Statement of Objectives (SOO)

A high-level document describing desired outcomes and objectives, giving contractors maximum flexibility in approach.

Full Definition

A Statement of Objectives (SOO) is the least prescriptive type of work description used in federal contracting, providing only high-level objectives, desired outcomes, and performance standards without specifying how the work should be accomplished. Unlike a Performance Work Statement (PWS) that defines measurable outcomes or a Statement of Work (SOW) that prescribes specific tasks and methods, an SOO allows offerors maximum freedom to propose innovative approaches, methodologies, staffing models, and deliverables. The winning contractor's proposed Performance Work Statement becomes an attachment to the contract and defines the actual scope of work. SOOs are encouraged under performance-based acquisition principles in FAR Part 37.6 and are common in technology, research, and professional services contracts where the government wants industry to drive the solution design.

Why It Matters

SOO-based solicitations provide the greatest opportunity for innovative small businesses to differentiate themselves from competitors because the proposal essentially defines the work rather than merely proving compliance with government-defined requirements. This format rewards companies with deep domain expertise and creative problem-solving approaches. When responding to an SOO, develop a comprehensive PWS as part of your proposal that addresses every stated objective with measurable performance standards, quality assurance provisions, and clear deliverables. Your proposed PWS becomes the contractual baseline, so think carefully about what you commit to. SOO responses require more strategic thinking than SOW-based proposals but offer the advantage of letting you play to your unique strengths rather than conforming to a rigid government-defined approach.

Example

The Air Force Research Laboratory issues an SOO with three objectives: modernize the base network infrastructure to support 10,000 concurrent users with 99.99 percent uptime, implement zero-trust security architecture across all endpoints, and reduce mean time to incident resolution by 50 percent. A small business proposes a cloud-native SD-WAN solution with automated threat response that no competitor matches. Their proposed PWS includes 15 specific deliverables, monthly performance metrics, and a 90-day transition plan.