A joint webinar presented by Nia Mahallati, SVP Shipley Associates Professional Services and Dr. Dolores Kuchina-Musina, CEO of REXOTA Solutions, LLC
Don't miss this chance to bring your toughest OTA and CSO questions directly to an industry expert during a live Q&A at the close of the webinar.
OTAs and CSOs are two separate routes to federal innovation funding: OTAs function entirely outside the FAR, using diverse solicitation methods to promote innovation, whereas CSOs are a unique solicitation approach that spans both FAR and non-FAR frameworks, supporting commercial acquisition (FAR Part 12) and innovation funding.. Each comes with its own rules, timelines, and evaluation criteria, and competing effectively means understanding both individually and in relation to each other.
This webinar walks participants through the full lifecycle of both vehicles, from market intelligence and consortium engagement through solicitation response, negotiation, and post-award administration, highlighting the risks and opportunities at each stage. Drawing on Shipley's Business Winning Process and Dr. Kuchina-Musina's research and practitioner experience, this session equips capture managers, proposal professionals, and BD leaders to compete more effectively for both.
Attendees will learn:
- How OTAs and CSOs have expanded in authority and application across the acquisition lifecycle
- Strategies for consortium engagement and positioning ahead of solicitation release
- How to structure compliant, competitive responses under both frameworks
- Common pitfalls in negotiation and post-award administration
- How to build organizational readiness to pursue both vehicles at scale
Plus: a live Q&A with Dr. Kuchina-Musina to address your specific OTA and CSO challenges
Dr. Dolores Kuchina-Musina is the CEO of REXOTA Solutions, LLC, where she leads training and strategic advising on high-stakes OTA and CSO pursuits. She is recognized as a leading subject-matter expert on OTAs, having authored two publications with Routledge titled Public Procurement for Innovation: R&D at the US Federal Level and Rethinking Innovation in Federal Procurement: A History and Practice of Other Transaction Authorities (coming December 2026). Her Ph.D. dissertation examined the innovation policy impact of alternative DoD contract vehicles, and her research has appeared in the Journal of Public Procurement, Politics, and Policy. Her honors include the Jacques S. Gansler Fellowship and recognition as an NCMA Fellow. She currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at George Mason University and as a Research Scientist at the Stevens Institute and previously held an Adjunct Professor appointment at the College of William & Mary, with prior industry positions as Director of Growth at Boone Group and in contracts at Huntington Ingalls.