U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command – Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC), Rock Island, IL, on behalf of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy Innovation Capability and Modernization office via its Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program (10 U.S.C. § 4817), in conjunction with Army Contracting Command – Rock Island (ACC-RI), manages the Cornerstone Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), in accordance with 10 U.S.C. § 4022. Cornerstone was architected to create a broad-based, flexible and enduring public-private consortium focused on strategic strengthening of the U.S. Manufacturing and Defense Industrial Base and provide a strong complement to the mandates in Presidential Executive Order 13806.

ACC-RI, on behalf of DEVCOM CBC and IBAS Program, intends to issue a competitive Cornerstone Initiative Request (CIR) for Pilot Prototype Project Rare Earth Element (REE) Metallization on or after 05 May 2025, with an estimated closing date of 30 calendar days after issuance. The CIR for Pilot Prototype Project REE Metallization is restricted to Cornerstone consortium members.

The CIR will solicit proposals for multiple fixed-price OTA with incremental payments made upon the completion of specific milestones. The anticipated period of performance will be multi-year (3 years maximum). A non-competitive follow-on production OTA may be awarded following a successful completion of the prototype effort.

The objective of this effort is to create a domestic source capable of producing sufficient capacity that supports the domestic permanent magnet supply chain and has the capability to become a merchant supplier of metals and alloys for magnet manufacturers serving both the commercial and DoD industrial base. 

Any OT awarded as a result of this initiative will incorporate the following clauses:

1. FAR clause 52.204-25, Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment

2. DFARS clause 252.232-7006, WAWF Payment Instructions

3. DFARS clause 252.204-7012, Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting.

The CIR is restricted to Cornerstone Consortium members only and will be communicated to the Cornerstone Consortium and companies with pending applications via email. Entities are required to have begun the membership process for their proposal to be reviewed. Entities must have an active registration in SAM.gov, a favorable status in Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information Systems, and be members of the Cornerstone Consortium, with a signed Cornerstone Consortium Management Agreement, to be eligible to submit a proposal and be eligible for awarded this of an OTA task. Contractors may obtain Cornerstone registration information located at https://cornerstone.army.mil or by inquiring at: [email protected].

Interested parties should stay alert for any changes that may be published to this sam.gov posting. Please email all questions and responses to the following mailbox: [email protected]

This Special Notice is for planning purposes only and does not constitute a CIR or an obligation on behalf of the U.S. Government. Issuance of this Special Notice is not a guarantee of a future CIR or an award and is not a commitment of any kind by the Government.