CHEERS MAA Open Period 2 - All Technical Areas, 10 U.S.C. 4023 - Procurement for Experimental Purposes (ARA)
U.S. military procurement for experimental purposes funding development, prototypes, auxiliary services, and limited quantities needed for testing, technical evaluation, operational assessment, or residual operational capability under the CHEERS MAA.
⚑ Federal contract under 10 U.S.C. 4023 procurement for experimental purposes, not a grant. · Must support experimentation/evaluation; quantities are limited to testing and assessment needs. · Must allow Government residual operational capability if testing succeeds. · Related MAA notice contains additional attachments and SOO; applicants must use parent announcement materials as directed.
This is an Air Force procurement-for-experimental-purposes vehicle spanning technical areas, with an obvious defense acquisition/engineering orientation rather than the team’s social-science, risk-perception, public-opinion, or policy-evaluation lines. There’s no clear fit for any specific IPPRA researcher as PI-level work; at most the team could be peripheral stakeholders on a narrowly social/acceptance component, but that is not the core of this opportunity.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-10-03
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 60 good | technical depth: central; funds other (capped) |
| IPPRA | 53 partial | portfolio topic: national_security_defense (primary); social/behavioral work is minor; funds other — not a research fit |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 30 weak | prototyping/demonstration stage; deep-tech content |
Description
**28 September 2026: Amendment 01 — Annual Update & 10 U.S.C. 4023 Scope Clarification** Solicitation: FA238424S2335, "Open Period 2 - All Technical Areas, 10 U.S.C. 4023 - Procurement for Experimental Purposes (ARA)" Solicitation Authority: 10 U.S.C. § 4023, Procurement for Experimental Purposes (formerly 10 U.S.C. § 2373) The purpose of this update is to incorporate the annual solicitation revisions, update applicable procurement clauses and provisions, and incorporate clarified statutory criteria regarding acquisitions conducted under 10 U.S.C. § 4023. SUMMARY OF REVISIONS: Clarified Statutory Authority Scope: In accordance with 10 U.S.C. § 4023, acquisitions under this announcement are strictly limited to the development, procurement, or integration of items, prototypes, or auxiliary services specifically necessary for experimentation, technical evaluation, assessment of operational utility, or maintaining a residual operational capability. Updated Statutory Submission Criteria: Proposals submitted under this ARA must explicitly address: Experimental Utility: Solutions must be utilized in an evaluative/experimental capacity directly supporting stated technical objectives. Quantity Limitations: Limited strictly to quantities necessary for testing and operational assessment. Residual Operational Capability: Provisions for the Government to retain residual operational capability if initial testing proves successful. Provisions and Clauses: Updated applicable RFO provisions and cybersecurity safeguarding requirements (including NIST SP 800-171 SPRS verification and task-specific CMMC compliance). Reference to Updated Overarching Industry Guide: Offerors must refer to the revised CHEERS Industry Guide (Revision September 2026) posted on the parent MAA announcement. List of Attachments: "Open Period Solicitation 2_ARA Amend 01.pdf" "Attachment 1 - List of Provisions and Clauses (ARA).pdf" Related Notice: Multiple Authority Announcement (MAA) FA238424S2233, "Continuing Human Enabling, Enhancing, Restoring and Sustaining (CHEERS)" Note: You MUST refer to the related notice identified above in order to obtain all additional attachments referenced herein (e.g. CHEERS Industry Guide, Statements of Objectives (SOO), and S&T Protection Appendices). PREVIOUS AMENDMENT HISTORY 20 Nov 2025: Amendment 01 - Annual Update Solicitation: FA238424S2335, "Open Period 2 - All Technical Areas" Solicitation Authority: 10 U.S.C 4023 - Procurement for Experimental Purposes List of Attachments: 1. "Open Period Solicitation 2_ARA Amend 01" 2. "Attachment 1 - List of Provisions and Clauses (ARA)" Related Notice: Multiple Authority Announcement (MAA) FA238424S2233, "Continuing Human Enabling, Enhancing, Restoring and Sustaining (CHEERS)" Note: You MUST refer to the related notice identified above in order to obtain all additional attachments referenced herein (e.g. CHEERS Industry Guide, Statements of Objectives (SOO), and S&T Protection Appendices)
Eligibility
Applicant restrictions (federal contract). Set-aside: . Notice type: Solicitation. Organization: DEPT OF DEFENSE / DEPT OF THE AIR FORCE / FA2384 USAF AFMC AFRL PZL AFRL RAKH.
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