The Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is issuing a Commercial Solutions Opening
(CSO) authorized by the Department of Defense (DoD) Class Deviation 2022-O0007. Under a CSO, the
ERDC may competitively award proposals received in response to a general solicitation, similar to a
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), to acquire innovative commercial products, technologies, or
services based on a review of solutions by scientific, technological, or other subject matter expert peers
within the ERDC. Under this CSO, all products, technologies, and services shall be treated as commercial
items; products, technologies, and services do not have to be “commercially available” to be submitted in
response to this solicitation. If the solution meets the requirements of the regulation, the solution is
treated as commercial whereby the Contracting Officer will utilize commercial procedures to develop and
execute the resultant award.
This CSO contains broadly defined Strategic Focus Areas, however more specific individual program
requirements may be amended in the future. The Strategic Focus Areas are intentionally broad in nature,
generally have no known funding specifically available, and will be posted under this CSO on an open-continuous
basis for one (1) year from the date of original posting. Any specific individual program
requirements that are posted under the authority of this CSO, will describe the desired end result, offer
additional context for the needs that seek solutions, provide a funding profile, and will stipulate a specific
due date for solutions.
The USACE, and its Civil Works mission areas of commercial navigation, flood and coastal storm risk
management, and aquatic ecosystem restoration, will play an essential role in energizing the US economy
as we recover from recent crises and prepare for the future challenges facing our Nation. Investments in
Civil Works are critical in generating near- and long-term benefits for securing our communities,
supporting and growing our economy, creating jobs, and enhancing broader societal impacts such as
improved public health, National security, recreation and tourism.
Deadline for Solution Briefs: May 22, 2024
The ERDC executes research and development (R&D) projects on behalf of the Assistant Secretary of the
Army for Civil Works, US Army Corps of Engineers, and various other government organizations. These
R&D projects align with the following USACE Civil Works Strategic Focus Areas:
• Nextgen Water Resources Infrastructure: Building Smarter, Longer Lasting Infrastructure
• Sustainable Species Management: Measuring, Predicting, and Managing Species and Ecosystem
Restoration Activities
• Innovation in Sediment Management: Maximizing Beneficial Use of Sediments
• Comprehensive Water Risk Management: Effectively and Efficiently Managing Water Before,
During, and After it Hits the Ground
• Crisis Mitigation Response and Recovery: Proactively Saving Lives and Communities
• Innovative Applications of Big Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and Autonomy:
Leveraging Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Data as a Force Multiplier