A common misconception about contract vehicles—especially those originating from specific branches or innovation hubs like AFWERX—is that they are restricted to the funding entity. When a Program Office outside of the U.S. Air Force or U.S. Space Force sees the Rise8 AFWERX SDO IDIQ, they often assume they can’t use it. This is not the case at all.
The Rise8 AFWERX SDO IDIQ is a $499M-ceiling contract vehicle explicitly structured for decentralized ordering, and is available for use by all DoW entities, any federal civilian agency, and government-owned contractor-operated (GOCO) partners. If your mission requires the rapid, secure delivery of mission-critical software, you can use this IDIQ.
To help your team navigate this process, we’ve packaged the legal justifications and step-by-step workflows into The DoW Acquisition Handbook. Download the guide today to give your local Contracting Officer the tactical roadmap they need to start your 30-day award clock.
Download the DoW Acquisition Handbook
The Statutory Authority: Phase III SBIRs
The key to this expansive eligibility lies in the contract’s foundation as a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III contract.
The statutory authority (Title 15 of the U.S. Code, Section 638(r)(4)) grants the permission for any federal agency to issue a non-competitive, single award contract (Phase III) for work that derives from, extends, or completes a successful Phase I or Phase II SBIR effort.
Who is Eligible to Order?
- All DoW Entities: This includes the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and all subordinate commands, PEOs, labs, and research centers.
- Other U.S. Federal Contracting Activities: Any federal civilian agency can use this vehicle. This includes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Energy (DOE), and others.
- GOCOs: Government-Owned, Contractor-Operated Facilities and other entities that receive federal funding for R&D.
In partnership with AFWERX, Rise8 completed the initial work that created the IDIQ, establishing the proof of concept and meeting all competition requirements. Now, that benefit is legally extended to the entire federal government in order to accelerate modernization efforts.
The Power of Decentralized Ordering
Decentralized ordering means there is no requirement for your Program Office or local Contracting Officer to go through the original AFWERX contracting team to issue a task order. The Rise8 SDO IDIQ offers:
- Simplified Process: You deal with your local contracting officer.
- Scope Validation: Your contracting team simply requests a quick scope determination from the AFWERX Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO) to confirm your requirements align with the SDO’s capabilities. This step is usually completed in a matter of days.
- Direct Award: Once approved, your local PCO is granted delegation authority and can work directly with Rise8 to issue a single award Task Order under the existing IDIQ.
This structure empowers the most effective Contracting Officers across the government to bypass bureaucratic chokepoints to access a pre-vetted, high-performing software delivery team.
Flexible Funding, Broad Scope
The IDIQ is designed to accept multiple "colors of money," ensuring your funding source won't create an unnecessary hurdle:
- RDT&E (Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation)
- Procurement (New capital expenditures)
- O&M (Operations & Maintenance for sustainment and modernization)
Plus, the scope is not just limited to services. Task Orders can incorporate Firm Fixed Price (FFP) labor, Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) software licenses, and necessary IaaS/PaaS cloud infrastructure components, providing a true total solution contract.
The Contracting Vehicle is Ready. Is Your Mission?
You no longer have to spend months trying to define requirements and conducting market research for a custom contract vehicle. The Rise8 AFWERX SDO IDIQ is a ready-to-use, legally compliant, and mission-aligned acquisition tool available to any federal agency seeking to rapidly modernize its software stack.
Build the Full Picture: The SDO IDIQ Series
Speed is only the beginning. To truly transform your mission, you need an acquisition strategy that addresses every bottleneck—from the first signature to the final security scan. If you’ve only read this article, you’re missing the tactical pieces that make high-velocity software delivery a reality.
Catch up on the full series to see the complete power of the Rise8 AFWERX SDO IDIQ:
- Part 1: Bypass the Bureaucracy – Learn how to leverage SBIR Phase III authority to cut your award timeline from 8-18+ months to as little as 30 days.
- Part 2: Security at the Speed of the Mission – Discover how we maintain continuous compliance and achieve cATO by baking the RMF directly into the delivery pipeline.
- Part 3: From Ideation to Production – Understand why a dedicated Software Delivery Organization (SDO) out-performs traditional staff augmentation every time.
Ready to move from theory to execution? Download The DoW Acquisition Handbook below for the statutory language and step-by-step roadmap necessary to start your 30-day award clock.
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