United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) Command and Control Facility (C2F): Owner’s Advisor (OA) for Collaborative Design-Build Delivery

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation seeks an innovative, highly capable, and experienced partner to serve as the Owner's Advisor (OA) for the programmatic management of the planning, design, and construction of the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) Command and Control Facility (C2F) at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. The facility is mission-critical, estimated at $2B to design and build, and will support approximately 1,800 personnel. It will incorporate RF shielding, HEMP protection, SCIF/SAP construction, and redundant infrastructure. The project aims to deliver the facility using a collaborative delivery methodology, establishing a scalable and repeatable model for future Air Force Military Construction (MILCON) projects, with a goal of reducing traditional MILCON delivery timelines by approximately 50%.

• The OA will advise on construction requirement development, programmatic and project management, and governance structure stand-up.

• The OA will perform construction oversight and construction security.

• The requirement is divided into three Lines of Effort (LOEs): Program Management & Advisory Services, Construction Management Services, and Construction Security.

• The OA must be prepared to translate validated requirements into actionable technical criteria, performance standards, and design guidance.

• The project will leverage the Design Build Institute of America (DBIA) "Design-Build Done Right" framework.

• The resulting Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement is anticipated to be awarded on a Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) basis.

• Period of Performance:

  • Milestone 1 (Early Design): Award through September 1, 2027.
  • Milestone 2 (Construction): November 2, 2027 – September 1, 2031.
  • Milestone 3 (Closeout): September 2, 2031 – December 31, 2032.

• Questions regarding the OTA may be submitted from May 28, 2026, through June 4, 2026.

• A rapid down-select is anticipated within 30-45 days of posting.

• Down-select to 3 bidders for interviews is expected mid-July.

• Final selection is expected in early August.

• Submissions must be a White Paper (2-10 pages) addressing qualifications, technical concept, and implementation approach.

• Evaluation Criteria:

  • Experience & Relevant Expertise (35%): Proven collaborative delivery expertise on mega-scale projects (>$500M) and mission-critical, high-security facility experience.
  • Management & Execution Strategy (30%): Innovative approach, Speed to Capability methodology (50% faster than MILCON), and C4IT Integration Strategy.
  • LOE Compliance (30%): Compliance with DBIA best practices for each of the three LOEs, explicitly demonstrating a 50% reduction in MILCON timelines.
  • Scalability & Knowledge Transfer (5%): Plan for capturing lessons learned and creating a comprehensive OA Playbook.

• Open to U.S.-based industry, academic, and nonprofit organizations.

• Organizations must have demonstrated success as an OA on complex projects using collaborative Design-Build methodologies at or exceeding a $500M construction value.

• A respondent's representative must possess a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) Facility Security Clearance.

• Respondents must be Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 2 compliant or actively pursuing certification.

• The contracting path is OTA award by Army Contracting Command – Rock Island (ACC-RI) through the ONIX Consortium.

• Submissions will be evaluated by subject matter experts.

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document is a Question and Answer (Q&A) tracker providing clarifications and responses to vendor inquiries regarding the OTA 1 challenge.

• Contract Type: The OTA will be awarded as a Firm-Fixed-Price agreement. Offerors must submit a total proposed firm-fixed-price and a proposed payment structure detailing its distribution over the performance period.

• Collaboration: In-person collaboration is expected in August, involving a combination of oral presentations, Q&A, and interviews of key personnel. Down-selectees should anticipate up to a full day.

• Non-Traditional Contractor: While the Agreement Holder Essential Points of Contact form collects information on non-traditional defense contractors, it is not a requirement to qualify as one for this effort. This information is for administrative and reporting purposes only.

• Facility Clearance: Companies must maintain a Facility Clearance to sponsor employee clearances. Personnel assigned to the effort requiring SCI data access must possess a current SSBI/T5 with ICD 704 eligibility; the project lead must have an active TS clearance.

• Separate Contracts: The Government does not intend for the same company to lead both OTA #1 and OTA #2. Offerors selected for OTA #1 are excluded from proposing for OTA #2. Non-selected offerors from OTA #1 may compete for OTA #2.

• Submission Format: Proposals must be submitted as a White Paper, between 2 and 10 pages. Digital section tabs or divider pages do not count towards the page limit. A table of contents will also be excluded.

• The contract type has been updated to Firm-Fixed-Price via Amendment 1.

• Clarifications address submission requirements, personnel qualifications, and the relationship between OTA #1 and OTA #2.

• The deadline for submission is June 30 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Statement of Work (SOW) / Performance Work Statement (PWS)

This document outlines the Lines of Effort (LOE) for the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) Command and Control Facility (C2F) Owner's Advisor for Collaborative Design-Build Delivery Challenge. It details the required approach and key focus areas for respondents to propose their methodologies.

LOE 1: Program Management & Advisory Services

• Phase 1: Validation & Pre-Construction Management: Describe methodology for leading the collaborative process to develop scope, schedule, and budget for a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP). Focus areas include defining governance, translating mission needs into Owner's Project Requirements (OPR), developing standards, establishing risk registers, ensuring cost transparency, advising on tradeoffs, and integration strategies for C4IT.
• Phase 2: Design & Pre-Construction Management: Explain methodology for managing collaborative design development. Focus areas include highlighting cost/schedule/mission decisions, balancing owner desires with technical feasibility, ensuring RF shielding and security requirements, and guiding the Constructor team toward an integrated cost and schedule.

LOE 2: Construction Management Services

• Describe methodology for managing construction transition and overseeing execution to ensure high-quality, safe, and efficient physical construction. Focus areas include tracking daily activities, verifying RF shielding/HEMP hardening, providing safety oversight, managing scope and schedule, ensuring contract compliance, coordinating C4IT installation, delivering quality control, overseeing supply chain, reviewing safety plans, and ensuring environmental and statutory compliance.
• C4IT Integration & Coordination: Describe coordination of construction with the separate C4IT contract for synchronized delivery. Focus areas include maintaining an interface register, coordinating site access and environmental conditioning, managing critical path interdependencies, and facilitating communication between stakeholders.

LOE 3: Construction Security

• Describe methodology for providing Construction Security Services. Focus areas include coordinating with USSPACECOM PMO Site Security Managers, ensuring Intelligence Community Directive (ICD) standards for secure facilities, and providing Construction Surveillance Technicians (CST) with TS/SCI clearances.

Not explicitly stated in this document, but pertains to the USSPACECOM C2F project.

• Respondents must provide a detailed approach and methodology for each LOE and Phase.
• Focus areas listed are starting points and not all-inclusive.
• Specific requirements include RF shielding, HEMP protection, security, C4IT integration, and adherence to ICD standards.
• Construction Security requires personnel with active Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearances.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document outlines a challenge for an Owner's Advisor (OA) to provide programmatic management for the planning, design, and construction of the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) Command and Control Facility (C2F) at Redstone Arsenal, AL. The goal is to establish a scalable, repeatable model for future Air Force Military Construction (MILCON) projects, aiming to reduce delivery timelines by approximately 50% compared to traditional MILCON processes.

• The project involves a mission-critical facility and supporting data center for approximately 1,800 personnel, with an estimated design and build cost of $2B.

• The facility will incorporate Radio Frequency (RF) shielding, High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) protection, Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) / Special Access Program (SAP) construction, and redundant infrastructure.

• The OA will be responsible for three Lines of Effort (LOEs): Program Management & Advisory Services, Construction Management Services, and Construction Security.

• The project will utilize a collaborative delivery methodology under the Design Build Institute of America (DBIA) Design Build Done Right framework.

• The contract will be an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) award through the Army Contracting Command – Rock Island (ACC-RI) via the ONIX Consortium.

• The period of performance is structured in three milestones: Milestone 1 (Early Design) from August 1, 2026 – November 1, 2027; Milestone 2 (Ongoing Design, Construction) from November 2, 2027 – September 1, 2031; and Milestone 3 (Closeout) from September 2, 2031 – December 31, 2032.

• Questions regarding the challenge are due by June 4, 2026.

• A rapid down-select is anticipated within 30-45 days of posting, with three bidders selected for interviews in mid-July.

• Final selection is expected in early August.

• Submissions require a White Paper (2-10 pages) including qualifications, technical concept, implementation approach, references, key personnel, and reach-back capabilities.

• Evaluation criteria include Experience & Relevant Expertise (35%), Management & Execution Strategy (30%), LOE Compliance (30%), and Scalability & Knowledge Transfer (5%).

• Open to U.S.-based industry, academic, and nonprofit organizations with demonstrated success on complex projects exceeding $500M construction value using collaborative Design-Build methodologies.

• Respondents' representatives must possess a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) Facility Security Clearance.

• Respondents must be Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 2 compliant or actively pursuing it.

• The Government is not prescriptive and seeks creative solutions based on industry experience.

• The OA team is expected to include approximately 10 embedded personnel, with additional team members located near the site and off-site reach-back support.