MODULAR OPEN SYSTEMS APPROACH (MOSA) FOR DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) RESEARCH & ENGINEERING (R&E) OTHER TRANSACTION AGREEMENT (OTA) CONSORTIUM (MOSA R&E) FEEDBACK REQUEST FOR DRAFT EVALUATION CRITERIA

Special Notice:

In support of Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) for Department of Defense Research & Engineering Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) Consortium (MOSA R&E) - last version published on 09/03/2025.

*Requesting industry feedback, questions, comments, and recommendations on the draft evaluation criteria below*

The selection of a Consortium Manager will follow a multi-step competitive evaluation process which will include a Go / No-Go Gate eligibility determination, written submissions, oral presentations, and negotiations, as deemed necessary by the Government.

Step 1: Go / No-Go

Vendors are required to have actively performed as a Consortium Manager within twelve (12) months preceding the release of this notice. Interested vendors shall provide documentation, such as an agreement that clearly identifies the vendor, its role, and performance dates within the past 12 months.

The Government will review submissions to verify that offerors meet minimum eligibility requirements.   Only vendors deemed eligible will advance to the next step of the evaluation.

Step 2: Written and Oral Presentation

Factor 1: Technical & MOSA Implementation Approach (Oral)

The Government will evaluate the offeror’s strategy to achieve lifecycle goals through a modular business and technical architecture. 

• Subfactor 1: Ecosystem Openness: The extent to which the offeror’s approach prevents vendor lock-in and ensures key interfaces are based on widely supported consensus standards.
• Subfactor 2: Conformance & Certification: The effectiveness of the proposed process for validating that consortium member deliverables adhere to specified MOSA standards (e.g., FACE™, SOSA™).
• Subfactor 3: Intellectual Property (IP) Strategy: The degree to which the proposed IP and data rights approach enables the Government to exercise Government Purpose Rights (GPR) for future competitive acquisitions and sustainment activities. 

Factor 2: Consortium Management & Operations

The Government will evaluate the offeror’s ability to manage a diverse community of nontraditional and traditional defense contractors while streamlining acquisition activities. 

• Subfactor 1: Nontraditional Engagement (Oral): Demonstrated methodology for identifying recruiting, onboarding, and managing small, innovative firms capable of delivering severable modules.
• Subfactor 2: Risk Management (Written): The robustness of plans to mitigate technical, schedule, and programmatic risks in accordance with recognized standards (e.g., ISO-31000) within a multi-vendor environment.
• Subfactor 3: Collaboration Tools (Oral): The quality and maturity of collaborative development environments, shared digital infrastructure, and processes that facilitate technical data exchange and distributed development across consortium members. 

Factor 3: Past Performance (Written)

The Government will assess recent and relevant performance (within the last 5 years) that demonstrates success in: 

• Managing Complex Consortia: Performance in similar organizations with high-hazard or high-technicality requirements.
• Open Architecture Projects: History of successful technical design collaboration and integration of diverse vendor components. 

Factor 4: Cost/Price (Written)

• Management & Throughput Charges: The Government will evaluate the CMO compensation rates (e.g., annual management fees vs. transaction-based fees) for reasonableness.

Responses: The response shall be due no later than 12:00 PM Eastern Time (ET) on Friday, 27 February 2026. The responses shall be e-mailed to jordan.d.adaro.civ@army.mil and kurt.l.kleinlein.civ@army.mil.

The Government intends to utilize responses to this special notice request to formulate a finalized evaluation criteria for the MOSA R&E consortium. While it is our full intent to utilize a competitive process for this effort, the Government reserves the right to limit further competition based on the input received from this notice, as is practicable to achieve flexibility and efficiency. Therefore, all interested parties should respond to this notice to maintain consideration for this prospect.

Disclaimer: This notice does not constitute an invitation for bids or a request for proposal and is not a commitment by the U.S. Government to procure subject products or services nor will the Government reimburse any parties for costs associated with this request. The Government will use the information received to forge its acquisition strategy. Additionally, all submissions become government property and will not be returned. No basis for a claim against the Government shall arise as a result from a response to this special notice request.