Unmanned Ground Vehicles for GroundBreaker 1 demonstration

SPECIAL NOTICE

DoW Drone OTA Consortium

W58RGZ-26-2-SN01

RFW-DOTAC-ARMY-2026-002

Request for Whitepapers (RFW) – Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) for GroundBreaker 1 Demonstration

1. Synopsis & Purpose

To accelerate the expansion of the Ground Domain, the Department of War (DoW) will host a Joint Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) demonstration exercise titled “GroundBreaker 1” at Camp Grafton, North Dakota, in mid-October 2026. Supported by Government teams across the Office of the Secretary of War (OSW) and military services, this event is open to all qualified UGV vendors.

This effort seeks complete UGV systems to enable employment by Warfighters in both tactical and non-tactical environments. Selected vendors will support physical operational assessments, iterative technology enhancements, and direct integration with DoW systems. This solicitation leverages the agile DoW Drone OTA Consortium framework to bypass traditional, lengthy acquisition cycles, ensuring that these advanced technologies reach the warfighter at the speed of relevance.

2. Eligibility & Security Mandates (Consortium Members Only)

CRITICAL RESTRICTION: This opportunity is strictly limited to current, approved members of the DoW Drone OTA Consortium. Submissions are open to Pool 1 (Unrestricted / Full & Open), Pool 2 (Small Business), and Pool 3 (Non-Traditional Defense Contractors).

To be eligible for evaluation and potential subsequent award under the UGVs for GroundBreaker 1 Demonstration, prospective vendors must have already established Consortium membership, including:

An acknowledged Vendor Application.

A fully executed and signed Consortium Vendor Agreement (CVA).

An active SAM.gov registration, Unique Entity Identification (UEI) number, and active WAWF registration.

Note: If you are not currently a member of the DoW Drone OTA Consortium, you may not submit a response. Interested vendors must first apply by submitting an application to DMConsortium@army.mil.

3. Security & Compliance Mandates

All participating Consortium members must ensure strict compliance with federal regulations throughout the submission and performance periods:

Proper protection of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in accordance with NIST SP 800-171.

Adherence to the Arms Export Control Act, International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and Export Administration Regulation (EAR).

4. Accessing the Solicitation & Evaluation Criteria

The complete details, instructions, and grading standards for this opportunity are provided in the attachments accompanying this Special Notice:

Attachment 1 UGV RFW 21AUG26

Attachment 2: UGV RFW Weighted Evaluation Criteria 18AUG26

Consortium members must review both attachments in detail before preparing their submissions. Submissions must be sent directly to DMConsortium@army.mil in accordance with the timelines specified in Attachment 1.