**PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE UPDATE** Satellite Communication Augmentation Resource (SCAR): Increment 1

***PRE-SOLICITATION NOTICE UPDATE*** This is an update to the SCAR CSO Presolicitation Synopsis for pending solicitation number HQ0860-26-S-C008. The SCAR PMO anticipates posting the solicitation on or about 10 September 26 through the MDA Opportunity Marketplace NOBLE MAA page at https://www.mda.mil/business/noble.html. CSO Statutory Authority The solicitation will utilize CSO procedures to acquire innovative commercial solutions. This CSO, conducted pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 3458 and DFARS 212.70-(Class Deviation 2026-O0028), will serve as the competitive procedure for the initial prototype project selection. The Government intends to maximize the use of Prototype Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) under 10 U.S.C. 4022. In accordance with 10 U.S.C. 4022(f), the Government will reserves the right to award a non-competitive follow-on production contract or transaction to the participant(s) in the transaction following the successful completion of a prototype project competitively awarded under an OTA from this solicitation. The Government may award FAR-based firm-fixed price contracts as a result of this solicitation. All innovative commercial products and commercial services acquired under this CSO will be treated as commercial. CSO Approach Under this Two Phase Closed Variant, the Government may award contracts resulting from proposals to acquire innovative products, technologies, or services based on a review of solutions by scientific, technological, or other subject matter expert peers within the SCAR Program Management Office (PMO). For the purposes of this solicitation, Innovative means any technology, process, or method, including research and development (R&D), that is new as of the date of the submission of a proposal, or any application that is new as of the date of the submission of a proposal of a technology, process or method, existing as of such date Two Phased Methodology The CSO will be a Two Phase Closed Variant. Phase 1 will be structured to provide the Government with an initial White Paper for solutions while Phase 2 will capture proposal submission. The Government will reserve the right to invite one, some, all, or none of the Offerors to submit a proposal under Phase 2. Phase 1: White Paper: Offerors will be invited to submit a detailed technical white paper describing their innovative solution addressing the specific AOI(s) selected. The PMO will utilize the DoD SAFE website https://safe.apps.mil/ for the submission of Phase 1 White Papers by the date and time specified in this solicitation. Vendors will be required to request a drop off code no later than three days before the response deadline. SAFE will no longer allow you to submit your response without a drop off code. Phase 2: Request for Proposals (RFPs) or Request for Prototype Proposals (RPPs): Offerors selected from Phase1 may be invited to submit a full, formal proposal. Phase 2 proposals will only be accepted from Offerors who, upon review of Phase 1 submission, have received a request from the Agreement Officer (AO). The PMO will utilize the DoD SAFE website https://safe.apps.mil/ for the submission of proposals. Vendors will be required to request a drop off code no later than three days before the identified response deadline. SAFE will no longer allow you to submit your response without a drop off code. Program Security Requirements The solicitation will include a DD Form 254 DoD Contract Security Classification Specification. All classified information must be handled in accordance with NISPOM (32 CFR part 117). Offerors must have a valid U.S. security clearance of Secret or higher and an active Facility Security Clearance (FCL) issued by DCSA under the NISP at the time of White Paper submission. Offerors must have Government approval to safeguard classified material at their facility. Offeror s Library This solicitation will include an Offeror s Library with documents marked as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). The documents include CUI Categories Controlled Technical Information (CTI) and Export Controlled (EXPT). In order to access the CUI documents marked EXPT, Offerors must possess an Active DD Form 2345 Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement searchable in the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Joint Certification Program (JCP) Portal at https://www.dla.mil/logistics-operations/services/joint-certification-program/. Interested offerors must have their Data Custodian email the following information to the POCs identified in the solicitation: Company name and official mailing address Data Custodian contact information (email and phone number) Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code Offerors who do not possess an Active DD2345 will only have access to documents without a CUI EXPT marking. In order to access the CUI documents in the Offeror s Library, Offerors must have at least a Computer Maturity Model Capability (CMMC) Level II Self-Assessment in Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) at https://www.sprs.csd.disa.mil/. The Offeror s Library documents will be distributed to the requesting Offeror once the SCAR PMO has verified its Data Custodian and SPRS score as described above. Documents from the Offeror s Library will be sent to eligible Offerors via the DoD Secure Access File Exchange (SAFE) website https://safe.apps.mil/. DOD SAFE drop off email and passphrase allowing access and pick-up of documents will be provided. Any previous Non-Disclosure Agreement(s) (NDAs) executed under the SCAR Increment 1 Sources Sought will not be considered sufficient to request documents from this solicitation s Offeror s Library. DoW Policy Alignment In accordance with the DoW Secretarial Memorandum dated November 7, 2025, this solicitation executes a commercial-first acquisition strategy, prioritizing non-traditional defense contractors and commercially derived innovations to bypass traditional bureaucratic barriers. Use of Non-Government Advisors The SCAR PMO intends to use Non-Government Advisors to evaluate offers receive in response to the CSO. In order to review submissions resultant from any phase, CUI PROPIN information may be given to Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC), Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA), Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I), and/or Advisory and Assistance Services (A&AS) contractors working for the Government. The Non-Government Advisors will have signed a non-disclosure agreement with the Government prior to reviewing submissions. By submission to any phase of the CSO, offerors will be required to accede to the terms of this provision. Any objection to non-Government advisors reviewing information submitted in response to this solicitation must be included in the Offeror submissions with the appropriate restrictive legends. OFFERORS MUST BE REGISTERED with System for Award Management (SAM), in order to receive a Government Contract award. To register, the SAM Internet address is: https://sam.gov/content/home. **NOTE** Please send any inquiries regarding SCAR PMO postings to both POCs listed below: PCO: Lee Mutschler, CORE, SIC Unclassified e-mail: lee.mutschler@spaceforce.mil, Unclassified Phone: 505-853-0769 CS: Erica Talley, CORE Unclassified e-mail: erica.talley.2.ctr@spaceforce.mil, Unclassified Phone: 505 853-0768 Offerors are advised that this requirement may be delayed, canceled, or revised at any time during the solicitation, or final award process. End of Update