Cornerstone CS-25-1502: RPD-596 Industrial Base Expansion

U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command – Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC), Rock Island, IL, on behalf of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy Innovation Capability and Modernization office via its Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program (10 U.S.C. § 4817), in conjunction with Army Contracting Command – Rock Island (ACC-RI), manages the Cornerstone Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), in accordance with 10 U.S.C. § 4022. Cornerstone was architected to create a broad-based, flexible and enduring public-private consortium focused on strategic strengthening of the U.S. Manufacturing and Defense Industrial Base and provide a strong complement to the mandates in Presidential Executive Order 13806.

ACC-RI, on behalf of DEVCOM CBC and IBAS Program, intends to issue a competitive Cornerstone Initiative Request (CIR) for Prototype Project RPD-596 on or after 25 August 2025, with an estimated closing date of 30 calendar days after issuance. The CIR for Prototype Project RPD-596 is restricted to Cornerstone consortium members.

The CIR will solicit proposals for one expenditure-based OTA with incremental payments made upon completion of specific milestones. Period of performance will be 48 months after contract award. A non-competitive follow-on production OT may be awarded following a successful prototype.

The objective of this effort is to establish a prototype continuous processing capability to support production of 500,000 pounds per year of RPD-596 solvent, double-base propellant and develop a novel drying process to significantly reduce drying time for RPD-596.

Any OT awarded as a result of this initiative will incorporate the following clauses:

1. FAR clause 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment

2. DFARS clause 252.232-7006, WAWF Payment Instructions

3. DFARS clause 252.204-7012, Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting.

The CIR is restricted to Cornerstone Consortium members only and will be communicated to the Cornerstone Consortium and companies with pending applications via email. Entities are required to have begun the membership process for their proposal to be reviewed. Entities must have an active registration in SAM.gov, a favorable status in Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information Systems, and be members of the Cornerstone Consortium, with a signed Cornerstone Consortium Management Agreement, to be eligible to submit a proposal and be eligible for awarded this of an OTA task. Contractors may obtain Cornerstone registration information located at https://cornerstone.army.mil or by inquiring at: usarmy.ria.devcom-cbc.mbx.cornerstone-ota@army.mil.

Interested parties should stay alert for any changes that may be published to this sam.gov posting. Please email all questions and responses to the following mailbox: usarmy.ria.devcom-cbc.mbx.cornerstone-ota@army.mil

This Special Notice is for planning purposes only and does not constitute a CIR or an obligation on behalf of the U.S. Government. Issuance of this Special Notice is not a guarantee of a future CIR or an award and is not a commitment of any kind by the Government.