DOD Eyes OTA Award for Industrial Base Policy Consortium

The Department of Defense’s Washington Headquarters Services is soliciting comments and recommendations as it plans to award an other transaction agreement to an organization to create and oversee a consortium that will help DOD accelerate access to commercial technologies.

The WHS acquisition directorate expects the industrial base policy consortium to help the manufacturing, capability expansion and investment prioritization directorate address defense supply chain issues, commercialize research and development efforts, sustain critical production, develop the industrial workforce and scale emerging technology platforms in support of the defense industrial base, according to a presolicitation notice published Thursday.

WHS envisions the consortium to enable MCEIP to leverage novel technologies from nontraditional defense contractors and nonprofit research institutions, speed up the acquisition process, increase competition and improve engagement with industry and NPRIs.

According to the notice, the consortium manager should come up with an agile approach to facilitate the award of projects and come up with a model that will advance the diversification of sources to broaden the defense industrial base and pursue procurement actions that keep up with commercial emerging technologies, among other components.

The consortium should have the expertise to address the critical sectors within DIB: kinetic capabilities; energy storage and batteries; castings and forgings; microelectronics; critical chemicals and minerals; small unmanned aircraft systems; rare earth elements; critical materials; submarine industrial base; space industrial base; and biomanufacturing.

Responses are due Jan. 10.

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