Army MAPS

The January 28, 2026 MAPS Industry Day made one thing unmistakably clear: MAPS is a gate-driven acquisition. Before proposals are scored, the U.S. Army will apply a strict pass/fail gate for prime contractors. Miss any gate requirement, and your proposal will be removed from the competition.

Below is what offerors need to understand about the gate, how requirements differ by business size, and where certifications shift from mandatory to competitive.

The MAPS gate: non-negotiable entry requirements

MAPS uses an initial screening phase to confirm that primes meet baseline maturity, security, and performance expectations. Under Draft RFP 4-era guidance, the following are consistently described as core gate criteria for primes:

• Active Secret facility clearance
  This must be held at the facility level, not just by individual employees.
• ISO 9001:2015 certification
  The quality management system must be active and held by the prime contractor.
• CMMC Level 2 or higher
  CMMC Level 2 is treated as the floor. Some commentary suggests a scheduled Level 2 assessment may be acceptable in limited cases, but the direction of travel is clearly toward full Level 2 compliance.
• Government-approved accounting system
  Required for large businesses and often framed as “government-approved systems and rates” in the language of the draft.
• Adequate CPARS history
  CPARS ratings covering roughly the last three years, aligned to the MAPS NAICS codes, with minimum thresholds intended to screen out marginal or consistently underperforming contractors.
• Valid small-business certification (when applicable)
  Required when proposing as a small business under a set-aside domain.

Offerors are expected to document compliance through Attachment 0001 (Gate Criteria / Gate Questions), supported by verifiable artifacts such as certifications, DCMA/DCAA approval letters, and CPARS reports.

Important: Failure on any single gate item stops evaluation entirely.

How gate requirements differ by business size

While the gate concept applies universally, sources indicate some practical differences in how requirements are framed for large versus small businesses.

Large businesses

Large primes are expected to demonstrate the full set of baseline controls:

• Secret facility clearance
• ISO 9001:2015 certification
• CMMC Level 2 or higher
• Government-approved accounting (and often purchasing) system
• CPARS coverage across the primary MAPS NAICS codes, meeting minimum rating standards

Small businesses

Small-business primes must still clear a demanding bar:

• Valid small-business certification for the applicable set-aside
• Secret facility clearance
• ISO 9001:2015 certification
• CMMC Level 2 or higher

Accounting-system requirements are sometimes described more flexibly in draft commentary for small businesses, but CPARS expectations still apply, and there is no indication that performance standards are materially relaxed.

Across both categories, the rule holds: no gate element is optional.

After the gate: when certifications become competitive

Once a prime clears the gate, certifications and systems shift from “required” to point-scoring differentiators.

Volume I (Systems, Rates, & Certifications) uses a scorecard that awards:

• Points for approved systems and rate agreements
• Additional points per certification beyond the gate, such as:
  • ISO/IEC 27001:2022
  • ANSI/EIA-748 EVMS
  • CMMI maturity levels
  • Other recognized cyber or quality certifications

Draft RFP 4 commentary suggests that while ISO 9001:2013 or 2015 may technically meet the minimum in some interpretations, ISO 9001:2015 is the clearly favored and repeatedly referenced standard. Likewise, CMMC Level 2 is treated as the baseline, with stronger cyber postures helping on the scorecard.

Crucially, primes must own the gate certifications themselves. These requirements cannot be satisfied solely through teammates.

What offerors should do now

MAPS is structured to reward preparation. Practical implications for offerors include:

• If you lack any core gate element (Secret facility clearance, ISO 9001:2015, CMMC Level 2, acceptable accounting systems, or sufficient CPARS history) you are unlikely to clear the gate as a prime and should evaluate a core-team or subcontractor role instead.
• If you already meet the gate, your focus should shift to execution:
  • Assemble clear, current, and unambiguous evidence for every gate question in Attachment 0001.
  • Strategically layer in additional certifications to maximize Volume I scorecard points.
  • Select qualifying projects (QPs) with strong CPARS, meaningful dollar value, workforce stability, and clear alignment to your target MAPS domains.

The Army has been consistent in its messaging: MAPS is a long-term, enterprise vehicle intended for mature, ready contractors. The gate is not a formality.

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