SAM #W56ZLWRFI0001

Army market research for defense-focused Generative AI training and workforce enablement

The Department of the Army is conducting market research for a defense-focused Generative AI training and workforce enablement program on behalf of the IIIAC Operational Data Team. - Government buyer: Department of the Army, Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC), 418th Contracting Support Brigade, 0418 AQ HQ Contracting Support, for the IIIAC Operational Data Team; the attachment identifies MSG Travis Gerdes as the contact. - Opportunity status: Request for Information (RFI) and market research only; it is not a solicitation or award. - OEMs and vendors: No OEMs, commercial vendors, or potential vendors are named in the opportunity documents. - Requested services — three role-based training tracks: - Generative AI for Mission Leaders: 4 cohorts per year, with 50–75 students per cohort; covers high-impact, low-risk use cases and DoD security and operational constraints. - Applied Prompt Engineering for Mission Operations: 12 cohorts per year, with 20–25 students per cohort; covers reliable outputs, approved prompt libraries, and prevention of prompt injection and data leakage. - Autonomous Agent Architecture and Mission Systems Integration: 4 cohorts per year, with 15–20 students per cohort; covers multi-step AI agents and integration with secure, mission-critical applications and APIs. - Notable requirements: Training should support IL5, IL6, and air-gapped environments. Classroom instruction is anticipated within 15 miles of Fort Hood, Texas. Instructors should demonstrate subject-matter expertise and familiarity with DoD Cloud Computing Security Requirements Guide standards; specific personnel or facility clearances are not stated as required. - Market research response requested: Capability statements and separate, non-binding budgetary estimates, including costs per cohort or student, curriculum customization, and lab configuration. - Potential term: A 12-month base period with four 12-month option periods.

Description

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) Operational Generative AI Training & Workforce Enablement Suite THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTATION (RFQ), REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP), OR INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB). THIS NOTICE IS FOR MARKET RESEARCH AND PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY.

1. RFI Information RFI Title: Operational Generative AI Training & Workforce Enablement Suite Agency or Organization: IIIAC Operational Data Team RFI Number: NAICS Code & Size Standard: Product Service Code: Response Due Date & Time: October 7, 2026, at 16:00 EST Submission Email: travis.m.gerdes.mil@army.mil sean.p.cairney.mil@army.mil Contracting Point of Contact: MSG Travis Gerdes

2. Purpose The purpose of this Request for Information is to conduct market research and obtain information from industry regarding the availability, capabilities, delivery approach, and estimated pricing for a role-tailored Operational Generative AI Training and Workforce Enablement Suite. The Government will use the information received to understand the commercial marketplace, identify capable sources (including small businesses across socioeconomic categories), and develop or refine its acquisition strategy, Performance Work Statement (PWS), and security architecture requirements.

3. Background Modern defense operations require rapid, secure, and disciplined integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) across strategic, operational, and tactical echelons. Defense components require workforce upskilling to safely leverage foundation models and autonomous agent architectures without exposing sensitive data, breaching classification boundaries, or succumbing to adversarial manipulation such as prompt injection. Current commercial AI courses focus heavily on commercial enterprise workflows, corporate revenue generation, and unaccredited public cloud software tools. The Government requires an operationalized, defense-specific curriculum and laboratory execution framework configured explicitly for deployment across Impact Level 5 (IL5) and Impact Level 6 (IL6) cloud environments and isolated, air-gapped enclaves.

4. Description of the Anticipated Requirement The Government anticipates acquiring a modular, tiered Generative AI training program structured into three primary role-based tracks. The first should equip leadership to identify high-impact, low-risk use cases for Generative AI and impart understand the unique security and operational constraints of deploying LLMs in a DoD context. It should teach prompt engineering, developing mastery in controlling and directing accredited LLMs for repeatable, reliable outputs, teach how to build a library of pre-approved, tested prompts for common mission tasks and how to test for and mitigate prompt injection and data leakage. Finally, the program needs a course that teaches building functional AI agents that can perform multi-step tasks and integrating LLM-driven agents with other secure, mission-critical applications and APIs.

Tracks and Cohorts Track / Role Focus / Target Cohorts / Year Students / Cohort Track 1: Generative AI for Mission Leaders Executive & Command Track 4 50-75 Track 2: Applied Prompt Engineering for Mission Operations Practitioner Track 12 20–25 Track 3: Autonomous Agent Architecture & Mission Systems Integration Technical Developer Track 4 15–20

4.1 Delivery Schedule & Place of Performance Delivery Schedule: Base year of twelve (12) months with four (4) optional twelve-month renewal periods. Place of Performance: Classroom or lecture hall within 15 miles of main Ft. Hood, TX. The classroom or lecture hall can be on or off main Fort Hood, TX as long as it is within the 15 mi radius.

4.2 Security & Personnel Requirements Personnel Clearances: None. Facility Clearance (FCL): None. Instructor Qualifications: Instructors must demonstrate technical subject matter mastery and familiarization with DoD Cloud Computing Security Requirements Guide (CC SRG) standards.

5. Anticipated Acquisition Information The following table outlines the preliminary acquisition strategy and planning parameters: Estimated Period of Performance: One (1) 12-month Base Period, plus four (4) 12-month Option Periods (5 Years total) Estimated Award Date: Unknown Anticipated Contract Type: Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) Potential Contract Vehicle: Unknown Potential Set-Aside: To be determined based on market research responses (Small Business Set-Aside under review)

6. Information Requested from Vendors Interested vendors should submit both a capability statement and a separate non-binding budgetary Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) estimate. The response should provide enough information for the Government to assess the vendor's ability to meet the anticipated requirement.

6.1 Company Information Please provide the following administrative and organizational details: Company Name, Address, and Website. Unique Entity ID (UEI) and CAGE Code. Primary Point of Contact (Name, Title, Phone, Email). Relevant contract vehicles, schedules, or Government-wide acquisition contracts Confirmation of active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).

6.2 Capability Statement Please address your organization's technical and operational capabilities in the following areas: Curriculum Adaptability: Address the ability to deliver the three modular tracks with defense-specific vignettes. Environment & Security Integration: Experience with IL5, IL6, and air-gapped environments. Instructional Cadre Qualifications: Availability of cleared and qualified instructors. Relevant Past Performance: Summaries of up to three (3) similar contracts. Risks and Dependencies: Identification of Government-Furnished Information (GFI) / Government-Furnished Equipment (GFE), cloud dependencies, and technical hurdles.

6.3 Budgetary Quote Please provide a non-binding budgetary estimate addressing the following cost elements: Estimated cost per cohort or per student for each Track. Curriculum customization and lab configuration costs. Standard commercial terms, minimums, and discounting.

7. Responses to Government Questions To assist the Government in refining the acquisition strategy, please provide direct responses to the following market research questions: Commercial Availability: Does your company offer a Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) curriculum, or does this require extensive customization? Lab Infrastructure: Can you integrate Government-Furnished Cloud Tenancies? Security Constraints: What is the lead time required to staff instructional personnel? Contractual Structure: What contract structure best reflects standard commercial practice? Small Business Viability: Can your firm perform at least 50% of the cost of contract performance as the prime contractor?

7.1 Response Format and Submission Instructions All responses must adhere to the following submission guidelines: Due Date and Time: October 7, 2026, at 16:00 EST Submission Method: Electronic submission via email to travis.m.gerdes.mil@army.mil and sean.p.cairney.mil@army.mil. Email Subject Line: RFI Response: Operational GenAI Workforce Suite - [Vendor Name] File Format: Searchable Adobe PDF format; Budgetary ROM may be submitted in PDF or Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) format. Questions Due: October 6, 2026, at 12:00 EST via email to the POC travis.m.gerdes.mil@army.mil

8. Proprietary Information Vendors should clearly mark proprietary, confidential, or restricted information. The Government will handle marked information in accordance with applicable law and regulation. Vendors should avoid submitting classified information or unnecessary personally identifiable information.

9. RFI Notices and Limitations No solicitation or award. This RFI is not a solicitation. It is not an RFQ, RFP, or IFB. The Government will not award a contract based on this RFI or accept a response as an offer. However, the contracting office may notify all interested vendors who responded to this RFI if the RFI resulted in a subsequent Solicitation. No commitment. This RFI does not commit the Government to issue a solicitation, make an award, use a particular acquisition strategy, or procure any supply or service. No reimbursement. The Government will not pay for information submitted in response to this RFI or for costs incurred to prepare or submit a response. Use of responses. The Government may use the information received to support market research, acquisition planning, requirement development, and discussions with other Government personnel or support contractors, subject to applicable safeguards. No obligation to respond. Participation is voluntary. A vendor's decision not to respond will not prevent the vendor from competing for a future solicitation, if one is issued. Future notice. Any future solicitation will be issued separately through the appropriate Government point of entry or contract vehicle. Vendors are responsible for monitoring those sources for updates. THIS IS AN RFI AND NOT AN RFQ, RFP, OR IFB.

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