Amendment 02, dated 28 September 2026, updates the CHEERS Open Period 1 solicitation to incorporate mandatory federal oversight and compliance requirements from EO 14332 and EO 14303, per DAF guidance dated 18 March 2026. It adds a mandatory Gold Standard Science compliance certification and disclosure form for institutions seeking grants or cooperative agreements. For assistance instruments, it establishes a two-step review: an initial go/no-go screening covering eligibility, GSS commitment, warfighter deliverables, benchmarks, and statutory funding prohibitions, followed by full scientific merit review using DoDGARS rubrics with cost realism. It also aligns cybersecurity and S&T protection requirements, including AFRLI 61-113, DFARS NIST SP 800-171 SPRS assessment, and CMMC clauses. Offerors must refer to the parent CHEERS announcement for overarching terms, the revised Industry Guide, Statements of Objectives, and S&T Protection appendices.

As of 28 September 2026, Amendment 02 updates the CHEERS Open Period 1 (All Technical Areas) solicitation to implement EO 14332 grant oversight and EO 14303 Gold Standard Science, following the 20 November 2025 Amendment 01 annual update and DAF implementation guidance dated 18 March 2026. For financial assistance instruments, applicants must certify GSS compliance and submit an executed GSS Compliance and Disclosure Form with their application. Assistance instruments will use a two-step review: a Go/No-Go initial screening for baseline eligibility, GSS commitment, warfighter deliverable speed/accountability, quantitative benchmarks, and statutory funding prohibitions; then a full scientific merit review under DoDGARS criteria with cost realism. Cybersecurity and S&T protection requirements remain under AFRLI 61-113, with DFARS clauses for NIST SP 800-171 SPRS assessment and CMMC. Offerors must refer to the parent CHEERS announcement for overarching terms, revised Industry Guide, Statements of Objectives, and S&T Protection appendices; revised solicitation and attachments include the mandatory GSS form.

This is a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for technical areas under the "Continuing Human Enabling, Enhancing, Restoring and Sustaining (CHEERS)" program. The solicitation has been amended with its annual update. Prospective bidders must review the related Multiple Authority Announcement to access all required attachments, including the Industry Guide and Statements of Objectives.