Overview
The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP) seeks to accelerate the transformation of the HPCMP into a cloud-forward ecosystem that redefines user experience, workflows, and infrastructure to meet the evolving needs of the government. This initiative seeks to foster innovation by encouraging participants to envision and design a future-ready HPCMP platform that integrates emerging technologies, modern cloud principles, and advanced architectures to deliver a resilient, scalable, and secure solution.
Background
Aligned with government acquisition reform priorities, this project emphasizes commercial readiness, cost efficiency, scalability, and vendor-agnostic practices to ensure the HPCMP remains adaptable and sustainable. Solutions are encouraged to address the unique requirements of HPCMP’s federated enterprise and enclave security while considering critical factors such as data egress/ingress costs, operational flexibility, and long-term economic viability.
Project Objective
This project aims to identify innovative solutions that will enable the HPCMP to modernize its user experience, enable a hybrid cloud architecture, automate workflows, and integrate a secure data fabric, while preventing vendor lock-in. The objective is not only to modernize the HPCMP, but to build a capability and business model that is strategically advantageous to the government by rethinking foundational elements such as data storage, processing, security, and accessibility. The desired outcome is a sovereign, cloud-enabled, AI-driven platform that empowers the government to maintain technological superiority.
Project Manager
Information Technology Laboratory (ITL), U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)
Requirements
Solutions may address one or more of the following key focus areas:
- Unified Service Layer: Design a unified HPCMP Service Layer integrating portal, CLI, and API capabilities for a consistent user experience, and implement workflow orchestration, policy-as-code guardrails, and observability tools.
- Hybrid Cloud Architecture: Propose scalable hybrid cloud models that integrate government-owned and commercial cloud resources across all classification levels, addressing data portability and hardware refresh cycles.
- AI-Powered Orchestration: Create intelligent orchestration layers to automate provisioning, workload execution, and data management with intuitive interfaces for AI/ML, simulation, and data pipelines.
- Secure Data Fabric: Build a unified data layer that enables seamless discovery, tagging, and utilization of diverse data sources while implementing advanced security measures, including Zero Trust architecture.
- User Experience Modernization: Redesign the Portal to the Information Environment (pIE) to provide a seamless user experience and propose concierge support services to enhance user engagement.
- Vendor Lock-In Prevention: Adhere to open standards (e.g., OpenStack, Kubernetes, OpenAPI) and design modular architectures to ensure interoperability and allow components to be replaced or upgraded independently.
Select a Submission Type
Collaboration with ERDC takes many forms. Please utilize one or both submission pathways below to pursue various options.
Tech Challenge: A tech challenge offers the opportunity to express interest in Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA) which support in-kind collaboration as well as fee-for-service availability of ERDC research team members.
Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO): CSO submissions will be reviewed by ERDC and downselected offerors may, depending on funds availability, be approached for negotiation of funded prototype development or other contract/agreement deliverables.
Estimated Government Funding Profile
Funding is not currently available for this project.
ERDC considers this to be a Request for Information (RFI) only and any response is not an offer. This project does not commit the Government or ERDCWERX to pay any costs incurred in preparation of a response or guarantee a contract.
Expected Result
ERDC gains an understanding of available industry solutions to modernize the HPCMP’s computing ecosystem.
Submissions may be shared as appropriate with other ERDC stakeholders. The government has the authority to decline all submitted proposals.
Evaluation Criteria
Submissions will be evaluated based on the criteria below:
- Innovation: Novelty and creativity of the solution
- Feasibility: Technical and operational viability
- Scalability: Potential to scale across the HPCMP ecosystem and government enterprise
- Vendor Lock-In Prevention: Adherence to open standards, modularity, and interoperability
- Commercial Readiness: Use of commercially available technologies
- Cost Efficiency: Demonstrated cost savings and ROI
- Impact: Expected benefits and outcomes for the government
- Utility: Ease of use by the user community
Notional Project Schedule
Proposed project milestones include:
| May 7, 2026 | Project Announced, Submissions Open |
| June 30, 2026 | Question Period Ends |
| July 10, 2026 | Submissions Close |
*Dates may vary to accommodate the project team and participant availability. The government may accelerate the pre-proposal review/feedback timeline, and therefore also require earlier delivery of full proposals.
Project Security Classification
Unclassified
Resources
Overview of High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP)
How to Participate
- Review FAQs
- Complete the submission form
Questions: Please send all technical and administrative questions using this form. Q&A will be updated periodically. It is the responsibility of the offeror to review Q&A prior to submitting.
Submissions must meet stated requirements and be received no later than 4:00 pm CT on July 10, 2026.
Estimated Government Funding Profile
Funding is not currently available for this project. Resources may be allocated in the future.
This project does not commit the Government or ERDCWERX to pay any costs incurred in preparation of a response or guarantee a contract.
Estimated Period of Performance
The period of performance will run from the point of selection through participation in the final phase of the challenge (Phase IV: Implementation and Scaling).
Expected Result
The announcement will follow a phased approach:
Phase I: Concept Submission—Participants submit detailed proposals addressing one or more focus areas. Proposals are evaluated based on innovation, feasibility, scalability, and alignment with government priorities.
Phase II: Prototype Development—Selected participants receive funding and access to HPCMP resources to develop and test prototypes in collaboration with HPCMP experts.
Phase III: Demonstration and Evaluation—Participants present prototypes to a panel of government stakeholders. Prototypes are evaluated on performance, security, interoperability, utility, and cost efficiency.
Phase IV: Implementation and Scaling—Winning solutions are integrated into the HPCMP ecosystem to support the development of the Sovereign Defense Cloud.
Submissions may be shared as appropriate with other ERDC stakeholders. The government has the authority to decline all submitted proposals.
Evaluation Criteria
Submissions will be evaluated based on the criteria described in the CSO Solicitation document. Additional criteria specific to this project are listed below:
- Technical requirements will assess how innovative the solution is (as defined in this announcement) and the feasibility of the solution solving the agency’s challenges.
- Importance to agency programs will assess the solution’s potential to enhance the mission effectiveness of the agency.
- Funds availability will assess the availability of funding to procure the solution.
Additional evaluation criteria:
- Innovation: Novelty and creativity of the solution
- Feasibility: Technical and operational viability
- Scalability: Potential to scale across the HPCMP ecosystem and government enterprise
- Vendor Lock-In Prevention: Adherence to open standards, modularity, and interoperability
- Commercial Readiness: Use of commercially available technologies
- Cost Efficiency: Demonstrated cost savings and ROI
- Impact: Expected benefits and outcomes for the government
- Utility: Ease of use by the user community
All resultant contracts will be firm-fixed price. All items, technologies, and services (including research and development) procured via this CSO are treated as commercial. Applicants from universities and/or non-profit organizations should be aware that commercial clauses will be integrated into the award and should coordinate proposals with associated legal counsel prior to submission.
Notional Project Schedule
Proposed project milestones include:
| May 7, 2026 | Project Announced, Submissions Open |
| June 30, 2026 | Question Period Ends |
| August 7, 2026 | Submissions Close |
*Dates may vary to accommodate the project team and participant availability. The government may accelerate the pre-proposal review/feedback timeline, and therefore also require earlier delivery of full proposals.
Project Security Classification
Unclassified
How to Participate
Qualified parties may submit by completing a submission form and uploading required documentation as defined in the CSO Solicitation document.
- Review CSO Solicitation document
- Review FAQs
- Complete the submission form
Submission Instructions:
This solicitation is issued consistent with the authority granted to the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) through the establishment of its Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO), W912HZ26SC005. Submissions must follow the requirements as detailed in the CSO Solicitation document.
Questions: Interested parties may submit questions using this form until July 31, 2026.
Submissions must meet stated requirements and be received no later than 4:00 pm CT on August 7, 2026.
ERDC ITL is conducting this project announcement on a full and open basis and intends to award contracts in accordance with FAR part 12 and the FAR part that is deemed most appropriate for the solution proposed (i.e. FAR part 13, 15, and/or 35); the government reserves the right to award prototype agreements (e.g. Other Transaction Agreements), in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 4022, if deemed appropriate and in the government’s best interest.