GSA’s Federal Systems Integration and Management Center (FEDSIM) announced it will begin testing the Commercial Solutions Opening (“CSO”) concept where they will acquire “innovative, commercial items, technologies and services currently in the production/commercialization phase as well as adaptations of existing commercial products.”

The goal of the CSO approach is to streamline the acquisition process and simplify contract terms to attract start-up companies and others who have not previously worked with government.  It’s not quite the same at an Other Transaction Authority/Agreements (OTA), but focuses on a similar objective.

FEDSIM posted the first solicitation earlier this month for the Defense Department’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) for its Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) National Mission Initiative (NMI).

“The JAIC requires an innovative commercial software and services solution that will provide comprehensive data management, end-to-end platform integration, and model/capabilities development of still imagery and computer vision solutions for locating flood affected areas and infrastructure; ultimately identifying at-risk, in-need, and/or harmed/damaged people/infrastructure,” the CSO solicitation states.

JAIC said the commercial system would include 10 characteristics or capabilities, including models to distinguish features like flood lines or dangerous structures, pre-processing, post-processing and integration algorithms necessary to run models as a cohesive, deployable and efficient capability, and integration with new and existing systems.

Responses were due July 22.

FEDSIM says it will post other solicitations for a specific project or technical area of interest when an opportunity is open.

FEDSIM joins the Defense Innovation Unit, the Defense Intelligence Agency, Naval Sea Systems Command, Army Materiel Command and the Department of Homeland Security as having launched their own CSO programs, according to Bloomberg Government.

Congress gave GSA the CSO pilot authority in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act.

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