enterprise-level program designed to be flexible, adaptive, and responsive to Army Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) needs within a dynamic operational environment. It aims to enable rapid CUI/SEC/TS contracting with external academic partners and facilitate a competitive, rapid start on RDT&E projects across various technical fields and Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs).

The scope of work is inclusive of, but not exclusive to:

• Basic and applied research
• Data science and analytics
• Technology development
• Digital Architecture
• Modeling and simulation
• Experimentation and testbed development
• Integration and demonstration
• Technology Transition to military capabilities

Specific technical areas include:

• Biology (non-medical focus)
• Material Science
• Electronics
• Chemistry
• Information Sciences (including AI)
• Physics

Interdisciplinary areas include:

• Applied Artificial Intelligence (AAI)

• Biomanufacturing (BIO)

• Contested Logistics Technologies (LOG)

• Quantum and Battlefield Information Dominance (Q-BID)

• Scared Directed Energy (SCADE)

• Scaled Hypersonics (SHY)

• The government anticipates awards of up to five or more Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contracts.

• Awards will be made to the most responsible Offerors providing their overall best-valued proposals.

• The proposal submission process is a two-phase approach:

  • Phase I: Pre-Evaluation Screening Compliance (e.g., page count, SAM.gov registration).
  • Phase II: Evaluation of Volumes 1-5.

• Five evaluation factors will be considered: Technical, Management, Past Performance, Small Business Participation, and Cost.

• Technical evaluation includes assessing capability, a Secure Facilities Demonstration Video, expertise in core technical and interdisciplinary areas, and demonstrated capabilities in subfactors like Technical Expertise & Alignment, Research Approach & Innovation, and Facilities & Secure Infrastructure.

• Management approach will be evaluated based on Security Management Plan, Program/Personnel/IP Management, and Collaboration Plan.

• Past Performance will be evaluated based on up to three recent and relevant projects within the last five years.

• For Other Than Small Business (OTSB) Offerors, Small Business Participation will be evaluated based on an acceptable Small Business Contracting Plan.

• Cost proposals should reflect Cost Reasonableness, Cost Realism, and Completeness.

• The document mentions "Small Business Participation" as an evaluation factor, indicating consideration for small businesses.

• Trusted Partner Security requirements are detailed, including facility and personnel clearances (CUI, SECRET, TOP SECRET, SCI, SAP), IT infrastructure, and Subject Matter Expertise (SME) and Capabilities. Specific clearance levels are mapped to technical areas and drop-down selections for qualification.

• The presentation was delivered on May 7, 2026.

• Points of Contact (POCs) are listed as Gihan Oraby and Meaghan Pimsler.

• The solicitation number is W911NF-26-R-A009.

Other / Unclassified

This document is a notice for an upcoming Industry Day event hosted by the Army Contracting Command - Research Triangle Park Division, in conjunction with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), Army Research Office (ARO). The event is in support of a draft solicitation for the Trusted Partner Program (TPP).

Potential industry partners in Higher Education and their Associated Entities, Non-Profit Research Institutes, and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers are invited. The event will cover opportunities to support projects across all security levels (Controlled Unclassified Information, Secret, Top Secret) and Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), focusing on sensitive, basic, and applied research critical to Army needs.

Event Details:

• Date & Time: May 7, 2026, 09:30 AM - 11:30 AM EST
• Format: Virtual
• Registration Deadline: May 6, 2026, 4:00 PM EST
• Registration Link: [Provided in document]
• Joining Link: [Provided in document]

One-on-One Sessions:

• Available for interested parties.
• Sign-up Link: [Provided in document]
• Dates & Times:
  • May 7, 2026: 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST
  • May 8, 2026: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST
  • May 11, 2026: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST