Tradewinds: CDAO DoD AI Acquisition Ecosystem
We offer comprehensive proposal support for Tradewinds — the Chief Digital and AI Office's (CDAO) acquisition ecosystem for the Department of Defense (DoD). Tradewinds is built to accelerate the delivery of AI, data analytics, and emerging technology solutions to the warfighter by streamlining procurement and eliminating redundant steps in the acquisition process. Our services help technology companies and federal contractors navigate the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace (TSM), DRAID BOA, and AI Talent 2.0 BOA — ensuring credible, competitive submissions that put your solutions in front of DoD buyers.
Army MSD IDIQ has been cancelled:
The Army has determined to no longer pursue the solicitation and award of the Modern Software Delivery IDIQ.
Contract Canceled:
As of June 27, 2025, The Department of Homeland Security has canceled the evaluation of proposals submitted under its PACTS III department-wide contract vehicle solicitation.
Contract Overview
Tradewinds supports 120+ DoD organizations and has facilitated over $3.26 billion in contract awards as of February 2026. Its flagship tool, the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace (TSM), is a continuously open digital repository of post-competition, readily awardable pitch videos covering AI/ML, digital transformation, and data analytics. Vendors submit a 5-minute video through the vendor portal at tradewindai.com; solutions that pass competitive assessment are marked Awardable and become immediately procurable by registered DoD buyers.
In addition to the TSM, CDAO manages three dedicated contract vehicles under the Tradewinds umbrella: the DRAID Basic Ordering Agreement (data readiness for AI development), the AI Talent 2.0 Basic Ordering Agreement (advisory and assistance services for DoD AI programs), and the Test and Evaluation BPA (AI test tools and services). All three vehicles are coordinated through the CDAO with Army Contracting Command – Rock Island.
Tradewinds is fully compliant with FAR, DFARS, and DoD CSO and OTA authorities. No new regulations or contracting authorities are required to procure through it, making it one of the fastest acquisition pathways in the federal government — with an average procurement action lead time (PALT) of just 51 days.
Recent Updates
Latest Government Action:
- New Scoring Categories & Evaluation Criteria: Updated the number of anticipated awardees and removed socio-economic categories. Updated Tie Breaker Criteria for Commercial-Sector Vendors. Updated point allocations for each evaluation criterion. Updated evaluated dollar value thresholds based on business size rather than a single overarching value. Added criteria for Emerging Large Businesses. Added new evaluation criteria for passthrough rate, schedule, and proposal completeness. Added evaluation criteria for Price.
- LOE vs Outcome-Based Distinction: Updated to include definitions for “Level of Effort (LOE) Qualifying Project (QP)” and “Outcome-Based QP”. Added language to clarify what evaluation criteria would apply to “Level of Effort” or “Outcome-Based” QPs.
- Domain Name Changes: Renamed the Technical Services Domain to the Engineering, Logistics and Operational Services Domain.
- Emerging Large Business Criteria: Updated all applicable sections to include Emerging Large Business criteria.
Notice to Industry – Cancellation
MDA has canceled the planned release of the MIOES RFP.
Contract Details
Functional Areas
Tradewinds covers capabilities across three primary technology domains for the DoD:
Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace (TSM) — AI/ML solutions, digital transformation, data analytics, and emerging technology for any DoD mission area
DRAID BOA — Data readiness infrastructure supporting AI development, including:
- Data Science, Engineering, and Architecture
- Data Acquisition, Curation, and Quality Analysis
- Synthetic Data Generation and Data Anonymization
- Software Development and Cloud Integration
- Enterprise Information Management and Governance
- Project and Program Management
AI Talent 2.0 BOA — Advisory and assistance services for DoD AI programs, including:
- Technical Management: Agile Development, DevSecOps, Cybersecurity Risk Management, ML Development, Systems Engineering, Testing
- Program Management: Administration, Project Management, Logistics, Training
T&E BPA — AI test and evaluation tools and services: acquisition, development, integration, operation, and use of AI testing tools for AI models and software
Proposal Requirements
Proposal Requirements and Scoring
Tradewinds has two distinct submission pathways depending on which vehicle you are pursuing:
Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace (TSM)
The TSM entry requirement is a 5-minute pitch video submitted through the vendor portal. Your video is assessed against a published rubric for clarity of communication, technical merit, and mission relevance. Key requirements include:
- Video must be exactly 5 minutes — submissions exceeding 5:00 will not be assessed
- Solution must address a DoD challenge in AI/ML, digital transformation, or data analytics
- Video must demonstrate compliance with applicable FAR/DFARS and OTA requirements
- Vendor account required at tradewindai.com prior to submission
DRAID BOA / AI Talent 2.0 BOA / T&E BPA
These vehicles use task order-based ordering. Current BOA/BPA holders receive task order solicitations directly. New vendors seeking to join must wait for a CDAO-announced on-ramp. No on-ramp was offered in FY25. Monitor SAM.gov for FY26 opportunities.
Evaluation Criteria
TSM submissions are evaluated by a panel of subject matter experts, acquisition professionals, and operational leaders against three criteria: clarity of communication, technical merit, and mission relevance. Solutions that pass are marked Awardable and become visible to all registered DoD buyers — no further competition is required for procurement.
DRAID and AI Talent 2.0 task order competitions are evaluated by the government based on the specific task order requirements, typically through a best value or LPTA process at the order level.
Summit Strategy Services
Understanding and Analysis:
We analyze the final RFP to provide a clear understanding and insights, helping you make your go/no-go assessment.
Scoring Systems:
Our experts explain the scoring system and offer strategic tips to maximize your score.
Proposal Planning:
We assist with compliance matrix creation, proposal initialization, proposal outlining, template development, and detailed planning to ensure a well-structured and compliant proposal.
Full Proposal Development:
Our dedicated proposal managers, along with supplementary resources such as writers, graphic designers, and desktop publishers, work to develop a top-notch high-scoring proposal. We will also actively monitor for RFP amendments and Q+A releases, and adjust your strategy as needed.
Reviewing and Auditing:
We conduct thorough reviews, including compliance, color reviews, and QC checks, to optimize your proposal and enhance its competitiveness.
Success Stories
Hear from our satisfied clients who have benefited from our expert proposal support and secured significant federal contracts.
Game-Changing Win
"Partnering with Summit Strategy was a crucial strategic decision for us. Their extensive experience in assisting companies like ours pursue large, complex opportunities was instrumental in managing our team and the phased approach for this proposal effort. Winning this contract is incredibly impactful for our small firm, serving as a launch pad to pursue similar large contract opportunities. We look forward to relying on Summit for all our future proposal efforts, big or small, as our go-to proposal management team."
- CEO,
GovCon IT Consulting Firm
Elite Team
"It has been wonderful partnering with Summit Strategy. I highly recommend this elite team to any organization looking to take your performance to the next level.”
- Chief Growth Officer,
GovCon Intelligence + Security Solutions Firm
Exceeded Expectations
“My previous experiences with companies that do this type of work led me to have very low expectations, and you blew us out of the water! Everyone assigned to the [proposal] was professional, calm, helpful, thorough, and a pleasure to work with. You provided expertise and guidance to us throughout, and we really appreciated all you and your staff did. Thank you!
- Director of Contracts,
GovCon IT Consulting Firm
Ready to maximize your chances of securing a position on Tradewinds?
Contact us for more details and inquiries about our proposal support services.
We’ve always had a clear purpose: to help our clients compete smarter and grow stronger.
We are a fully remote company and provide services throughout the U.S.
