Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Enterprise Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) - FA8652-26-S-C003
Last updated: July 12, 2026. Verify current status of any referenced Spiral on SAM.gov before submitting — Spirals open, close, and are added on a rolling basis.
Below is a brief summary. Please check the full solicitation before applying (link in Additional Resources).
Quick Answer
The AFRL Enterprise CSO is a standing, indefinite-duration umbrella announcement that the Air Force Research Laboratory uses to launch specific competitive solicitations, called Spirals, across nearly 100 technology Areas of Interest spanning air, space, cyber/electronic warfare, cross-domain, and basic research. Companies don't apply to the Enterprise CSO directly; they respond to an individual Spiral issued under it, using either a one-step process (Commercial Solutions Proposal) or a two-step process (Commercial Solutions Brief, followed by an invited Commercial Solutions Proposal). Awards can be FAR Part 12 commercial contracts or Other Transaction Prototype agreements.
Unlike many CSOs, foreign participation here is prohibited outright — this is not a "restricted but possible" eligibility gate.
Key Facts at a Glance
• Administering agency: Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
• Solicitation number: FA8652-26-S-C003 (Amendment 01, 8 July 2026)
• Authority: 10 U.S.C. § 3458; R-DFARS Subpart 212.70; NDAA FY22 § 803
• Opportunity type: Enterprise-level CSO umbrella — actual competitions occur under individual Spirals
• Duration: Active indefinitely; updated annually until terminated
• Areas of Interest: Approximately 94 sub-areas across five domains (Air, Space, Cyber/Electronic Warfare, Cross-Domain, Basic Research)
• Application format: One-Step: Commercial Solutions Proposal (CSP). Two-Step: Commercial Solutions Brief (CSB) — PowerPoint plus white paper — then an invited CSP
• Award mechanisms: FAR Part 12 fixed-price contract, or Other Transaction for Prototype (OTP) under 10 U.S.C. § 4022, including follow-on production
• Typical award size: Not specified in the solicitation. Awards under comparable DoD CSO/OTP mechanisms have ranged from roughly $100,000 for early feasibility efforts to $10 million or more for larger prototype demonstrations — actual amounts depend entirely on the Spiral and funding available
• Who can apply: U.S. commercial companies, small businesses, nontraditional defense contractors, nonprofit research institutions
• Who cannot apply: Foreign persons and FOCI (foreign-owned, controlled, or influenced) entities — prohibited outright, no exceptions stated
• Security requirement: NIST SP 800-171 compliance for Covered Defense Information; a Science and Technology Protection Initial Risk Review for selectable proposals
How This CSO Actually Works: Enterprise CSO + Spirals
This is the single most important structural fact to understand before pursuing this opportunity: FA8652-26-S-C003 is not itself a solicitation you submit against. It's a framework document that authorizes AFRL Mission Organizations (its internal directorates) to issue individual Spirals — the actual competitive solicitations — at any time, tied to specific Areas of Interest.
Each Spiral specifies its own Areas of Interest in scope, submission format, dates, and evaluation criteria, and states whether it's Open (accepts submissions on a rolling basis) or Closed (narrows scope, hard deadline — late submissions are handled per FAR 52.212-1(c) and generally not considered). It will also state whether it uses a One-Step or Two-Step process.
One-Step Spiral (Commercial Solutions Proposal): Submit a complete CSP directly — technical proposal, price proposal, and Statement of Work. Evaluated once, then categorized as Selectable, Selectable/Insufficient Funding, or Not Selectable.
Two-Step Spiral (Commercial Solutions Brief, then Commercial Solutions Proposal): Step 1 is a CSB — a PowerPoint briefing plus a white paper (the Government may substitute a Pitch instead). It's evaluated on Technical Merit/Applicability and Funding Availability, weighted equally. If categorized Selectable, you're invited to Step 2: a full CSP (technical proposal, price proposal, SOW), evaluated on Technical Merit/Applicability, Importance to Agency Programs, Price, and Funding Availability, all weighted equally.
Because new Spirals can be issued at any time against any of the roughly 94 Areas of Interest, companies with relevant dual-use technology should monitor SAM.gov regularly rather than treating this as a one-time application.
Active Spiral as of This Writing
As of mid-2026, AFRL has an active Centralized, Open Two-Step Spiral (FA8652-26-S-C005) accepting Commercial Solutions Briefs, currently scoped to the Foundational Technologies (AFRL/RE) mission organization, open April 30, 2026 through April 30, 2027. This is a live, actionable entry point today — but confirm current scope and status on SAM.gov, since additional Spirals may have opened, or this one may have been amended, since this page was last updated.
Areas of Interest
Solution Briefs and Proposals must map to one or more of the Areas of Interest below. Each AOI sits within one of five domains; the specific Spiral you respond to will define which AOIs are currently in scope.
1. Air Domain Technologies
• Human Performance Optimization — physical, cognitive, and human-machine interface techniques that enhance warfighter capability and resilience.
• Aerospace Medicine and Operational Health — physiological monitoring, environmental protection, and medical support for air, space, and cyber operations.
• Warfighter Survivability and Protection — personal protective equipment, threat detection, casualty care, and directed-energy protection.
• Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences — perception, decision-making, and human-system interaction in complex environments.
• Advanced Air Vehicles — next-generation aircraft: high-speed flight, maneuverability, stealth, optionally-manned configurations.
• Air Propulsion Systems — turbine engines, scramjets and ramjets, and advanced powerplants.
• Aerodynamics and Flight Sciences — flight control, stability, and performance research for maneuverability and endurance.
• Hypersonics — materials, propulsion, guidance, and control for Mach 5+ flight.
• Advanced Weapons Technologies — smart munitions, precision-guided munitions, novel warhead designs.
• Energetics and Propellants — advanced energetic materials, propellants, and explosives with improved safety and performance.
• Guidance Navigation and Control — accuracy, maneuverability, and target discrimination systems.
• Munitions Survivability and Countermeasures — munition robustness against countermeasures and hostile environments.
• Rocket Systems — solid, liquid, and hybrid rocket motors, propellants, thrust vector control, and tactical missile integration.
• Nuclear Deterrence Technologies — strategic delivery platform modernization, NC3 systems, and fuzing/guidance for deterrence.
2. Space Domain Technologies
• Space Access and Orbital Systems — launch vehicles, space propulsion, and maneuvering systems for reliable access to space.
• Spacecraft and Satellite Technologies — satellite bus design, payloads, communications, and on-orbit servicing.
• Space Power and Propulsion — solar arrays, energy storage, and electric propulsion for satellite life and maneuverability.
• On-Orbit Operations and Autonomy — autonomous spacecraft operations, rendezvous and proximity operations, and debris mitigation.
• Space Domain Awareness — sensors and analytics to detect, track, and characterize space objects and threats.
• Resilient and Survivable Space Architecture — distributed constellations and hardened systems for contested environments.
• Space Environment and Effects — space weather and radiation effects mitigation for space assets.
• Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) From and For Space — space-based positioning, navigation, and timing systems.
• Satellite Assembly, Integration & Testing — processes and facilities for spacecraft integration and environmental test/verification.
3. Cyberspace / Electronic Warfare Domain Technologies
• Cyber Operations and Cybersecurity — offensive and defensive cyber capabilities, threat intelligence, and incident response.
• Communications and Networks — software-defined radios, dynamic spectrum management, and resilient tactical networks.
• Electronic Warfare and Spectrum Operations — electromagnetic spectrum dominance: signal processing, electronic attack and protection.
• Quantum Technologies — quantum computing, communication, and sensing; algorithms for intractable problems.
• Electro-Optical and Infrared Sensors — imaging and sensing across visible, infrared, and ultraviolet spectra for detection and tracking.
• Radar and Radio Frequency Sensors — AESA, synthetic aperture radar, and low-probability-of-intercept/detection radar for target tracking.
• Multispectral and Hyperspectral Sensing — multi-band sensors for material discrimination and camouflage detection.
• Signal Processing and Sensor Fusion — multi-sensor integration for target recognition and situational awareness.
• Quantum Sensing and Advanced Properties — photonic and quantum devices for sensitivity, resolution, and miniaturization.
• Directed Energy Sensing and Countermeasures — sensors detecting and characterizing directed-energy threats.
• High-Energy Laser Systems — scalable high-power lasers (solid-state, fiber) and beam control for weaponization.
• Photonics — light-based capabilities for sensing, quantum information science, and directed energy.
• High-Power Electromagnetic Technologies — high-power microwave sources, pulse power, and antennas for non-kinetic disable/disrupt effects.
• High Power Electromagnetic Effects — physics-level and system-level testing of high-power microwave and particle-beam effects.
• High Power Electromagnetic Applications — end-to-end high-power electromagnetic system design, build, integration, and field testing.
• Beam Control and Adaptive Optics — beam steering and atmospheric compensation for laser accuracy.
• Directed Energy Effects and Countermeasures — physical and operational effects of directed-energy weapons and defensive countermeasures.
• Cybersecurity for Digital Environments — threat detection, vulnerability assessment, and resilient digital architectures.
• Navigation Warfare and Counter PNT — disrupting adversary PNT and protecting friendly PNT in GPS-denied environments.
4. Cross-Domain Technologies
• Human Systems Integration — human factors engineering, user interface design, and cognitive support for system usability.
• Human-Machine Teaming and Interfaces — improving interaction between humans and AI-enabled systems.
• Training and Simulation Technologies — virtual reality, augmented reality, serious gaming, and adaptive learning for readiness and mission rehearsal.
• Rapid Multi-Domain Integration — interoperable, networked systems combining air, space, cyber, EW, and ground capabilities.
• Advanced Systems Engineering — requirements engineering, architecture, modeling and simulation, and verification/validation.
• Integrated Vehicle Health Management — real-time platform monitoring and diagnostics for safety and readiness.
• Power and Thermal Management — power generation, storage, distribution, and thermal dissipation technologies.
• Advanced Materials Development — high-temperature ceramics, lightweight composites, metamaterials, and bio-inspired materials.
• Additive Manufacturing — on-demand production of complex geometries and multi-material components.
• Materials Processing and Fabrication — nanomanufacturing, advanced joining, surface engineering, and coatings.
• Materials Characterization and Testing — experimental and computational methods to understand material performance.
• Environmentally Responsive and Smart Materials — adaptive, sensing, and self-healing materials.
• Microelectronics — micro-scale electronics and integrated circuits for defense and aerospace systems.
• Model-Based Systems Engineering, Digital Engineering, and Digital Thread — digital twins and virtual prototypes across the system lifecycle.
• Advanced Simulation and Virtual Prototyping — computer-aided engineering simulation and testing before physical creation.
• Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence — machine learning and AI for predictive analytics, pattern recognition, and automated reasoning.
• Additive Manufacturing Digital Integration — generative design, topology optimization, and in-situ additive manufacturing process monitoring.
• Low C-SWAP Alternative PNT for Attritable Systems — affordable, expendable PNT for disposable unmanned aircraft in GPS-denied environments.
• Modular Open Architecture for Resilient PNT — standardized-interface PNT systems enabling rapid upgrades.
• Robotics Technologies — autonomous and semi-autonomous robots for logistics, maintenance, and hazardous-environment tasks.
• Software Systems Development — DevSecOps, modular open architecture, and AI/ML/autonomy software.
• Physiological Operations — systems exploiting human cognition to influence adversary decision-making.
• Runtime Assurance (RTA) for AI — real-time safety monitoring that reverts AI systems to a trusted backup controller.
• Autonomy (for Airborne Platforms) — uncrewed aerial systems that navigate and execute missions with minimal human input.
5. Basic Research Technologies (AFOSR-Aligned)
• Energetic Solid-State Physics and Mechanochemistry — chemistry and physics of solid-state energetic materials under extreme conditions.
• Energy, Combustion, and Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics — chemical energy conversion for propulsion, electricity, and directed energy.
• Aerodynamic Sciences — fundamental flowfield physics across internal and external configurations.
• High-Speed Aerodynamics — high-speed, high-temperature non-equilibrium flow physics.
• Aerospace Composite Materials — chemistry, physics, and mechanics of novel composite materials.
• Aerospace Structures — emerging structural materials, meta-architectures, and intelligent subsystems.
• Propulsion and Power — fundamental discovery to enable enhanced maneuver and power capabilities.
• Agile Science for Test and Evaluation (T&E) — metrology and test methods across autonomy, hypersonics, and cyber/microelectronics.
• Computational Cognition and Machine Intelligence — mathematical and computational foundations of machine intelligence and human-machine alignment.
• Computational Mathematics — algorithms for large-scale engineering, design, and predictive simulation.
• Dynamical Systems and Control Theory — mathematics of analysis and control for complex dynamical systems.
• Dynamic Data and Information Processing — real-time model refinement using measured or simulated data.
• Information Assurance and Cybersecurity — securing distributed systems, nanoscale devices, and quantum information.
• Mathematical Optimization — theory and algorithms for allocation, planning, logistics, and scheduling problems.
• Science of Information, Computation, Learning, and Fusion — extracting information from large, heterogeneous, multi-modal data.
• Trust and Influence — social and cognitive principles of trust between humans and intelligent agents.
• Complex Networks — structural analysis of large, dynamic, interdependent network systems.
• Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience — neural mechanisms of perception, cognition, and behavior; brain-inspired computing.
• Atomic and Molecular Physics — cold and ultra-cold quantum gases, precision measurement, and matter-wave optics.
• Electromagnetics — linear and nonlinear electromagnetics and signal processing.
• Optoelectronics and Photonics — light-matter interaction at the nanoscale for communications and computation.
• High-Energy Radiation-Matter Systems — interaction of electromagnetic energy and matter for directed-energy weapons and sensors.
• Quantum Information Sciences — non-classical phenomena for information analysis, storage, and protection.
• Physics of Sensing — fundamental physics of remote detection and object characterization.
• Space Physics — solar-terrestrial environment effects on tracking, communications, and navigation.
• Ultrashort Pulse Laser-Matter Interactions — physical phenomena from ultrashort-pulse laser interactions with matter.
• Condensed Matter Physics — new quantum phases and macroscopic properties in solid-state materials.
• Astrodynamics — physics of motion and control of natural and artificial objects in Earth/Moon/Sun gravity fields.
Which AFRL Directorate Owns Which Domain
Every Area of Interest is mapped to one or more AFRL Mission Organizations in Attachment 1 — this determines who within AFRL actually reviews your submission. At a domain level:
• Air Warfare (AFRL/RA): concentrated in Air Domain Technologies, plus select Cross-Domain and Basic Research areas
• Foundational Technologies / AFOSR (AFRL/RE): the dominant directorate across nearly all of Basic Research Technologies, plus broad Cross-Domain coverage
• Information & Spectrum Warfare (AFRL/RF): heavy coverage across Air, Space, and especially Cyberspace/Electronic Warfare Domain Technologies
• Space Warfare (AFRL/RJ): broad coverage across Air, Space, Cyber/EW, Cross-Domain, and Basic Research
• Digital Capabilities (AFRL/IZ): narrower, concentrated in select Cyber/EW and Cross-Domain digital topics
• 711th Human Performance Wing (711HPW): Air Domain human performance and medicine topics, plus human-machine teaming and physiological operations
• Technology Transition (AFRL/RR) and Systems Technology Office (AFRL/STO): not mapped to specific Areas of Interest in the alignment table; these function as cross-cutting/transition support rather than topic owners
Because a single Area of Interest can map to multiple directorates, and because the specific Spiral, not the Enterprise CSO, determines which directorate actually evaluates your submission, confirming the right directorate fit before drafting is worth doing early. This is exactly the kind of fit assessment BW&CO does at kickoff.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much funding would I receive?
The solicitation does not specify award amounts — funding is set at the individual Spiral level and depends on availability. Awards may be structured as FAR Part 12 fixed-price contracts or as Other Transactions for Prototype (OTP) under 10 U.S.C. § 4022, including follow-on production agreements. Based on comparable DoD CSO/OTP mechanisms, awards have ranged from roughly $100,000 for early feasibility or component-level efforts up to $10 million or more for larger prototype and production-representative demonstrations. The Government may incrementally fund any award and reserves the right to fund all, some, or none of a proposal, including funding only part of a submission it deems Selectable.
What could I use the funding for?
Funding supports "innovative" solutions as legally defined: technology, processes, or methods (or new applications of existing ones) that are new as of your proposal's submission date. This spans advanced component development through full operational systems development, and can include prototype projects under OTP authority. A narrower category, Studies and Analysis funded with Operations and Maintenance appropriations, covers short-term (generally one year or less), non-developmental investigative work addressing urgent, near-term Air Force and Space Force needs.
What is the actual timeline to apply?
There is no single application deadline. You apply by responding to an individual Spiral, and each Spiral sets its own timeline. Open Spirals accept submissions on a rolling basis; Closed Spirals set a hard deadline, after which late submissions are handled under FAR 52.212-1(c) and generally not considered for award. The Enterprise CSO itself remains active indefinitely, refreshed annually until terminated, with new Spirals issued at any time. As of mid-2026, an active Centralized, Open Two-Step Spiral (FA8652-26-S-C005) covering the Foundational Technologies mission organization is open through April 30, 2027 — verify current status and scope on SAM.gov.
Who is eligible to apply?
U.S. commercial companies, small businesses, nontraditional defense contractors, and nonprofit research institutions registered in SAM.gov and determined "responsible" under FAR Subpart 9.1 are eligible. For awards structured as OTPs specifically, at least one of the following must also be true: a nontraditional defense contractor or nonprofit research institution participates significantly; all significant non-government participants are small businesses or nontraditional defense contractors; at least one-third of total project cost comes from non-federal sources; or the agency's Senior Procurement Executive documents exceptional circumstances justifying the transaction.
Who is NOT eligible to apply?
Foreign persons and foreign-owned, controlled, or influenced (FOCI) entities are prohibited from participating in awards under this announcement — full stop, with no stated exception. This is a meaningfully harder line than many other DoD CSOs, including some Army CSOs, which permit foreign-owned businesses to compete subject to review and approval. Companies should also expect exclusion if suspended or debarred from federal contracting, prohibited by law from receiving federal awards, or unable to meet required security clearances for a given effort.
What companies and projects are likely to win?
Companies with technology that's genuinely new as of the proposal date, not incremental refinement of an existing government-known capability, and that map cleanly to a specific, currently-open Spiral's Areas of Interest are best positioned. CSB submissions are weighed equally on Technical Merit/Applicability and Funding Availability; CSP submissions add Importance to Agency Programs and Price to that mix, still weighted equally. Because the Government can categorize a submission "Selectable" yet unfundable, technical merit alone doesn't guarantee an award — timing against available budget matters just as much.
How competitive will this be?
The solicitation doesn't disclose award volume or success rates, and competitiveness will vary enormously by Spiral and Area of Interest. With roughly 94 Areas of Interest spanning basic research through operational systems, and eight separate mission organizations issuing their own Spirals independently, this functions less like a single competition and more like dozens of parallel, narrower competitions, each with its own funding pool and evaluation timeline.
What restrictions should I know about?
Key constraints beyond eligibility: submissions containing Controlled Unclassified Information must go through DoD SAFE, not standard email; awards involving military-critical technical data may require a certified DD Form 2345 and Defense Logistics Agency registration under ITAR/EAR; awarded efforts are subject to NIST SP 800-171 safeguarding requirements for Covered Defense Information; and non-government advisors (FFRDCs, SETA, and A&AS contractors) under signed NDAs may review your proposal on the Government's behalf.
How long will it take to prepare an application?
Preparation time isn't specified and depends on the Spiral, but the barrier to entry is intentionally low for Step 1. A Two-Step CSB is a PowerPoint briefing plus a white paper (or a Pitch, if the Spiral requires one), not a full proposal. Only companies invited to Step 2, or those responding to a One-Step Spiral, need to prepare a complete Commercial Solutions Proposal with a technical volume, price volume, and Statement of Work.
How BW&CO Can Help
The AFRL Enterprise CSO's structure — an indefinite umbrella document with dozens of independently-issued Spirals across eight mission organizations — makes "which opportunity should I actually respond to" a harder question than it looks. BW&CO helps companies:
• Fit assessment — Identify which currently-open Spiral, and which of the roughly 94 Areas of Interest, fits your technology
• Mechanism strategy — Determine whether your submission is better positioned as a FAR Part 12 contract or an OTP, and confirm OTP eligibility criteria are met
• Proposal development — Draft compelling Commercial Solutions Briefs and Proposals within the required page and slide limits
• Compliance — Navigate NIST SP 800-171, export control, and Science and Technology Protection review requirements before they become a late-stage surprise
• Monitoring — Track SAM.gov for new and amended Spirals aligned to your capabilities
Additional Resources
Review the solicitation here: SAM.gov — FA8652-26-S-C003