diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 004b820..df1e12a 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -19,3 +19,9 @@ Testing commands
 Rules
 - Do not modify public API semantics for MVP scaffolding unless asked
 - Focus on small, correct changes and clear documentation
+
+CosmosMesh CatOpt bridge (MVP)
+- We are prototyping a lightweight interoperability bridge that maps CosmosMesh MVP primitives to a CatOpt-style representation (Objects/ Morphisms/ Functors) to enable cross-domain experimentation without heavy dependencies.
+- Starter adapters: rover and habitat module adapters exposing simple interfaces for readState, exposeLocalProblemData, and applyCommand.
+- Transport: TLS-based, e.g., MQTT/REST for prototyping.
+- Deliverables: a minimal CatOpt bridge module (src/cosmosmesh_privacy_preserving_federated/catopt_bridge.py), a small registry graph for contracts, and a DSL sketch to describe LocalProblem/SharedVariables/DualVariables/PlanDelta.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0be3c8b..cbca2a3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -41,3 +41,13 @@ Public artifacts
 - Python modules in src/cosmosmesh_privacy_preserving_federated_ and src/cosmosmesh_privacy_preserving_federated_/catopt_bridge.py
 - Tests in tests/ (smoke test for basic arithmetic)
 - READY_TO_PUBLISH flag to be created when ready for publication
+# CosmosMesh MVP: Privacy-Preserving Federated Mission Planning
+
+This repository contains a minimal MVP scaffold for privacy-preserving, offline-first, multi-agent mission planning in deep-space fleets. It includes a tiny ADMM-lite solver and contract primitives, plus a CatOpt-style interoperability bridge for cross-domain experimentation.
+
+Key artifacts:
+- LocalProblem / SharedVariables / DualVariables / PlanDelta / PrivacyBudget / AuditLog contracts (in src/cosmosmesh_privacy_preserving_federated/contracts.py)
+- ADMMLiteSolver (in src/cosmosmesh_privacy_preserving_federated/admm_lite.py)
+- CatOpt bridge (in src/cosmosmesh_privacy_preserving_federated/catopt_bridge.py): minimal translator between CosmosMesh primitives and CatOpt-like representations
+
+This MVP is designed to be extended in small, well-scoped steps. See AGENTS.md for contribution and testing guidelines. 
diff --git a/src/cosmosmesh_privacy_preserving_federated/catopt_bridge.py b/src/cosmosmesh_privacy_preserving_federated/catopt_bridge.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bff2c47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cosmosmesh_privacy_preserving_federated/catopt_bridge.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+"""CatOpt bridge for CosmosMesh MVP (minimal skeleton).
+
+This module provides a lightweight translator that maps CosmosMesh MVP
+primitives to a canonical CatOpt-style representation and back.
+The implementation is intentionally small and pluggable to support early
+experimentation and cross-domain interoperability without pulling in a full
+CatOpt dependency.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import Dict, Tuple, Optional
+
+from .contracts import LocalProblem, SharedVariables, DualVariables
+
+
+def to_catopt(local: LocalProblem, shared: SharedVariables, dual: DualVariables) -> Dict[str, object]:
+    """Convert CosmosMesh MVP primitives into a minimal CatOpt-like payload.
+
+    Returns a dict with canonical sections: Objects, Morphisms, Functors.
+    This is a tiny, illustrative mapping suitable for MVP experiments.
+    """
+    return {
+        "Objects": {
+            "LocalProblem": {
+                "agent_id": local.agent_id,
+                "variables": local.variables,
+                "objective": local.objective,
+                "constraints": local.constraints,
+                "version": local.version,
+            }
+        },
+        "Morphisms": {
+            "SharedVariables": shared.variables,
+            "DualVariables": dual.values,
+            "version": shared.version,
+        },
+        "Functors": {
+            "Exposes": ["readState", "exposeLocalProblemData", "applyCommand"],
+        },
+    }
+
+
+def from_catopt(payload: Dict[str, object]) -> Tuple[LocalProblem, SharedVariables, DualVariables]:
+    """Reconstruct primitives from a CatOpt-like payload (best-effort)."""
+    obj = payload.get("Objects", {}).get("LocalProblem", {})
+    lp = LocalProblem(
+        agent_id=str(obj.get("agent_id", "")),
+        variables=dict(obj.get("variables", {})),
+        objective=dict(obj.get("objective", {})),
+        constraints=dict(obj.get("constraints", {})),
+        version=obj.get("version"),
+    )
+
+    sv = SharedVariables(variables=dict(payload.get("Morphisms", {}).get("SharedVariables", {})))
+    dv = DualVariables(values=dict(payload.get("Morphisms", {}).get("DualVariables", {})))
+    return lp, sv, dv