Matter + Energy's solutions are available to DoD and federal agencies through the Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) process — a merit-based, streamlined acquisition authority designed to bring innovative commercial technology to government at the speed government actually needs it.
What is a CSO?
Agency posts an Area of Interest
The agency defines a broadly stated problem or operational need — not a detailed statement of work. This is intentional. CSOs are designed to invite commercial solutions, not prescribe them.
Industry submits a Solution Brief
Vendors respond with a short-form solution brief, whitepaper, or pitch — not a traditional lengthy proposal. Evaluated on merit, not against other submissions.
Merit-based evaluation & selection
Government subject matter experts evaluate each submission independently. There is no competitive range requirement — multiple vendors may be selected.
Award — OTA or FAR contract
Awards may be Other Transaction Agreements (OTA) or fixed-price FAR contracts. How OTA prototypes move to production →
Why CSO
Traditional federal procurement processes were designed for defense systems with long development cycles and detailed specifications. They were not designed for commercial software and AI platforms that already exist, already work, and can be deployed in weeks.
The Commercial Solutions Opening was purpose-built to close that gap. Under CSO authority, agencies can acquire innovative commercial solutions through a streamlined, merit-based process that bypasses the burdensome statement-of-work requirements of traditional FAR Part 15 procurements. For program managers and contracting officers looking to move quickly on a validated commercial capability, CSO is the right vehicle.
Matter + Energy's solutions — Technology Spend Intelligence and AI Adoption & Productivity — are precisely the kind of commercially proven capabilities the CSO authority was designed to bring into federal service. Both are production-grade platforms deployed in enterprise environments, fully documented, and configurable to federal data architectures and compliance requirements.
No statement of work required
Agencies define an area of interest — a broadly stated problem or need. No performance work statement or detailed SOW is required to solicit proposals, dramatically reducing acquisition planning time.
Merit-based, not comparative
Each submission is evaluated on its own merit, not ranked against competing proposals. This means the best commercial solution gets selected — not just the one that scored highest in a forced ranking exercise.
OTA or FAR fixed-price award
Depending on agency needs, awards may be issued as Other Transaction Agreements or as fixed-price FAR contracts for agencies that prefer traditional contracting instruments. How OTA prototype awards work →
Sole-source follow-on production rights
After a successful prototype, the agency can award follow-on production without re-competing. How follow-on production works →
Further reading: OTA Prototype Authority: What Program Managers Get Wrong
Favors small business and non-traditional contractors
CSOs were specifically designed to reduce barriers for non-traditional contractors and small businesses — giving agencies access to commercial innovation that traditional procurement procedures systematically exclude.
Flexible IP and data rights
Under OTA-based CSO awards, IP rights are fully negotiable. Companies retain ownership of assets developed during the effort, making CSO a more attractive entry point for commercial technology vendors.
Solutions Catalog
Each solution is a commercially proven platform deployed in enterprise and government environments. Both are available for CSO procurement by DoD and federal agencies — either as standalone capability acquisitions or as part of a broader digital modernization initiative.
Primary NAICS
541512Also applicable
518210 541519Included Capabilities
CSO Areas of Interest — Alignment
IT Cost Transparency & Budget Defensibility
Directly addresses agency requirements for real-time cost visibility, defensible allocation methodology, and reporting infrastructure that supports congressional and OMB budget cycles.
Cloud Cost Governance & FinOps
Responds to agency needs for cloud spend accountability, waste reduction, and multi-cloud cost management in GovCloud environments — a persistent and growing area of federal interest.
Digital Modernization Enablement
Provides the cost intelligence infrastructure required to plan, execute, and justify large-scale digital modernization investments — a cross-agency priority area eligible for CSO procurement.
Primary NAICS
541511Also applicable
541512 541519Included Capabilities
CSO Areas of Interest — Alignment
AI Adoption & Workforce Productivity
Directly addresses DoD and federal agency requirements for AI tools that demonstrably improve workforce productivity — with the measurement infrastructure to prove it to program managers and oversight bodies.
AI Governance & Risk Management
Responds to OMB and NIST requirements for AI risk tiering, responsible AI deployment frameworks, and audit-ready governance documentation — a mandatory requirement for any federal AI deployment.
Intelligent Automation & Process Optimization
Agentic workflow capabilities directly address federal AOIs around intelligent process automation, decision support, and operational efficiency — applicable across mission, administrative, and support functions.
Get Started
Whether you're writing a CSO, evaluating vendors for an active Area of Interest, or exploring whether our solutions fit an upcoming requirement — request a briefing. We'll walk your program managers and contracting officers through our capabilities, compliance posture, and deployment approach.
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