AIR FORCE · FORCE PROTECTION DIVISION
Global Unified Airbase Readiness and Defense (GUARD) IDIQ
Build a credible integrated-security team before the final RFP sets the proposal clock.
Pre-RFP | Draft FA238126RB012 | NAICS 561621
Expected draft ceiling, per GovWin
Contemplated performance footprint
No confirmed final proposal due date
Watch the GDI Consulting GUARD BidCAST
An independent capture, teaming, and proposal-planning perspective on the Air Force GUARD opportunity.
Dynamic information note: Dates, estimates, and procurement details are dynamic and may change. Verify the current official government notice and all amendments before acting. This video provides educational analysis, not government guidance.
Watch the full GUARD BidCAST on YouTube. Includes AI-generated illustrations and synthetic narration.
Solicitation Summary
The Air Force is developing GUARD as an acquisition and sustainment vehicle for Integrated Base Defense physical-security and force-protection electronic systems. The contemplated work connects system engineering, installation, integration, cybersecurity, logistics, and ongoing support across domestic and overseas locations.
The reviewed SAM.gov record remains a draft-RFP / request-for-information notice. This is a capture-readiness window, not a confirmed open final-proposal period. The government describes the notice as informational and for planning.
Planning basis: Draft terms remain provisional. This profile uses the October 5, 2026 SAM.gov update and GovWin opportunity 210294, last updated October 5 and printed October 20. Deltek release and award forecasts are estimates, not government deadlines.
Solicitation in a Nutshell
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Agency | Department of the Air Force, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Force Protection Division (AFLCMC/ESS). |
| Draft solicitation / notice | Draft solicitation FA238126RB012; SAM.gov notice FA2381999. GovWin opportunity 210294. |
| Current status | Pre-RFP. The October 5, 2026 SAM.gov update is a presolicitation draft-RFP / request-for-information notice, not a final solicitation. |
| Response and proposal dates | The draft/RFI comment date of October 14, 2026 has passed. No final-RFP proposal due date is established in the reviewed notice. The notice inactive date is not a proposal deadline. |
| Planning forecasts | GovWin forecasts December 2026 solicitation release and June 2027 award. These are Deltek estimates, not government deadlines or commitments. |
| Expected ceiling | The GovWin summary of the draft SF33 reports an expected $1.98 billion IDIQ ceiling. It is a draft planning value, not awarded funding or guaranteed revenue. |
| Competition / expected awards | The GovWin snapshot identifies full and open competition with a partial small-business set-aside and 10 expected awards. Confirm the final acquisition structure and eligibility when released. |
| NAICS / PSC | NAICS 561621, Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths). PSC 6350, Miscellaneous Alarm, Signal, and Security Detection Systems. |
| Contract structure | Agency-specific IDIQ. GovWin lists fixed-price, incentive, cost-reimbursement, and time-and-materials contract types. Final terms and task-order requirements will control. |
| Performance footprint | CONUS and OCONUS requirements are contemplated in the source material. The SAM.gov place-of-performance field identifies Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts. |
| Cybersecurity planning | The GovWin snapshot identifies CMMC Level 2 (C3PAO). Treat this as a planning flag and verify applicability, assessment timing, and all final cybersecurity clauses. |
| Official source | SAM.gov GUARD draft-RFP notice and attachments. The final solicitation and amendments, when issued, govern the procurement. |
Background
GUARD is intended to support protection of Air Force personnel and resources through tailored Integrated Base Defense Security Systems. The procurement history shows an evolving approach to physical-security systems, interoperability, field execution, and sustainment.
For capture teams, the central question is whether the proposed team can demonstrate end-to-end delivery rather than a collection of disconnected products. Relevant project evidence should connect technical integration, secure operations, installation constraints, and reliable lifecycle support.
GDI Capture Take: Validate your prime or teammate role against documented experience and delivery capacity. Build an evidence-backed teaming plan, resolve integration and global-support gaps, and refresh the compliance matrix when the final solicitation is released. This is independent GDI planning analysis, not an agency evaluation decision.
Requirements
These themes summarize the draft and market-research history with capture-planning implications. Historical RFI topics are not automatically final contractual requirements.
01 Integrated Security Systems
The source describes acquisition and sustainment of Integrated Base Defense Security Systems supporting Air Force physical security and force protection. Map relevant evidence across design, development, procurement, installation, integration, testing, and lifecycle support.
02 Interoperability & Engineering
Earlier market research addresses integration of commercial products with government command-and-control platforms, network engineering, and supporting infrastructure. Identify proven integration methods and system interfaces while checking the current draft package for controlling details.
03 Cybersecurity & Digital Delivery
Cybersecurity, software and systems engineering, digital engineering, and modern delivery methods appear in the source history. Prepare evidence of secure delivery and assess certification or assessment readiness without assuming that an historical RFI question is a final minimum requirement.
04 Global Deployment & Sustainment
The contemplated footprint includes CONUS and OCONUS locations. Build a realistic deployment and sustainment model covering field installation, logistics, maintenance, specialist staffing, and responsiveness across operating locations.
05 Sensitive-Site Experience & Teaming
The RFI history asks about work at sensitive facilities, including nuclear sites and secure facilities, as well as relevant personnel and facility clearances. Validate which credentials and experience your team actually holds, identify gaps, and confirm the final requirements before making eligibility claims.
06 Evidence, Compliance & Proposal Readiness
The draft notice references a statement of work, performance work statement, and relevant-experience self-scoring matrix. Organize traceable project evidence and a provisional compliance matrix now. Reconcile final instructions, evaluation criteria, page limits, submission method, and deadlines before developing a compliant offer.
How Can GDIC Help?
GDI Consulting can support pursuit qualification, capture strategy, teaming-gap analysis, compliance planning, and project-evidence organization before the final RFP arrives.
When final requirements are available, our team can support proposal planning and writing, cross-volume consistency, color-team reviews, and surge capacity. Keep the technical approach, management model, and pricing assumptions aligned from the outset.
Source basis: SAM.gov GUARD draft-RFP notice, updated October 5, 2026, and GovWin IQ opportunity 210294 (31-page report, last update October 5, 2026; printed October 20, 2026). Official notice checked October 21, 2026. This is independent GDI Consulting analysis; no government endorsement is implied.