Defense Contractor Tips for Commercial Solutions Openings

Government Contracts attorneys Jeremy Burkhart and John McAdams, together with International Law Clerk Sarah Beard, published an article in Law360 analyzing the U.S. Department of Defense's (DOD) increasing reliance on commercial solutions openings (CSOs) as a faster, more flexible way to acquire technology and services. Using the U.S. Army's Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF 401) Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-sUAS) solicitation as a case study, the authors explain how recent statutory changes now allow the government to move directly from a CSO to a production Other Transaction Authority Agreement (OTA) because CSOs are no longer limited to innovative solutions. The article also explains the CSO process and outlines practical considerations for contractors, including proposal strategy, teaming arrangements, intellectual property protections, cybersecurity preparedness and other compliance issues that can shape success in the defense marketplace.

READ: Defense Contractor Tips for Commercial Solutions Openings (Subscription required)

The authors also published a Holland & Knight alert on this topic.