CORTEX Presolicitation Review

# Extracted text: FA875026S7002_sam.pdf

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Solicitation Details
Opportunity
Cyberspace Operations
for Resilient Tactical
Engagement and
Execution (CORTEX)
Active
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Classification
Notice ID
FA8750
26S7002
Related
Notice
(blank)
Contract
Opportunity
Type
Presolic
itation
Contract
Line
Item
Number
(blank)
Inactive
Dates
Jan 02,
2031
Inactive
Policy
Manual
Response
Date
(blank)
Published
Date
Apr 01,
202612:44
PM EST
Department/Ind. Agency
DEPT OF DEFENSE
Sub-tier
DEPT OF THE AIR FORCE
Major Command
AIR FORCE MATERIEL
COMMAND
Sub Command 1, 2, 3
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY
Office
FA8750 AFRL RIK
Original
Set Aside
No Set
aside
used
Product
Service
Code
AC12 -
NATION
ALDEFENS
E R&DSERVIC
ES;
DEPARTMENT
OFDEFENS
Place of Performance
(blank)
Initiative
None
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Description
E -
MILITARY;
APPLIED
RESEAR
CH
NAICS
Code
541715
-
Research and
Development
in the
Physical,
Engineering,
and LifeScience
s (ex-
ceptNanote
chnol-ogy and
Biotech
nology)
NAICS CODE: 541715
FEDERAL AGENCY NAME: Department of the
Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command,
AFRL - Rome Research Site,
AFRL/Information Directorate, 26 Electronic
Parkway, Rome, NY, 13441-4514
ARA ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Initial
announcement
ADVANCED RESEARCH ANNOUNCEMENT
(ARA) TITLE: Cyberspace Operations for
Resilient Tactical Engagement and
Execution
(CORTEX) 
 
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ARA NUMBER: FA8750-26-S-7002
PART I – OVERVIEW INFORMATION
This announcement is for an Open, 2 Step
ARA which is open and effective until 31
December 2030. Only white papers will be
accepted as initial submissions; formal pro-
posals will be accepted by invitation only.
While white papers will be considered if re-
ceived prior to 5:00 PM Eastern Standard
Time (EST) on 31 December 2030, the fol-
lowing submission dates are suggested to
best align with projected funding:
FY26 by 8 APR 2026
FY27 by 30 SEP 2026
FY28 by 30 SEP 2027
FY29 by 30 SEP 2028
FY30 by 30 SEP 2029
Offerors should monitor the Contract
Opportunities on the SAM website at
https://SAM.gov in the event this announce-
ment is amended.
 
CONCISE SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY
REQUIREMENT: Seeking innovative re-
search to catalyze capability and technique
development that stretches the boundaries
of Cyberspace Operations and
Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations
(EMSO) as well as the synergizes the inter-
section between Cyberspace Operations
and EMSO. Technologies sought include: (1)
microelectronics (including photonic and
quantum) for airborne/edge computing and
Software-Defined Radio (SDR); (2) gate-
ware, firmware and software that advances
Electronic Warfare (EW) and EMSO-enabled
(e.g., Radio Frequency (RF)) Cyberspace
Operations; (3) techniques for maneuver
within mediums, modalities and phe-
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nomenology that cross between
Cyberspace and the EMS; (4) analog and/or
biological technology for SDR and EMSO
that disrupts the battlefield far beyond in-
cremental improvements; (5) anti-tamper,
bootstrapping, hardening and
spatial/temporal fencing technology for the
purposes of enabling transition of hardware
and software (HW/SW) products to a wider
range of foreign partners; and (6) the ad-
vancement of formal methods and ‘correct
by construction’ approaches to developing
SDRs that results in superior Cybersecurity
and reliability when faced with contested
Cyberspace and Electromagnetic Spectrum
(EMS).
ARA ESTIMATED FUNDING: Total funding for
this ARA is approximately $460M. Individual
awards will not normally exceed 60 months
with dollar amounts normally ranging from
$10M to $50M. There is the potential to
award contracts up to $99M in ceiling value.
ANTICIPATED INDIVIDUAL AWARDS: Multiple
Awards are anticipated. However, the Air
Force reserves the right to award zero, one,
or more Procurement Contracts or Other
Transactions for all, some, or none of the
solicited effort based on the offeror’s ability
to perform desired work and funding fluc-
tuations. There is no limit on the number of
OTs that may be awarded to an individual
offeror.
TYPE OF INSTRUMENTS THAT MAY BE
AWARDED: FAR based procurement con-
tracts or other transactions (OT) under 10
USC 4021, 10 USC 4022 and 10 USC 4023
(previously 10 USC 4002, 2371, 10 USC 4003,
2371b and 4004, 2373)
In the event that an Other Transaction for
Prototype agreement is awarded as a result
of this competitive ARA, and the prototype
project is successfully completed, there is
the potential for a prototype project to tran-
sition to award of a follow-on production
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contract or transaction. The Other
Transaction for Prototype agreement itself
will also contain a similar notice of a poten-
tial follow-on production contract or
agreement.
AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION: All white
paper submissions and any questions of a
technical nature shall be directed to the
cognizant Technical Point of Contact
(TPOC) as specified below (unless other-
wise specified in the technical area):
ARA PROGRAM
MANAGER: 
Jason
Hallahan 
AFRL/RIGB 
525 Brooks Rd
Rome, NY 13441-
4505 
Telephone: (315) 330-
3413 
Questions of a contractual/business nature
shall be directed to the cognizant contract-
ing officer, as specified below (email re-
quests are preferred):
 Amber Buckley
 Email: Amber.Buckley@us.af.mil
Emails must reference the ARA solicitation
number and title of the acquisition.
Pre-Proposal Communication between
Prospective Offerors and Government
Representatives: Dialogue between
prospective offerors and Government rep-
resentatives is encouraged. Technical and
contracting questions can be resolved in
writing or through open discussions.
Discussions with any of the points of con-
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Contact Information
tact shall not constitute a commitment by
the Government to subsequently fund or
award any proposed effort. Only
Contracting Officers are legally authorized
to commit the Government.
Offerors are cautioned that evaluation
ratings may be lowered and/or proposal
rejected if proposal preparation
(Proposal format, content, etc.) and/or
submittal instructions are not followed.
SEE ATTACHMENT FOR FULL
ANNOUNCEMENT DETAILS
AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO ARA FA8750-26-S-
7002
The purpose of this modification is to up-
date the ARA email address throughout:
1. Part I Overivew Information, and Part II,
Section VII Agency Contacts are updated as
follows:
ARA PROGRAM MANAGER:
Jason Hallahan AFRL/RIGB
525 Brooks Rd
Rome, NY 13441-4505
Telephone: (315) 330-3413
Email: jason.hallahan.1@us.af.mil
No other changes are made.
SEE ATTACHMENT FOR FULL
ANNOUNCEMENT DETAILS.
Primary Point of Contact
Jason Hallahan
Email
jason.hallahan.1@us.af.mil
Phone Number
315-330-3413
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Attachments/Links
Links
No links have been added to this opportunity.
Attachments Download All Request Access
Alternative Point of Contact
Amber Buckley
Email
amber.buckley@us.af.mil
Phone Number
(blank)
Contracting Office Address
CP 315 330 729826 ELECTRONIC PKWY BLDG 106 RM E125
ROME, NY 13441-4514 USA
 
Document File Siz
ARA 26-02 amend 1 update PM email.pdf 443.77 
SAM Synopsis Open ARA CORTEX Hallahan v7.pdf 427.58 
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