CSO (Commercial Solutions Opening)

Also called: Defense Commercial Solutions Opening

A commercial solutions opening (CSO) is a DoW general solicitation, authorized by 10 U.S.C. 3458, that invites companies to propose commercial products, services or nondevelopmental items, with awards chosen through expert review.

10 U.S.C. 3458 lets DoW acquire commercial products, commercial services or nondevelopmental items through competitive selection of proposals from a general solicitation plus a peer, technical or operational review. The statute counts this as a competitive procedure, and DFARS subpart 212.70 carries it out for DoW.

A CSO usually describes problems or needs, often called areas of interest, rather than a statement of work. Each proposal is scored against the CSO's evaluation factors, and proposals do not have to be ranked against each other.

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is the best-known user. Companies first send a short solution brief answering a posted Area of Interest. DIU may then invite a pitch and a full proposal, and the process results in an Other Transaction (OT) agreement.

A CSO differs from a BAA in what it can buy. BAAs are restricted to basic and applied research, while a CSO can acquire commercial solutions that directly meet program requirements.