A White Paper is the initial step in the process to obtain a project award.

When the Government identifies a need/requirement and only when funding is available for that need, the Government issues a Request for White Papers (RWP) to the consortium. The consortium then releases the RWP to its membership. RWP’s contain the Government requirement, outlined in a Statement of Need, along with instructions and template to be used for White Paper submittals. White Papers detail a member’s proposed solution to the Government’s requirement(s). Members may prepare and submit White Papers individually or as part of a collaborative team. CMG works with members to ensure completeness and compliance with the terms of the RWP and then forwards the finalized White Papers directly to the Government for evaluation.

Based on its evaluation of the White Paper(s), the Government selects the best-value white paper(s), develops a Statement of Work (SOW) and issues a Request for Project Proposal to the selected member(s). The selected member(s) then prepares a proposal and submits it through CMG back to the Government for subsequent negotiation, if necessary, and award. This process ensures a fully competitive marketplace to the maximum extent practicable for the best and most qualified technologies.