Defense Manufacturing Readiness Exercise (DMRE)

***FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. FOR INTERESTED VENDORS, PLEASE FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS IN THIS RFS AND ITS INCLUSIVE ATTACHMENTS AS DIRECT QUESTIONS TO THIS SUBMITTER WILL NOT BE ANSWERED.*** Request for Solutions (RFS) under Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) Other Transaction Authority (OTA) Number: HQ0034249C00B RFS Number: DIBC-RFS-26-02 Title: Defense Manufacturing Readiness Exercise RFS Issue Date: June 25, 2026 Questions Due Date: July 1, 2026 Submission Due Date: July 20, 2026 23:59 ET Attachments Attachment 1 DIBC-RFS-26-02 Statement of Need Attachment 2 Warranties and Representations (submit in Stage 1) Attachment 3 Copy of Stage 1 survey (complete at provided link in Stage 1) Attachment 4 DMRE Exercise overview slides Attachment 5 Telecommunications Representation (only submit if requested) Attachment 6 DIBC WIRE Project Quad Chart (only submit if requested) Attachment 7 Cost & Pricing Breakdown (only submit if requested) Attachment submission note: Not all attachments are required with the initial Stage 1 screening submission. The Government may request specific additional information to include required forms that will be issued upon selection from selected respondents after screening, targeted exchanges, plan review, order-size decision, milestone review, or award-readiness review. 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Defense Manufacturing Readiness Exercise (DMRE) The Defense Manufacturing Readiness Exercise (DMRE) is a phased prototype effort conducted under the Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) to identify, assess, develop, and evaluate manufacturing capabilities that may contribute to qualified, contractable, and usable defense production capacity. This effort supports both the Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) mission and broader Industrial Base Policy (IBP) objectives by improving manufacturing readiness, strengthening domestic production capability, increasing industrial-base resilience, expanding awareness of available and adaptable manufacturing capacity, and generating decision-grade evidence to inform future industrial-base planning, readiness investments, and mobilization activities. This RFS is issued under the DIBC to solicit responses for a phased prototype project under 10 U.S.C. 4022. The prototype OTA is intended to improve Government s understanding of: Existing manufacturing capabilities Manufacturing facilities and infrastructure Potential production roles Manufacturing adaptability and conversion potential Production approaches and teaming concepts Conditions and constraints affecting manufacturing readiness Industrial-base resilience and surge capacity Readiness preservation and reactivation opportunities The DMRE is intended to improve understanding of the conditions, resources, interventions, constraints, and planning activities required to increase manufacturing readiness for future defense production requirements. Information generated throughout the exercise, as part of the prototype OTA, may contribute to industrial-base planning, manufacturing-readiness assessments, and development of a Civil Readiness Manufacturing Network (CRMN) plan designed to improve visibility into manufacturing capabilities, facilities, production roles, readiness conditions, readiness-preservation opportunities, and industrial-base response options. CRMN outputs are an intended product of the exercise and may be used to inform future manufacturing-readiness planning, capability preservation, readiness investments, industrial-base analysis, and future exercise activities. The DMRE seeks participation from both traditional and nontraditional performers (as defined by 10 U.S.C. 3014), including companies with little or no prior defense contracting experience. The Government is interested in both manufacturing-side and design-side participants. Manufacturing-side participants may include, but are not limited to: Manufacturers Contract manufacturers Component suppliers Assemblers Tooling providers Testing and inspection providers Manufacturing engineering providers Logistics and production-support providers Design-side participants may include but are not limited to: Design owners Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) Current producers Technical-data holders System integrators Organizations possessing production knowledge, supplier relationships, qualification expertise, manufacturing constraints, or production opportunities relevant to exercise objectives Areas of interest may include, but are not limited to: Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/UAV) Electrical assemblies Wiring harnesses and connectors Electronics assemblies Precision mechanical components Tooling, fixtures, and test equipment Manufacturing engineering Testing and inspection Contract manufacturing Production-support capabilities Supplier-network coordination The Government is particularly interested in identifying opportunities to better understand and connect available manufacturing capacity with production opportunities, production constraints, technical-data availability, and manufacturing-readiness requirements. Participation in the DMRE does not constitute selection for award, qualification for future work, or entitlement to participate in later phases. A response to this RFS throughout any phase will not entitle the responder to any costs for preparation and submission of its response, nor will it entitle the responder to the participation costs The Government reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to manage this effort to ensure that it best meets the Government s requirements and needs. This includes, but is not limited to the Government s authority to: Manage Participant Status: advance, pause, modify, or discontinue any respondent participation at any time throughout this effort. Manage Overall Effort: modify specified activity(ies) or requirement(s), milestone(s), and/or cancel the entire effort. INDUSTRY PARTICIPATION OVERVIEW The Defense Manufacturing Readiness Exercise (DMRE) utilizes a two-stage process designed to identify, assess, develop, and evaluate manufacturing-readiness opportunities relevant to future defense production requirements. The DMRE seeks participation from: Manufacturers Contract manufacturers Component suppliers Assemblers Integrators Tooling providers Testing and inspection providers Manufacturing engineering providers Logistics and production-support providers Design owners Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) Current producers Technical-data holders System integrators Organizations possessing production knowledge, supplier relationships, qualification expertise, manufacturing constraints, or production opportunities relevant to exercise objectives Other organizations capable of contributing to manufacturing-readiness objectives As stated above, the Government will utilize a two-stage process as follows: Stage 1 Screening and Discovery During Stage 1 the Government intends to identify manufacturing capabilities, facilities, production opportunities, production constraints, design ownership, technical-data availability, and industrial-base opportunities that may warrant additional development or prototype participation. Participants are requested to submit high-level, non-proprietary information regarding capabilities, facilities, production interests, and manufacturing-readiness potential. This applies for both Topic 1 (Group 3 UAS / UAV Bounded Production Roles) and Topic 2 (Munitions Wiring Harness / Connector Bounded Production Roles) as described within the Statement of Need (SON). Potential outcomes include, but are not limited to: Placement in the Manufacturing Readiness Candidate Pool (does not proceed to Stage 2 but is available for future consideration) Advancement of participants to Stage 2 Prototype Activities Small Business Readiness Award No Further Action (i.e., the Government will not engage in additional exchanges, will not entertain award consideration) Stage 2 Prototype Development and Readiness Assessment During Stage 2, the Government intends to develop, validate, and assess manufacturing-readiness opportunities through milestone-based prototype activities. Stage 2 activities may include, but are not limited to: Teaming development Production approach development Manufacturing-readiness planning Conversion planning Validation activities Execution activities Readiness assessment activities Participation in one stage does not guarantee participation in any subsequent activity, award, milestone, or funding decision. 1.2 ELIGIBILITY AND DIBC MEMBERSHIP This Request for Solutions (RFS) is issued under the DIBC OTA in support of a prototype effort focused on manufacturing readiness, industrial-base resilience, and domestic production capability. For Stage 1, respondents are not required to be DIBC members, unless otherwise specified. However, only DIBC members may receive a prototype Project Sub Agreement award under the DIBC OTA. Respondents…