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Volume 104: Federal Government Procurement Acceleration; MSIC COMET

Author

Kit Conway
December 05, 2025

In This Week's Newsletter:

Opportunity Alert – MSIC COMET

Contact Katie: [email protected]

Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Missile and Space Intelligence Center (MSIC), Contract Operations for Missile Evaluation and Testing (COMET).

On November 24, 2025, the DIA released an updated Draft solicitation and a matrix to assist with questions. The MSIC requires contract support for the research, development, and sustainment of new and existing hardware, systems, and software capabilities, as well as foundational military intelligence (FMI) that enables all-source analysis and production for the DIA, DOD, and national-level intelligence efforts. Any questions or comments on the Draft RFP are due by December 3, 2025, no later than 3:00 PM ET. This Full and Open IDIQ is anticipated for release in December 2025, with a projected award in March 2026. The value of this IDIQ is currently unknown. Reach out to Hinz Consulting for Capture, Proposal, DTP/Graphics, Pricing, or Price-to-Win support, and continue to monitor SAM.gov for updates to the procurement timeline.

Four to Follow

  1. Department of the Army, Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Technical and Programmatic Support Services (TPSS III) MATOC. USACE needs a contractor to provide technical and program support for cybersecurity, electronic security systems (ESS), utility monitoring and control systems (UMCS), facility-related control systems (FRCS), and other related electronic and mechanical systems. This $98M Full and Open MATOC is expected to be released with the final RFP by the end of December 2025, with an estimated award date of May 2026. Continue monitoring SAM.gov for any updates on the procurement timeline.

    Department of the Air Force, Headquarters Air Force (HAF), Advanced Wargaming and Simulation Technologies for Integrated Force Design. On November 23, 2025, HAF issued a Sources Sought notice on SAM.gov. The government is looking for innovative solutions to improve optimized learning through human-machine teaming. Responses to this RFI are due by January 9, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET. This $28M opportunity is expected to be announced via GSA MAS at the end of January 2026, with a projected award in March 2026. Keep monitoring SAM.gov and your eBUY portal for updates.

    Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Professional Services, Engineering, and Financial Program Management. On November 25, 2025, the USSS issued an RFI through SAM.gov and OASIS+ Unrestricted. The USSS is seeking personnel to meet mission-critical requirements related to ongoing and future construction at the White House Complex and other protected sites in the National Capital Region (NCR). Responses to this RFI are due by December 9, 2025, at 5:00 PM ET. The final RFP is expected to be issued around February 2026, with a projected award in April 2026. The competition type and contract value are currently unknown. Continue to monitor SAM.gov and your eBUY portals for updates on this effort.

    Department of the Army, USACE, Shallow Land Disposal Area (SLDA) Remediation Project. On December 1, 2025, USACE issued a pre-solicitation notice informing industry of the updated procurement timeline for remediation services at the SLDA in Vandergrift, PA. This $500M Full and Open, unrestricted opportunity is now expected to be released in late December 2025 or January 2026 through the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE). Awards are expected in October 2026. Continue to monitor the SAM.gov and PIEE portals for additional information and schedule updates.

Updated Priority List for Defense Research and Engineering Organization

The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, Emil Michael, has streamlined the Department’s technology priorities, reducing the list from 14 “critical technology areas” to 6. This focused strategy aims to accelerate the delivery of advanced capabilities within 36 months or less, ensuring the Department can field technologies that give the warfighter decisive battlefield advantages.

The 6 New Technology Priorities are:

Applied Artificial Intelligence – Represents the Department’s most significant opportunity moving forward. Applied AI spans the full spectrum of applications from back-office automation that enhances efficiency to advanced frontline targeting systems that sharpen operational effectiveness. For instance, the DoD plans to deploy AI capabilities across all 3 million Pentagon desktops.

Quantum and Battlefield Information Dominance (Q-BID) - Combines advanced sensing, cyber capabilities, and space and networking capabilities to ensure resilient systems and preserve information superiority on the battlefield.

Biomanufacturing - Aims to eliminate supply chain vulnerabilities and reduce reliance on overseas petrochemical processes by using engineered microorganisms to produce essential materials like oils, lubricants, and coatings.

Contested Logistics Technologies - Focuses on maintaining operations in highly disrupted theaters, including the Indo-Pacific. This priority incorporates tools and innovations to secure vulnerable resupply lines and sustain operational endurance under contested conditions.

Scaled Hypersonics – Seeks to move beyond prototyping and to advance to full-scale production of hypersonic systems, enabling rapid deployment of these crucial capabilities.

Scaled Directed Energy – Aims to transition directed energy from limited demonstrations to scalable production, delivering cost-effective, high-precision systems capable of neutralizing advanced threats at speed and scale.

The contractors who succeed in these areas will be those able to pivot quickly, accelerate production timelines, and deliver capabilities in shorter cycles, aligning with the Department’s demand for a timely battlefield advantage.

Federal Government Procurement Acceleration

Contact John: [email protected]

The federal government is currently pursuing procurement acceleration methods through a variety of significant initiatives focused on streamlining regulations, centralizing buying power, and rapidly adopting innovative technologies.

Some of the key strategies and trends driving this acceleration are as follows:

1. Regulatory Overhaul and Simplification

A key focus is on reducing the complexity of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and agency-specific supplements to speed up the process:

  • FAR Revision: The government is undertaking a comprehensive overhaul of the FAR, aiming to eliminate non-statutory or unnecessary regulations to create a more agile, effective, and efficient system.

  • Commercial Solutions Preference: There is a reinforced directive to procure commercial products and services whenever possible, moving away from costly, time-consuming custom solutions.

  • Increased Thresholds: Legislative proposals, such as the SPEED Act, aim to raise various statutory dollar limits for acquisitions, which would expand contracting officers' authority to use simplified and non-competitive procedures.

2. Centralizing and Modernizing Acquisition

The General Services Administration (GSA) is leading efforts to consolidate buying power and simplify how agencies procure common goods and services:

  • "OneGov" Initiative: This GSA strategy treats the entire federal government as a single enterprise buyer, securing enterprise-wide agreements with standardized pricing and terms. This reduces complexity and allows agencies to place orders quickly through familiar vehicles such as the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS).

  • AI and Automation: Agencies are increasingly leveraging technologies like AI and Machine Learning within platforms (e.g., Symphony, PRISM) to:

    • Pre-score proposals based on criteria.

    • Flag compliance issues automatically.

    • Assess vendor risk based on past performance.

3. Special Pathways for Innovation

The Department of War is the largest federal buyer and is aggressively adopting faster acquisition frameworks to keep pace with technology:

  • Adaptive Acquisition Framework: This framework includes specialized, fast-paced pathways for different types of acquisitions.

  • Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs): These flexible mechanisms allow agencies to bypass traditional FAR requirements, making it easier to partner with non-traditional vendors and conduct innovative R&D.

  • Software Acquisition Pathway (SWP): This mandates a faster, more iterative, and agile approach to software development, aiming to deliver minimum viable products (MVPs) quickly.

4. Emphasis on "Best Value"

There's a shift in evaluation criteria to focus on speed to value, risk mitigation, and measurable results rather than the lowest initial cost:

  • Risk-Aware Evaluations: Source selections are prioritizing solutions that demonstrate a deep understanding of agency operations, reduce implementation risk, and include detailed risk mitigation plans.

  • Quantifiable Value: Contractors are being encouraged to move beyond vague claims and provide actual performance metrics.

  • Empowering the Workforce: Initiatives are underway to restructure performance metrics for the acquisition workforce to incentivize and reward the use of innovative, efficient acquisition authorities and calculated risk-taking.

Cost Estimating vs. Pricing

Contact Dr. Tom: [email protected]

Cost estimating is the process of forecasting the financial resources (money, labor, materials) required to complete a project or produce a unit of product within a defined scope. It is an internal assessment conducted before work begins, often based on historical data, expert judgment, or detailed component breakdowns (bottom-up analysis).

Key Characteristics of Cost Estimating:

  • Focus: Determining the likely cost for the performing organization.

  • Goal: To establish a budget or a cost baseline for the project, inform feasibility studies, and assist with resource allocation.

  • Output: An approximate dollar amount that serves as a financial constraint and a benchmark for tracking actual spending.

  • Nature: It is an estimate with a degree of uncertainty, requiring contingency reserves to cover risks and unknowns.

Pricing is a strategic business decision that sets the final exchange value (the dollar amount) the customer will be charged for a product or service. It occurs after estimating the cost, using that estimate as a starting point, or "floor."

Key Characteristics of Pricing:

  • Focus: Determining the charge to the customer.

  • Goal: Maximize profit and revenue, secure the contract (stay competitive), and position the product in the market.

  • Output: The final selling price.

  • Nature: It is a strategic decision driven by external factors unrelated to internal costs, such as:

    • Competition: What competitors are charging.

    • Market Demand: What customers are willing to pay (Value-Based Pricing).

    • Desired Profit Margin: The markup added to the cost estimate.

Essentially, cost estimating answers the question "How much will this cost us?" Pricing answers the question "How much will we charge them?" The difference between the price and the estimated cost is the target profit margin.

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