USAFA Rapid Acquisition Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO)

Amendment / Modification

This document is Amendment 1 to Call 002 under the Rapid Acquisition CSO FA700025SC001, specifically for the USAFA Military Exoskeleton Technology focused area of interest.

• The submission deadline for Phase 1 Quad Charts and Solution Briefs has been updated.

• The deadline for submitting Quad Charts and Solution Briefs is now 15 Sep 2025 at 12:00 PM MDT.

• All solution briefs must be unclassified.

• The government will not pay companies for costs associated with solution brief submissions.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This is Call 002, issued under the Rapid Acquisition Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) FA700025SC001, for the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA). The focused area of interest is USAFA-002, Academics. The government is seeking innovative commercial solutions for AI-enabled exoskeleton technology to enhance warfighter lethality, endurance, situational awareness, and mission effectiveness. The goal is to gain insight into human factors, optimal interface design, cognitive workload management, and team integration protocols for safe and efficient operations.

Vendors are expected to provide lightweight, wearable, full and lower extremity exoskeletons that meet the following criteria:

• Initiate user movement but not independently perform motor functions.
• Provide user-initiated movement via powered function (pneumatic or similar).
• Allow flexible user movement (squatting, bending, marching, jogging, lifting weights, etc.).
• Be calibratable/programmable for multiple users of various heights and weights.
• Not require medical assistance for donning/doffing.
• Be suitable for individual function without medical supervision.

Essential physical characteristics include:

• Freestanding, not linked to external equipment.
• Battery-powered connectivity (at least 4 hours) with the power supply attached to the device.
• Adjustable hip buckle (20-42 inches).
• Accommodate user weight up to at least 275 lbs.

This call is part of a CSO and may be conducted in two or three phases. The government may forgo Phase II and proceed directly to Phase III based on Phase I submissions. The period of performance and contract type are not specified in this document.

• Submission Deadline: 10 Sep 2025 at 3:00 PM MDT.
• Submission Requirements: Interested offerors must submit Quad Charts and Solution Briefs in accordance with formats in Attachments 1 and 2 of the CSO.
• Evaluation Criteria (Phase I): Technical merit/applicability, importance to agency programs, and funds availability.
• Contact: Questions can be directed to 10CONS.PKB.CSO@us.af.mil and tammy.martin.6@us.af.mil.
• Note: Only Phase I submissions are accepted at this time. All solution briefs must be unclassified. The government will not pay for submission costs.

This is a Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) call, implying a focus on commercial items and innovative solutions. No specific set-aside is mentioned.

• The government reserves the right to fund all, some, one, or none of the proposals submitted, or fund only part of a submission.
• Offerors will be contacted regarding the government's interest or a request for a pitch session/RFP.

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides responses to vendor questions regarding the Focused Area of Interest: Strategic Admissions Outreach (CSO FA700025SC001 Call 001).

• "Name Buy" Definition: A "name buy" involves purchasing student contact information, including names, test scores, and demographic details from standardized test proctors. USAFA requires standardized test score (SAT/ACT) name buys of potential applicants.
• Quad Chart & Solution Brief: Templates and instructions for the Quad Chart and Solution Brief are provided in Attachments 1 and 2 of the base CSO document.
• Proprietary Information: Offerors may mark Phase I submissions as proprietary or confidential. Markings must be clear.
• Evaluation: Only internal government reviewers will access Phase I submissions. Evaluation criteria are detailed in the CSO; performance metrics are not yet established as Phase 1 aims to identify innovative solutions.
• Full-Time Equivalent (FTE): Vendors may include professional services FTE in their proposed solutions, which will be evaluated based on their contribution to the overall capability.
• Application Volume: USAFA currently receives approximately 10,000 applications annually. No aspirational application volume or goals are provided, as Phase 1 seeks innovative solutions.
• Test Scores: The current mean SAT score is approximately 1380, and the mean ACT score is 30. No aspirational test score goals are provided.

This Q&A document clarifies several aspects of the solicitation, including definitions, submission requirements, and current operational data. It emphasizes that specific performance metrics and goals will be determined based on the innovative solutions proposed in Phase 1.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is Call 001 under the Rapid Acquisition Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) FA700025SC001, issued by the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA). It seeks innovative commercial solutions to maximize USAFA's reach to prospective students, aiming to inspire interest and increase admissions. The goal is to enhance outreach services and technology to support an estimated yearly class size of 1200 Cadets.

Submissions should present combinations of methods, capabilities, and new technological solutions for outreach to prospective Cadets. Specific areas to address include:

• Increasing yearly applications started and finalized.
• Improving average standardized test scores of applicants.
• Providing real-time data analytics for outreach services.
• Identifying target audiences and creating communication streams for students and parents, including personalized campaigns and deadline awareness.
• Encouraging target audience applications.
• Strategic name-buy purchases.
• Integration of new technology into outreach capabilities.
• Familiarity with college application and enrollment outreach services.

Contractors must have experience with college application services, the capability to purchase student name-buys, and the ability to transmit data compatible with USAFA's Salesforce CRM.

• Period of Performance: Estimated 30 Sep 2025 – 29 Sep 2029.

• The CSO is a closed CSO with calls issued as amendments. The government reserves the right to fund all, some, one, or none of the proposals.

• This call is open for submission until 4 Aug 2025 at 2:00 PM MDT.

• Submissions will be conducted in two or three phases, with the government potentially bypassing Phase II for technically competent Phase I submissions.

• Offerors must submit Quad Charts (Attachment 1) and Solution Briefs (Attachment 2).

• Phase I submissions will be evaluated based on technical merit/applicability, importance to agency programs, and funds availability (as described in Attachment 7).

• All solution briefs must be unclassified.

• Submission deadline: 4 Aug 2025 at 2:00 PM MDT via email to 10CONS.PKB.CSO@us.af.mil.

This is a CSO call, implying a focus on commercial solutions. No specific set-aside information is provided in this document.

• Questions regarding this focused area of interest should be directed to 10CONS.PKB.CSO@us.af.mil.
• The government will not pay for costs associated with solution brief submissions.
• Offerors providing Phase I submissions will be contacted regarding next steps, which may include a request for a pitch session or a request for proposal.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document is a Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) issued by the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) to solicit innovative, commercial technologies and services. The goal is to meet various USAFA objectives related to leadership, academics, fitness, and professionalism, as detailed in Attachment 8. This CSO is intended to identify and acquire commercially available technologies, concept demonstrations, pilots, and agile development activities that can incrementally improve existing capabilities or concepts for defense application.

This CSO is a "CSO with Calls" mechanism. Specific Areas of Interest (AoIs) will be announced via "Calls" issued as amendments to this CSO. Offerors must submit proposals in response to these specific Calls. The document outlines a two or three-phased submission process:

• Phase I: Submission of Quad Charts and Solution Briefs.
• Phase II: Pitch Session (optional, at government discretion).
• Phase III: Full Proposal (Technical, Cost, and Statement of Work).

Awards will be in the form of FAR Part 12 commercial contracts or Other Transactions (OT) for Research, Prototype, and Production. Follow-on production contracts may be negotiated after successful prototype completion under an OT.

• Proposals are submitted in response to specific Calls issued under this CSO.

• Phase I submissions are evaluated based on technical merit/applicability, importance to agency programs, and funds availability.

• Price will be considered to determine fairness and reasonableness.

• The government reserves the right to fund all, some, one, or none of the proposals.

• Offerors must monitor www.sam.gov for specific Calls or amendments.

• Large business offerors responding to calls over $750K must submit a Small Business Subcontracting Plan.

• Offerors must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) for Phase III.

• Funds are not presently available; no award will be made until funds are available.

• The government reserves the right to cancel the solicitation.

• Access to unclassified sensitive or classified information is not anticipated.

• Attachment 8 details the specific Areas of Interest: USAFA-001 LEADERSHIP, USAFA-002 ACADEMICS, USAFA-003 FITNESS, and USAFA-004 PROFESSIONALISM.