USAFA Rapid Acquisition Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO)
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 United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) has issued a Rapid Acquisition Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) to solicit innovative commercial technologies and services. This "CSO with Calls" mechanism allows USAFA to address various objectives across leadership, academics, fitness, and professionalism. Currently, Call 005 is open, seeking an AI-powered automated high school and college transcript processing and scoring capability. Submissions for Call 005 are due May 6, 2026.
Opportunity Overview
This CSO serves as an umbrella solicitation for the U.S. Air Force Academy to acquire innovative commercial items, technologies, and services through a streamlined and flexible acquisition method. It functions as a framework for future "Calls" that identify specific technical Areas of Interest (AoIs) detailed in Attachment 8 (USAFA-001 Leadership, USAFA-002 Academics, USAFA-003 Fitness, USAFA-004 Professionalism). Awards may be in the form of FAR Part 12 commercial contracts or Other Transactions (OT). The overall CSO remains open until May 29, 2030.
Currently Open Call: Call 005 - USAFA Admissions AI Transcript
USAFA is seeking an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered automated solution to process and score high school and college transcripts for applicants. The goal is to streamline processing, improve accuracy, consistency, and efficiency, reduce manual data entry, and accelerate application review timelines.
Key Requirements:
- An AI-based platform capable of extracting and standardizing data from transcripts from all 50 U.S. states and territories.
- Conversion of GPA scales to a standardized 4.0 scale and a configurable USAFA scale.
- Support for various file types (PDF, image formats) and integration with USAFA's Salesforce CRM.
- Processing transcripts 24/7/365 with a turnaround time of no more than two calendar days.
- Crucially, foreign IT companies are not allowed to participate, and all work must be performed by U.S. Citizens due to the handling of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), including Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Protected Health Information (PHI). Impact Level 4 (IL4) processing environment is preferred.
Contract Details:
- Anticipated award includes one base year with four option years.
- Target initial operational capability (IOC) is October 1, 2026, with a maximum implementation timeline of 16 weeks.
Submission & Evaluation
Offerors must submit Quad Charts (Attachment 1) and Solution Briefs (Attachment 2) for Phase I. Submissions are evaluated based on technical merit/applicability, importance to agency programs, and funds availability. The process may involve two or three phases, potentially including a pitch session before a full proposal. The government reserves the right to fund all, some, one, or none of the proposals. Large business offerors responding to calls over $750K must submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan. Offerors must be registered in SAM for Phase III.
Deadlines & Contact
- Call 005 Submission Deadline: May 6, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. MST.
- Overall CSO Response Date: May 29, 2030.
- Contact: Christian A. Cornell / Alex W. Kephart at 10CONS.PKB.CSO@us.af.mil.