Contracting Cone
FAR Based Strategies
Federal Supply Schedules – FAR 8.4
Commercial Items – FAR 12
Simplified Acquisitions – FAR 13
Contracting by Negotiation – FAR 15
IDIQ – FAR 16.5
Letter Contract – FAR 16.603
Agreements – FAR 16.7
Small Business – FAR 19
BAA – FAR 35.016
SBIR/STTR
Defense CSO Pilot Program
Non-FAR Based Strategies
Other Transactions (OT)
Procurement for Experimental
R&D Agreements
Defense Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) Pilot Program
The Defense Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) Pilot is a competitive program authorized by Section 879 of the FY17 NDAA to obtain solutions or new capabilities that fulfill requirements, close capability gaps, or provide potential technological advances. CSO procedures are similar to those for Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs), with the exception that a CSO can be used to acquire innovative commercial items, technologies, or services that directly meet program requirements, whereas BAAs are restricted to basic and applied research. The CSO program may also be used to acquire R&D solutions from component development through operational systems development.
For CSO purposes, innovation is defined as any technology, process, or method, including research and development that is new as of the date of proposal submission or any application of a technology, process, or method that is new as of proposal submission.
Common Applications
- Commercial products and services
- Information Technology (IT) product and services
- R&D studies for commercial technology
- Commercial Technology maturation
Pros |
Cons |
| Enables the rapid selection of innovative commercial solutions | Data rights and licenses of commercial technology increases burden on government to ensure specialized rights are well understood within the context of the commercial product lifecycle |
| Ability to use streamlined procedures for commercial technologies provides opportunity for acquisition programs to deliver capability quickly |
Restrictions
- Limited to fixed-price or fixed-price incentive contract arrangements
- Awards exceeding $100 million require approval from USD A&S or military service acquisition executive
- Requirement to promote competition in accordance with DFARS Part 215.371-2 does not apply
- Authority expires on September 30, 2022