Army MAPS $50B IDIQ: What Contractors Need to Know in 2026

What Is the Army MAPS IDIQ?

The U.S. Army's Marketplace for the Acquisition of Professional Services (MAPS) is a $50 billion, 10-year Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract that consolidates two of the Army's largest professional services vehicles -- the Responsive Strategic Sourcing for Services (RS3) and the Information Technology Enterprise Solutions 3-Services (ITES-3S) -- into a single unified marketplace. Managed by the Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG) and the Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS), MAPS is structured across five specialized domains with approximately 250 total awards anticipated.

This is not a routine recompete. MAPS represents a fundamental restructuring of how the Army procures knowledge-based professional services, and firms that fail to secure a position may find themselves locked out of major Army requirements through 2037.

"MAPS is the Army's most ambitious procurement consolidation in recent history. With a 10-year period of performance and a $50 billion ceiling, the contractors who secure seats will define the Army's C5ISR modernization trajectory for the next decade."

Why Is MAPS Significant for Government Contractors?

Three factors make MAPS a must-track opportunity for any professional services firm operating in the defense sector:

1. Scale: The $50 billion ceiling -- derived from the combined ceilings of RS3 ($37.4B) and ITES-3S ($12.1B) -- makes MAPS one of the largest active IDIQ vehicles in the Department of Defense.
2. Duration: The 10-year period of performance (5-year base plus 5-year option) means that firms awarded positions will have a decade-long pipeline of task order opportunities.
3. Exclusivity risk: Because MAPS consolidates two previously separate vehicles into one, firms that do not win a seat face potential exclusion from the Army's primary professional services procurement channel for the entire performance period.

The Army intends to allow unlimited task orders during this period, covering everything from engineering and logistics to cybersecurity and quantum computing.

How Does MAPS Consolidate RS3 and ITES-3S?

Understanding the predecessor vehicles is essential for positioning your capture strategy. The consolidation eliminates the historical bifurcation between engineering-focused services (RS3) and enterprise IT services (ITES-3S).

The integration signals that the Army no longer views engineering services and IT services as separate procurement categories. Systems integrators must now demonstrate capabilities across both domains, and the "silos" between physical engineering and digital infrastructure are being deliberately dismantled.

What Are the Five MAPS Domains?

MAPS organizes its scope into five specialized domains, each with its own NAICS code alignment, award pool, and evaluation criteria. Contractors can compete in one or multiple domains, but each domain submission is evaluated independently.

Technical Services (NAICS 541330)

The primary conduit for engineering, logistics, and integration requirements. Covers C5ISR mission support, manufacturing readiness, medical logistics, and technology insertion. Offerors must demonstrate capabilities in hardware integration, interoperability testing, and sustainment engineering.

Management and Advisory (NAICS 541611)

Covers acquisition planning, financial management, program management, quality assurance, and education and training services. This domain represents the strategic and operational oversight side of Army programs, requiring expertise in risk management and organizational planning.

Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (NAICS 541715)

The innovation domain. Encompasses basic and applied research, experimental development, modeling and simulation, prototyping, and fabrication support. This domain supports the Army's modernization priorities and rapid capability development.

Emerging IT (NAICS 541512)

Focuses on advanced digital solutions: artificial intelligence, robotic process automation, big data analytics, quantum computing, cloud infrastructure, and advanced cybersecurity. This is the Army's digital transformation engine and a priority growth area.

Foundational IT (NAICS 541519)

Covers the operational backbone of Army IT: help desk support, network operations and maintenance, IT supply chain management, and independent verification and validation. While less technically exotic than Emerging IT, this domain is one of the most personnel-intensive components given the Army's global infrastructure footprint.

How Are Awards Distributed Across Business Sizes?

The Army anticipates 50 awards per domain, for a total of approximately 250 contracts. Within each domain, the allocation is structured to balance competition with socio-economic inclusion:

• Large Business (LB): 15 awards per domain
• Small Business (SB): 25 awards per domain (across six socio-economic categories)
• Commercial-Sector Vendor (CSV): 10 awards per domain

The Small Business reserve is further stratified:

A conversion mechanism allows unfilled CSV or Large Business slots to be reallocated to Small Business awards, providing additional opportunity for the small business community.

What Is the Current MAPS Timeline?

The solicitation process has experienced significant timeline volatility. Following the January 28, 2026 Industry Day (conducted virtually), the Army released Update 5 on February 1, 2026, which introduced substantial changes and effectively postponed the final RFP.

<!-- YELLOW: Timeline dates sourced from research report citing SAM.gov and industry analysis. Verify against latest SAM.gov notices for currency. -->

The delay, while frustrating for teams that had built their capture timelines around the original dates, creates a strategic window. Firms that use this period to pressure-test their NAICS alignment, finalize teaming arrangements, and document qualifying projects will be better positioned when the final RFP drops.

What Changes Did Update 5 Introduce?

The February 1, 2026 release of Update 5 reflected Army feedback from Industry Day and introduced three significant changes to the competitive landscape:

Emerging Large Business (ELB) Category

Update 5 introduced criteria for an "Emerging Large Business" category -- designed for firms that have recently graduated from small business size status and now compete against multibillion-dollar systems integrators without the benefit of set-asides. While final ELB rules were still in development as of early 2026, this category addresses the well-documented "valley of death" that mid-tier firms face in defense contracting.

Subcontracting Experience Allowed

In a major departure from earlier drafts, Update 5 permits applicable offerors to leverage subcontract experience for their Qualifying Projects. This change is expected to benefit small firms that have performed at a high level as first-tier subcontractors on large Army programs but lacked the prime contract history to score competitively under the original criteria.

Refined CSV Requirements

The Army signaled refinements to outcome-based service requirements for the Commercial-Sector Vendor pool, reducing the burden of government-approved business systems (such as EVMS) for commercial firms. This change is designed to attract private-sector innovation in areas like AI, quantum computing, and data analytics.

What Is the MAPS Off-Ramp Mechanism?

MAPS is designed as a dynamic marketplace, not a static contract award. Contractors that fail to maintain performance standards face "off-ramp" provisions -- they remain on contract but are no longer eligible to compete for new task orders. Triggers include:

• Unsatisfactory CPARS rating on any awarded MAPS task order
• Vacancy rate averaging 10% or more across task orders
• Time to fill averaging 60 days or more for open positions
• CMMC compliance failure -- missing mandated assessment timelines
• Small business commitments missed by more than a 5% margin
• Contractor-caused cost overruns on awarded task orders

These mechanisms ensure that the $50 billion ceiling is reserved for contractors who maintain operational excellence throughout the 10-year period.

Who Should Compete for MAPS?

MAPS is relevant to any professional services firm that supports the U.S. Army in engineering, IT, research, management, or advisory capacities. However, the self-scoring evaluation model favors firms with specific characteristics:

Strong candidates typically have:

• Active Secret Facility Clearance (mandatory gate requirement)
• ISO 9001:2015 certification (mandatory gate requirement)
• CMMC Level 2 readiness (mandatory for all offerors)
• DCAA/DCMA-approved accounting systems (for Large Business)
• Clean CPARS history (no more than 5% Marginal or below for LB; no more than 5 items for SB)
• Qualifying Projects with $2.5M+ contract values and recent performance within four years
• Workforce management metrics: vacancy rates below 10%, time-to-fill under 60 days

Firms that may struggle:

• Companies without at least three qualifying projects per target domain
• Organizations lacking government-approved business systems
• Firms attempting a "scattershot" approach across too many domains without depth in any

How Should Capture Teams Prepare Right Now?

The current delay between Update 5 and the final RFP creates a critical preparation window. Here is how to use it:

1. Validate your NAICS alignment: Confirm that your past performance maps precisely to the primary NAICS codes for your target domains. Misalignment between your qualifying projects and the domain's primary NAICS code can cost significant scorecard points.

2. Audit your qualifying projects: Each domain allows up to three Qualifying Projects. Ensure each meets the $2.5 million minimum, has performance within the last four years, and carries strong CPARS ratings. Projects with performance in the last two years earn a recency bonus.

3. Finalize teaming arrangements: If you are considering a Mentor-Protege Joint Venture (MPJV), the clock is ticking. MPJVs can serve as powerful prime vehicles under the Small Business pool, but they require documented agreements and SBA approval.

4. Pressure-test your self-scoring: Run your scorecard internally using the criteria from Draft 4 and Update 5. Identify where you are leaving points on the table and where your evidence documentation may be insufficient for government verification.

5. Prepare workforce metrics: Gather your vacancy rate and time-to-fill data from the last full year of performance. If your metrics exceed the scoring thresholds (10% vacancy, 60-day fill time), develop a plan to improve before submission.

Quantitative intelligence can be a significant force multiplier in this preparation phase. Tracking predecessor contract activity, analyzing incumbent performance patterns, and modeling your competitive position against the anticipated award pool are exactly the types of data-driven analyses that separate disciplined capture teams from those relying on intuition.

Aliff Solutions is designed to support this kind of structured capture analysis. Our Win Probability Calculator helps you assess your competitive position, and our platform provides the quantitative intelligence to track recompete timelines, score incumbent vulnerability, and optimize pricing across your pipeline. To discuss how our intelligence tools can support your MAPS capture strategy, talk to an expert.

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Sources: SAM.gov Solicitation W15P7T-25-R-MAPS; ACC-APG Industry Day materials (January 28, 2026); MAPS Update 5 (February 1, 2026); OST Global Solutions MAPS analysis; Baker Tilly MAPS insights; Lohfeld Consulting MAPS strategy brief.

Last updated: February 10, 2026