HOW new Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) Pilot Program might make federal sales easier
Selling to the federal government can be complicated, particularly for startups, smaller companies, and those unfamiliar with government contracting. The procurement process creates a jungle of barriers including crushing complexity, awkward communications, and significant expense just to try and compete for business.
As a result, a number of companies with innovative products and services have chosen either not to work with government at all, or have given up in futility after trying. That represents a real loss to the public as well as to the business community, and it’s one that federal procurement professionals are well aware of.
In addition to the complexity of federal contracting terms and conditions, one of the most off-putting aspects of selling to the federal government has been the cost of entering the market. Whereas a commercial deal which this program promotes can often be closed in a matter of weeks or even days. It has been somewhere between difficult and impossible for potential suppliers to meet with the decision-makers. Here is a program worth your consideration especially is you have innovative products and/or solutions.
One way the federal government is trying to assist is the creation of Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) Pilot Program.
The goal of this Pilot is to work with non-traditional and small business to quickly prototype and test emerging technologies. This competitive program authorized by Section 879 of the FY17 NDAA to obtain solutions or new capabilities that fulfill requirements, close capability gaps, or provide potential technological advances. CSO procedures are similar to those for Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs), with the exception that a CSO can be used to acquire innovative commercial items, technologies, or services that directly meet program requirements. The CSO program may also be used to acquire R&D solutions from component development through operational systems development.
For CSO purposes, innovation is defined as any technology, process, or method, including research and development that is new as of the date of proposal submission or any application of a technology, process, or method that is new as of proposal submission.
Some common CSO applications are:
- Commercial products and services
- Information Technology (IT) product and services
- R&D studies for commercial technology
- Commercial Technology maturation
A benefit to both the government and small business is that the CSO program can:
- enables the rapid selection of innovative commercial solutions.
- Ability for the procuring agency to use streamlined procedures for commercial technologies provides opportunity for acquisition programs to deliver capability quickly.
- Shorter evaluation timeliness for solution briefs significantly reduce procurement lead time.
The program is also looking carefully at project phasing to avoid becoming locked into a single vendor’s solution when there are better options available. There are currently hundreds of competitive solicitations available under this program from agencies such as GAO, GSA, Homeland Security and many others.
Contracting with the federal government is often frustrating, but agencies are trying hard to broaden their base of participating businesses. But it is incumbent on the business sector to try harder too. We are here to help.
This may be the opportunity that you have been looking for.
You may also request a free copy of the CSO guide from Federal Specialties, Inc or contract us with your questions or concerns.