On January 28, 2026, the Army Contracting Command held a MAPS Industry Day and announced that the final RFP for the Marketplace for the Acquisition of Professional Services (MAPS) will be released on February 2, 2026, with proposals due March 4, 2026. Awards are anticipated in June 2026.
MAPS consolidates two major Army contracting vehicles—RS3 and ITES-3S—into a single $50 billion IDIQ designed to streamline knowledge-based professional services and staff augmentation across five technical domains. With 250 anticipated awards (50 per domain) and built-in small business reserves, MAPS represents one of the Army’s most significant professional services acquisition strategies for the next decade.
OPPORTUNITY SNAPSHOT
- Opportunity: MAPS (Marketplace for the Acquisition of Professional Services)
- Agency:S. Army Contracting Command (ACC), Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM)
- Estimated Value: $50B
- Final RFP Release: February 2, 2026
- Proposals Due: March 4, 2026
- Expected Awards: June 2026
- Contract Type: Multiple-award IDIQ
- Duration: 5-year base + 1 five-year option (10 years total)
- Number of Awards: 250 total (50 per domain)
- Set-Aside (per domain): 25 Small Business (SB, WOSB, SDVOSB, SDV, 8(a), HUBZone), 15 Large Business, 10 Commercial-Sector Vendors (CSV)
5 Service Domains:
Technical Domain:
- Engineering Services
- Logistics Services
- Manufacturing Readiness
- Medical Logistics
- Technology Insertion
- Integration and Interoperability
Management and Advisory :
- Acquisition and Strategic Planning
- Financial Services
- Training and Education Services
- Program Management
- Quality Assurance
- Risk Management
Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation (RDT&E):
- Basic and Applied Research
- Experimental/Developmental Research
- Modeling and Simulation
- Prototyping and Fabrication Support
- Exploratory Research
Emerging IT:
- Artificial Intelligence/Robotic Process Automation
- Cloud Services (Infrastructure, Platform, Software)
- Big Data and Analytics
- Quantum Computing
- Business Process Reengineering
- Cybersecurity Services
- Network/Systems Operation and Maintenance
Foundational IT:
- Help Desk Support
- Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)
- IT Education and Training
- IT Supply Chain Management
- IT Management Services
WHY ARMY MAPS MATTERS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
MAPS consolidates two major Army vehicles—RS3 and ITES-3S—into a single contract for professional services supporting Army C5ISR missions. For small businesses, it offers structured access to Army task orders over the next decade with clear advantages built specifically for small business participation.
With 25 small business awards reserved per domain—compared to 15 for large business and 10 for commercial-sector vendors—small businesses have the largest share of anticipated awards. The award structure also includes a conversion mechanism: if the Army cannot find enough qualifying commercial-sector vendors or large businesses to fill those slots, those awards will convert to small business.
In support of additional considerations, what follows is each pools gate criteria:
Large Business:
- Secret Facility Clearance
- Accounting System
- Purchasing System
- ISO 9001:2015 or 2013 certification
- CMMC Final Level 2 (Self) or higher
- CPARS Ratings: No more than 5% Marginal ratings
Small Business:
- Secret Facility Clearance
- Small Business Certification
- ISO 9001:2015 or 2013 certification
- CMMC Final Level 2 (Self) or higher
- CPARS Ratings: No more than 5 Marginal ratings
Commercial-Sector Vendors:
- Commercial-Sector Vendor Confirmation
- CMMC Final Level 2 (Self) or higher
- gov Registration
WHO SHOULD CONSIDER ARMY MAPS
MAPS is designed for firms providing knowledge-based professional services and staff augmentation in any of the five domains, particularly those with:
- Relevant past performance in federal or commercial sectors aligned with domain NAICS codes
- Required certifications (CMMC Level 2, ISO 9001, facility clearances)
- Recruiting and retention capabilities for specialized personnel
- Established systems for forward pricing, billing, and property management
- Ability to demonstrate technical capability and risk management
HOW OST CAN HELP
OST has developed proven methodologies for complex multi-domain IDIQ competitions. With the MAPS final RFP releasing in five days and proposals due March 4, firms need to move quickly to prepare compliant, competitive submissions.
We support clients with:
Phase I
- Scorecard gap analysis: Assessing your current standing and identifying areas to strengthen or that require additional attention.
- Domain qualification analysis: Identifying which domains align with your capabilities and past performance
- Gate criteria assessment: Confirming your eligibility across certifications, systems, and clearances
- Past performance strategy: Selecting and documenting past performance that maximizes your score
- Teaming support: Connecting firms with complementary capabilities to expand domain coverage or strengthen proposals
Phase II
- Proposal development: Writing, compliance checks, and document management
- Pricing strategy: Developing competitive labor rates aligned with government and market data
Our Army MAPS Proposal SME’s will provide support and assistance that ensures that you know if you qualify to proceed to Phase II. In addition, with our emphasis on teaming through qualified project matchmaking, you will be able to successfully on-ramp for additional pools and domains. Our Phase I support is typically provided for $3k-$5k. If you’re evaluating whether Army MAPS aligns with your firm’s capabilities or need support developing a compliant proposal, we can help. If this interests you, please book a call with OST Partner and President Bill Schalik via the following link:
