A -- COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS AND SUPPORT SAVINGS INITIATIVE (COSSI) THIS IS A PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND CALL FOR PROPOSALS. This is an extension of the deadline for proposals that will support the Army through the insertion of commercial technology into a fielded Army system in order to reduce its Operations and Support (O&S) costs. The new deadline for submission is 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, 29 January 1999. The COSSI program description, including the address for submittal, remains the same. However, the extension applies only to projects intended for the U.S. Army. Modifications to existing proposals concerning Army systems that have already been submitted to COSSI will also be accepted if received prior to the new deadline. The Army has approximately $16 million to support this effort. The Commercial Operations and Support Savings Initiative (COSSI) is a joint program of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and is administered by a joint program office. This announcement seeks proposals from firms with a concept for inserting commercial technology into a fielded military system for the purpose of lowering that system's O&S costs. COSSI's mission is to develop and test a method for reducing Department of Defense (DoD) O&S costs by routinely inserting commercial items into fielded military systems. The insertion of commercial items is expected to reduce O&S costs by reducing the costs of parts and maintenance, reducing the need for specialized equipment, increasing reliability, and increasing the efficiency of subsystems. COSSI is a two stage program. The first stage is the cost-shared adaptation, development and testing of a prototype based on a commercial item. The second stage is the acquisition and installation of the prototype into a fielded military system. Proposals should be a clear summary of your COSSI idea -- what you intend to do and how it will save the DoD money. Complete program information is included in a document entitled, Program Description for the Commercial Operations & Support (O&S) Savings Initiative, Announcement No. 98-17, dated September 3, 1998. You are strongly encouraged to obtain the document in order to understand the program and submit a meaningful proposal. You may download this document from the INTERNET (http://www.acq.osd.mil/es/dut/) or request this document by phone: 1-800-382-5873, or by mail addressed to: COSSI Program Office, 5203 Leesburg Pike, Suite 1403, Falls Church, VA 22041, or by electronic mail: Internet address: cossi@acq.osd.mil. WEB: Commercial Operations and Support Savings Initiative, http://www.acq.osd.mil/es/dut/. E-MAIL: cossi@acq.osd.mil, cossi@acq.osd.mil. Posted 12/15/98 (W-SN280609).

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