Forge Victory in the $3.2B Special Ops Showdown

The U.S. Special Operations Command’s SOF Global Services Delivery (SOFGSD) IDIQ is one of the most coveted small business set-aside contracts in the defense market, valued at a staggering $3.2 billion. The bid’s mission-critical requirements range from next-gen intelligence support to top-tier program management. The competition will be fierce because it presents small businesses with the opportunity to establish or continue their presence in the national defense community. Table 1 summarizes the SOFGSD procurement information. The remainder of the article describes key pre-request for proposal (RFP) documents, risks, and what it takes to win.  

Table 1: SOFGSD At a Glance

Requirement	Description
Estimated RFP Release Date	July 2025
Value	$3.2B
Award Type	IDIQ
Competition Type	Small Business Set-Aside
Number of Awards	15
NAICS	541611 (Administrative Management and General Management Consulting)
Size Standard	$24.5M in annual receipts
Period of Performance	5 base years and 1 x 5 year options
Place of Performance	MacDill Air Force Base – Tampa, Florida

Industry Day

The SOFGSD Industry Day is preliminarily scheduled for June 12, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. or 10:00 a.m. at SOFWERX, 1928 E 2nd Ave #102, Tampa, FL 33605. The government will also provide a virtual option for the industry day, with a link to be shared once the final schedule has been determined. Check Sam.gov for details.

Summary of Recent Pre-RFP Documents

The government released the following pre-solicitation documents in May, which are briefly summarized below:

1. Attachment 1 – IDIQ Draft SOW
2. Attachment 2 – Section L
3. Attachment 3 – Section M
4. Attachment 4 – HTRO Self Score Matrix Draft
5. Attachment 5 – Q&A Template
6. Attachment 6 – LCAT (Labor Categories) Description
7. Attachment 7 – Section H

Attachment 1 – IDIQ Draft SOW Summary

The SOFGSD statement of work (SOW) provides a range of professional services across various domains, including education, management, program management, engineering, and administrative support. The SOW requirements span specialized fields, including intelligence support, combat modeling, and exercise planning, as well as the provision of multilingual translation and cultural training services. This breadth of services requires the offeror to possess extensive professional expertise, multidimensional coordination, and project management capabilities.

The SOW scope encompasses domestic and globally deployed operations, requiring a broad geographical reach and the ability to deliver services effectively across diverse and potentially remote locations. Each SOW section details responsibilities ranging from strategic and operational planning to advanced engineering and technical services, underscoring the need for a deep understanding of and experience with systems and processes that affect the command and control of tactical units in combat. The project size emphasizes the need for security clearance, given its involvement with sensitive and classified information.

The SOW specifies intricate program management and administrative duties, dictating strict adherence to timelines, deliverables, and reporting requirements. It imposes rigorous standards of personnel management, mandating qualifications and experience for key personnel and emphasizing stability, agility, and effective reach as essential contract imperatives. The SOW exemplifies the intensity and nuanced nature of contracting for defense-specific operations, demanding contractors who are as capable in theoretical program management as they are adept in practical, on-the-ground solutions.

Attachment 2 – Section L Instructions Summary

• Volume I – Executive Summary/Contract: Requires a Master Table of Contents and administrative documentation, which includes identification and certification details. Offerors must provide clear information regarding authorized personnel who can communicate with the government and make binding obligations. Further details requested include contact information for the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) and the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). It also mandates documentation pertinent to security clearances and mitigation plans for organizational conflicts of interest (OCI).
• Volume II – FACTOR 1: Technical Proposal and Substantiating Data: Requires the offeror to select and use a maximum of five work samples to self-score against specific criteria detailed in the HTRO Self Scoring Matrix (Attachment 06). The offeror must support each work sample with contract documentation, allowing the government to validate the self-assigned scores. Volume II does not have a page limit; however, it’s imperative that the offeror substantively supports its self-score.

Attachment 3 – Section M Evaluation Criteria Summary

The government is using best value as its source selection method. They will rank technical proposals from highest to lowest score and select proposals based on reasonable, realistic prices. As summarized in Section M2, the government will conduct a two-step evaluation process. This process starts with the elimination of non-compliant proposals. In Step 2, the government will rank all proposals received in numeric order based on the offeror’s submitted self-score. The government will then validate or substantiate the offeror’s score by assessing the offeror’s proposal submission.

Attachment 4 – HTRO Self Score Matrix Draft Summary

The self-scoring matrix outlines specific categories and criteria against which offerors must evaluate their work samples. The document provides detailed instructions for scoring various aspects, including the number of relevant work samples, CPAR ratings, and work sample tiers. It emphasizes the inclusion of past performance information, such as CPAR reports. The score sheet is based on an overall score of 37,650 points divided between four categories:

• General: 13,700
• Education: 7,400
• Exercise: 6,800
• Intelligence: 9,780

Attachment 5 – Q&A Template Summary

Consists of a template that offerors can use to record their questions.

Attachment 6 – LCAT (Labor Categories) Description Summary

This document provides a detailed overview of various specialized roles. These roles include Intelligence Analysts, responsible for gathering and analyzing data to support national security decision-making; Foreign Disclosure Officers, who manage foreign disclosure programs; Logistic Analysts, who optimize supply-chain logistics; and Strategic Planners and Program Analysts, who contribute to strategic decision-making and program execution.

Additional roles include Role Players in Language, Regional Expertise, and Culture, who possess cultural and geopolitical knowledge; Physical Security Managers, who safeguard facilities and personnel; and SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) Training Specialists, who prepare personnel for recovery from hostile environments. The document emphasizes the specific responsibilities of each role, highlighting their essential contributions to operational efficiency and mission success.

Attachment 7 – Section H Summary

This document outlines various contractual provisions related to the issuance and management of task orders. It discusses procedures for proposal submissions, highlighting that contractors are not required to bid on every opportunity, but encourages competition amongst IDIQ Primes. The contract also mandates the protection of proprietary information and addresses OCIs, urging offerors to avoid conflict-laden teaming arrangements. The document further elaborates on the required use of Common Access Cards (CACs) for contractor personnel and discusses Associate Contractor Agreements (ACAs) for task fulfillment.

Potential Risks

• Incomplete Self-Score Matrix Submission: The HTRO Self-Score Matrix requires meticulous attention to categorizing and evaluating past performance. Incomplete or inaccurately filled matrices could lead to non-compliance with submission requirements.
• Inadequate Past Performance/Substantiating Documentation: The proposal must showcase relevant work samples and CPAR ratings. Providing insufficient or irrelevant past performance examples can lead to low scores.
• Improper Teaming Arrangements: SOFGSD places importance on avoiding conflict-laden teaming arrangements. Improperly structured teams could result in the proposal being deemed non-compliant.
• Inconsistent Proposal Format and Adherence to Instructions: Deviating from the proposal format or guidelines specified in the RFP can result in non-compliance, regardless of content quality.

Addressing these risks requires thorough planning, a comprehensive understanding of the RFP provisions, and careful attention to detail across all sections of the proposal to ensure compliance and enhance scoring potential.

What You Need to Win

• Earning 90+% of the potential 13,700 points: Requires a thorough analysis and mapping of organizational capabilities against RFP requirements.
• Proven Past Performance: Showcase relevant experience in classified and unclassified environments and exceptional CPARS.
• Top-Tier Talent & Clearances: Demonstrate you have a bench of resources and can recruit and retain high-demand talent in the labor categories defined in the self-score sheet (Attachment 4).
• A Smart Teaming Strategy: Prime or sub—build a team that covers all required capabilities and earns the maximum number of points. Choose partners with existing SOF experience, facility clearances, and complementary capabilities.
• Innovation: Substantiate how your team uses automation, AI, data analytics, or other innovations to improve mission delivery. Be prepared to demonstrate measurable value, particularly in terms of cost, schedule, and performance.

Conclusion

Securing a win in the SOFGSD contract bidding process is not just about meeting requirements—it’s about exceeding expectations through strategic acumen and unparalleled operational readiness. Offerors must forge alliances carefully, selecting partners whose proven track records and capabilities enrich the proposal narrative. Furthermore, a successful contractor will demonstrate their ability to not only manage complex service delivery but also innovate in response to evolving SOF needs. By meticulously aligning their strategy, resources, and expertise with the contract’s requirements, offerors can tip the scale in their favor.

Relevant Information

• Video: What it Takes to Win a Mega Bid

By Brenda Crist, Vice President at Lohfeld Consulting Group, MPA, CPP APMP Fellow

Lohfeld Consulting Group has proven results specializing in helping companies create winning captures and proposals. As the premier capture and proposal services consulting firm focused exclusively on government markets, we provide expert assistance to government contractors in Capture Planning and Strategy, Proposal Management and Writing, Capture and Proposal Process and Infrastructure, and Training. In the last 3 years, we’ve supported over 550 proposals winning more than $170B for our clients—including the Top 10 government contractors. Lohfeld Consulting Group is your “go-to” capture and proposal source! Start winning by contacting us at www.lohfeldconsulting.com and join us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube^(TM).