Commercial and Economic Research and Innovation (CERI)
Contact and place of performance
Jennifer Villarreal
USA
Secretary of the Air Force Concepts Development and Management (SAF/CDM), Office of Commercial and Economic Analysis (OCEA) Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) FA7146-20-S-C001 for Commercial and Economic Research and Innovation (CERI) CSO DESCRIPTION / OBJECTIVES. Federal Agency Name. Secretary of the Ai...
View moreOrdering Period: Initiation to 30 September 2026 (for awards)
The CSO Open Period will be from initiation until rescinded. This is the period during which Contractors may submit White Papers. The Government may make awards throughout the Ordering Period until rescinded. Awarded efforts may include performance that proceeds beyond the end of the Ordering Period.
Purpose. This CSO is initiated under the Defense Commercial Solutions Offering Pilot Program (DARS Tracking Number: 2018-O0016), as authorized by Section 879 of the NDAA for FY17 (Pub. L. 114-328). Its authority has transitioned from NDAA FY2017 guidance to DFARS Subpart 212.70 Defense Commercial Solutions Opening. CSOs allow for competitive selection of innovative commercial items, technologies, and services if the award results from:
•· A CSO that is general in nature identifying areas of mission or technical interest, including criteria for selecting proposals and soliciting the participation of all Contractors capable of satisfying the Government's needs
•· A technical evaluation by subject matter/technical experts. A CSO may be used to award a contract or an Other Transaction that meets the definition of innovative as: any technology, process or method, including research and development, that is new as of the date of proposal submission; or any new application of an existing technology, process or method as of the proposal date.
The Government may issue Amendments to this CSO during the Open Period to change or correct content, as needed. The Government may also issue Calls during the Open Period requesting targeted White Papers for a specific Objective, Focus Area, and/or capability.
OCEA seeks innovative commercial solutions or new capabilities that fulfill OCEA requirements, close existing capability gaps, and/or offer technological advancements in meeting the Objectives and Focus Areas detailed in the CSO attachment.
Eligibility. This CSO is a full and open acquisition. White Papers will be considered from all interested vendors, including small businesses and non-traditional contractors. Foreign participation is allowed as specified in the attachment.
CSO STRUCTURE/EXPECTATIONS. All White Papers/Proposals shall be submitted in accordance with this CSO. White Papers and Proposals must be submitted to Contracting POCs only, as specified in the CSO attachment and within each Amendment or Call. Contractors are advised that the submittal of a White Paper or Proposal is not a promise or guarantee of award. The Government intends to review all White Papers/Proposals and reserves the right to award some, all, part, or none of a Contractor's proposal content. The Contracting POC for this CSO is:
Jennifer Villarreal
Procuring Contracting Officer
Please cc the following email for white paper submission:
STEPS. This CSO will follow a Two-Step process prior to any award.
First Step - White Paper Submission. Contractors may submit White Papers, which will include a Cover Page, Technical/Management section and Rough Order of Magnitude, at any time throughout the Open Period upon initiation of this CSO. Multiple White Papers may be submitted, and all White Papers will be reviewed. While the Government does not intend to pay for White Papers submitted under Step 1, select Calls may provide for funding on a case-by-case basis.
White Papers submitted in response to a Call will be accepted and evaluated as detailed within the individual Call. The Government will review submitted White Papers and each White Paper will be rated as "Highly Recommended," "Selectable" or "Not Selectable" based on Technical/Management and Price/Affordability.
Second Step - Invitation to Propose. White Papers may result in an invitation to submit full Technical/Management and Price proposals via an Invitation to Propose (ItP). The ItP will detail all the terms and conditions for the action, to include proposal submission instructions, as well as proposal due date and time. An ItP is required to submit a proposal. A Contractor submitting a proposal without first submitting a White Paper will not be considered or eligible for award. A Contactor may only submit one proposal in response to an ItP. The Period of Performance for individual awards will be addressed in each ItP.
Award. The Air Force anticipates making multiple awards under the Federal Acquisition Regulations or via Other Transaction Agreement authority as a result of this CSO. A proposal must meet the evaluation criteria specified in the ItP and the needs of the Government. Therefore, the Air Force reserves the right to award no contracts or any number of contracts for all, part, or none of the proposal(s) submitted by Offerors based on the Offeror's ability to perform desired work and funding availability.
Update 26 October 2020: Call issued under this CSO for Outbound Economic and Business Activity of the People’s Republic of China. See attachment for full details of the Call.
Update 5 May 2022: Updated open Period to match the latest NDAA policy making CSO Authority Permanent.
Update 24 August 2023: Updated open Period to extend for a year
Update 15 April 2024: Procuring Contracting Officer has changed to Jennifer Villarreal from Kevin Adams.
Update 30 September 2024: Updated Open Period to extend for a year.
Update 16 January 2026: Updated Open Period to extend until 30 September 2026.
The Department of the Air Force, Secretary of the Air Force Concepts Development and Management (SAF/CDM), Office of Commercial and Economic Analysis (OCEA) is managing an open two-step Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) under solicitation number FA7146-20-S-0001(CERI). This acquisition seeks innovative commercial solutions, new capabilities, or technological advancements that fulfill OCEA requirements and close existing capability gaps. The initiative focuses on All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services under NAICS code 541990 and PSC code B599 for special studies and analysis.
The CSO follows a two-step process, beginning with the submission of white papers that include a technical management section and a rough order of magnitude. White papers are accepted through September 2, 2026, and will be evaluated to determine if a contractor is invited to submit a full technical and price proposal. The government anticipates making multiple awards, which may be issued as contracts under the Federal Acquisition Regulations or as Other Transaction Agreements. The ordering period for these awards remains open through September 30, 2026, and performance may extend beyond this date.
This is a full and open acquisition performed in the United States, allowing participation from small businesses, non-traditional contractors, and foreign entities. The CSO was established under the Defense Commercial Solutions Opening Pilot Program and is currently authorized under DFARS Subpart 212.70. Throughout the open period, the government may issue amendments or specific calls for targeted white papers addressing particular objectives or focus areas. Jennifer Villarreal serves as the Procuring Contracting Officer for this solicitation, which includes two PDF attachments detailing the CSO and call instructions updated as of January 16, 2026.
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