Volume 63: AAMAC

Author

Kit Conway
February 06, 2025

In This Week's Newsletter:

  • Opportunity Spotlight of the Week: AAMAC

  • Four To Follow: Get the lowdown on four interesting pursuits!

  • AI Corner: The SBICCT Initiative Summarized

  • Pricing Insights: What is Price-To-Win (PTW)?

  • Capture Insights: Shaping Efforts to Increase Pwin

Opportunity Alert: Advancing Artificial Intelligence Multiple Award Contract (AAMAC)

Contact Katie: [email protected]

The Department of Defense (DoD), Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) issued Amendment #1 to their Draft RFP on February 2, 2025. This $15B Multiple Award, Full and Open/Unrestricted IDIQ was originally released November 20, 2024, with the anticipation for the Final RFP to be released by March 31, 2025. Responses to the Draft RFP are due no later than February 18, 2025 at 12:00 PM EST. All feedback for the Draft RFP should be provided via the AAMAC Draft RFP form located on SAM.gov. Contact Hinz Consulting for capture and proposal support.

Four to Follow:

  1. Communications Management and Enterprise Technology Services (CoMETS): The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) requests support in MDA Portal Services, Data Governance and Analytics Services, Unified Communications Services, and End User Training. A Draft RFP is anticipated during Q1 FY25. The CoMETS opportunity is expected to be a Small Business Set-Aside valued at $239M. A potential release date for the Final RFP is not yet known.

  2. Advanced Cyber Support Services (ACSS): The Department of Navy’s NAVWAR Long Range Acquisition Estimate released in December 2024 anticipates the release of the ACSS opportunity during Q4 FY25 as a Single Award between $100M and $250M. The competition type is currently unknown.

  3. AFDW A5 Wargaming Requirement: On February 3, 2025 the Air Force released a special notice for an Industry Day for the 2025 A5 Wargaming opportunity. The Industry Day will be held in-person February 28, 2025 at Joint Base Andrews, MD. Details for registration can be found at SAM.gov. A sources sought and Draft PWS were previously released in November 2024, with an anticipation of solicitation release June 2025.

  4. Dugway Proving Ground West Desert Test Center Mission Support Services (WDTC): The Department of Army released a notice January 31, 2025 providing responses to the questions and comments received as part of the Draft RFP package. The Industry Day and site visit are scheduled for February 4-5, 2025. The $97M Small Business Set-Aside IDIQ is currently anticipated to be released May 2025. 

Government Investment in Tech - The SBICCT Summarized

Contact Josh: [email protected]

The Department of Defense (DoD) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) have announced the first cohort of Licensed and Green Light Approved funds under the Small Business Investment Company Critical Technologies (SBICCT) Initiative. This initiative aims to bolster U.S. national and economic security by channeling private investment into the DoD Critical Technology Areas (CTAs) and related component technologies and production processes. The first cohort, comprising funds from 15 states and Washington, D.C., is expected to invest more than $4 billion into more than 1700 portfolio companies across all 14 CTAs. These funds will cover a wide range of investment stages and strategies, including seed, venture, growth, buyout, direct lending, special situations, and fund-of-funds.

To achieve the Green Light Letter milestone, the funds underwent a comprehensive application and review process, including due diligence, legal review, and interviews with the SBA’s Investment Committee. After receiving the Green Light Letter, funds can raise private capital and apply for their SBIC license upon closing the initial tranche of private capital. Seven funds from the first cohort are already fully licensed and have begun investing. Interest in the SBICCT Initiative is growing, with over 100 funds expressing interest and the second cohort's diligence process underway. For more information, interested parties can refer to the Investment Policy Statement or contact [email protected].

What is Price-To-Win (PTW)?

Contact Tom: [email protected]

PTW is a targeted cost-capability tradeoff that the offeror presents to the client on a competition-based opportunity. It helps to identify the right balance of capability that the offeror can contribute to the customer's value. PTW is not always the lowest price; it involves a thorough analysis by the PTW analyst, who delivers their findings during strategy sessions.

Moreover, PTW can assist in "bid-no-bid" decisions, as it not only highlights the estimated winning price target but also assesses potential competitors' price ranges, giving the offeror an insight into the competition. Furthermore, if Black Hat reviews are conducted for upcoming opportunities, PTW can contribute through additional pricing research, scenario generation, rate analyses, and more.

A PTW exercise is particularly recommended for re-competes or significant strategic proposals, especially for bids involving a new customer. For an effective PTW, it is crucial to:

  • Have client intimacy or have already met with the client

  • Understand the client’s needs

  • Understand the potential solution

  • Understand the budget

For more information on PTW or to seek pricing support, contact Hinz Consulting's pricing experts!

Check Out an Overview on Price-To-Win at our New Hinz Youtube Channel

Shaping Efforts Are a Vital Component to Increasing Pwin

Contact John: [email protected]

When applying the Capture Management methodology to opportunities, shaping efforts are vital for positioning your organization ahead of competitors and increasing your probability of winning. An effective framework and approach for developing shaping efforts is as follows:

  1. Define the Capture Strategy – Understand the customer needs/goals and challenges

  2. Engage & Influence Key Decision-Makers – Cultivate customer relationship development

  3. Develop a Messaging Strategy – Create customer-centric messaging

  4. Monitor & Adjust Your Strategy – Assess customer feedback and Prepare for RFP release

It is imperative to start the shaping and influencing efforts early (well before the Request for Proposal (RFP) is released) and cultivating the relationships with key decision makers and stakeholders who can influence the requirements in your favor. It’s also critical to build out a differentiated win strategy based on customer value. You should continuously adjust and refine your strategy based on competitive market and customer intelligence. 

About Hinz Consulting

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  • Proposal Consulting

  • AI Services

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