Solicitation
Aviation Research BAA 2025
Department of Transportation · Federal Aviation Administration
AI summaryStep one is a white paper (a short summary of your research idea, up to five pages); the FAA asks for a full proposal only from firms it chooses. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ runs this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA, an open call for research ideas) on aviation research topics. Papers are accepted at any time while a topic is open, and SAM.gov lists a response due date of December 2, 2029, 5:00 PM Eastern. More in the summary
A newer version of this notice was posted Oct 19, 2026. See the latest version.
AI summary Beta
Summary of another version of this notice: check what changed on SAM.gov.
Step one is a white paper (a short summary of your research idea, up to five pages); the FAA asks for a full proposal only from firms it chooses. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ runs this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA, an open call for research ideas) on aviation research topics. Papers are accepted at any time while a topic is open, and SAM.gov lists a response due date of December 2, 2029, 5:00 PM Eastern.
Who can bid (5)
- Be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) with a current, accurate and complete record
- Certify that the firm is not debarred, suspended, ineligible for public contracts or proposed for debarment
- Meet minimum standards set in the later request for proposal, such as adequate financial resources, past performance and experience
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- Foreign-owned companies must send disclosure information so the FAA can decide eligibility
- Report any real or apparent conflict of interest to the Contracting Officer before spending time on a white paper or proposal
How to submit: White papers by email to the topic's technical point of contact with a copy to 9-ACT-AAQ-600-BAA@FAA.gov; proposals, if requested, by email to 9-ACT-AAQ-600-BAA@FAA.gov only. What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (8)
From the version posted Oct 19, 2026.
- Serious: Two-step process: white paper first, proposal only by request. This notice is for white papers. Only firms the FAA asks may send a full proposal, and a proposal without an earlier white paper may not be eligible.
- Worth checking: Funding is not assured. The FAA may fund all, some, one or none of the white papers and proposals, and does not pay preparation costs. The BAA asks you to email the Contracting Officer first to check interest and funding.
- Worth checking: Topics are added, removed or put on hold. Amendment 013 adds ARAS0015 and ARAS0016, removes ARAP0013 and ARSS0003, and holds ARSS0008. Do not send white papers for ARSS0008 until further notice.
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- Worth checking: Intellectual property and data delivery rules. Without a list of restricted technical data and software, the FAA assumes it has unlimited rights. You must also deliver all technical data and software, including source code, developed under the award.
- Worth checking: FAA terms apply and award type is the FAA's choice. Awards have historically been Other Transaction Agreements, and an objection to an award clause may cost you the award.
- Minor: Projects can be stopped and paid by milestone. The FAA may end a project at any deliverable or milestone if research goals are not met, and pays only for completed deliverables.
- Minor: Proprietary products cannot be the focus. Topics ARAP0014 and ARAP0015 do not fund projects that evaluate, validate or promote a specific proprietary system or method.
- Minor: Review of white papers takes about 60 days or longer. The FAA expects to respond within sixty calendar days of receipt but may take longer.
Read from the notice and 2 attachments. Show which files.
- BAA Solicitation 692M15-25-R-00004 Amendment 013.pdf (read)
- BAA Topics of Interest Amendment 013.pdf (read)
Full summary
What they want
- Research white papers on listed topics, including airport pavement overload criteria, field monitoring data, pavement inspection methods and concrete strength testing
- Research on autonomous ground vehicle systems at airports: cybersecurity, lost communications and spectrum interference
- Research on metallic component structural integrity, nickel anomaly fatigue testing and hydrogen aviation safety
- Research on pilot decision-making and training: training frameworks, nationwide pilot training data and a decision aid
- Topic ARSS0009, Future of Oversight, also remains listed; topic ARSS0008, Complex Digital Systems, is on hold and ARAP0013 and ARSS0003 were removed
- Technical data and computer software developed under an award are delivered to the FAA
- Contract type
- FAA picks the award type; it has historically used Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs, flexible research agreements), and Firm Fixed-Price awards are preferred for the first phases
- Period of performance
- Set per topic: for example up to 12 months for the autonomous ground vehicle topics, 24 months for ARSP0001, ARSS0010 and ARSS0012, and 12 to 36 months for some pavement topics. The BAA is open through December 4, 2034 unless ended sooner
- Place of performance
- Atlantic City, NJ, USA per SAM.gov; the proposal cover letter asks each bidder to state its own place of performance
- Estimated value
- Government rough-order-of-magnitude (estimated cost) figures vary by topic, for example up to $200,000 per project per fiscal year for ARAP0010 and no more than $1,200,000 for ARSS0012
- How they'll choose
- Peer review and technical feasibility assessment of each proposal on its own merit; cost is analyzed but not rated or scored
- Offers due
- December 2, 2029, 5:00 PM Eastern
- How to submit
- White papers by email to the topic's technical point of contact with a copy to 9-ACT-AAQ-600-BAA@FAA.gov; proposals, if requested, by email to 9-ACT-AAQ-600-BAA@FAA.gov only
- Page limits
- White paper: 5 pages (the rough order of magnitude cost estimate does not count). Volume I Technical: 25 pages. Volume II Price/Cost: 10 pages. Resumes: 3 pages each, not counted in the volume total
What they'll judge offers on
- Overall scientific and technical merit
- Potential contribution and relevance to the FAA Aviation Research mission
- Team competency and experience
- Effective plan for project completion
- Technical risk and implementation risk
- Price/cost analysis: completeness, reasonableness, realism, magnitude and affordability, including the effect of intellectual property rights asserted
What to include when you submit
- Send a white paper first; a proposal sent without one may not be eligible for award
- White paper: Word or PDF, single sided, single spaced, Times New Roman 12, stating the Topic number and title; put the Topic number and title in the email subject line
- White paper must cover the purpose of the research, method and how it will be shown valid, relevant expertise of each person, current state of development, estimated time and timeline, testing and evaluation plans, and estimated cost
- Proposal goes as three separate files: Cover Letter (on letterhead, not counted in pages), Volume I Technical and Volume II Price/Cost; both volumes are needed
- Cover letter lists the Topic number and title, legal name and address, SAM Unique Entity ID, type of organization, place of performance, title, period of performance, estimated cost, proposed award type, how long the cost proposal is valid, and a signature from an official who can bind the organization
- Proposals reference the Topic number and title and should be valid for at least 180 days; do not copy the Program Office technical point of contact
- Volume I includes a brief summary with a statement of work, program management (with resumes if key personnel are needed), Government furnished property, a subcontracting plan if the proposal exceeds $750,000 and the firm is not a small business, past performance with contract numbers, contacts, dollar amounts and periods, and intellectual property assertions (write NONE if no restrictions)
- If teaming, attach a copy of the team arrangement that sets out each member's responsibility
- Note any potential organizational conflicts of interest, including prior federal employment of research staff within two years, and attach a mitigation plan if any exist
- Mark any proprietary data you want protected; unmarked data is not protected by the FAA
- Complete certifications and representations in SAM.gov
Not in the notice text
- The notice does not set a single due date for white papers; they are accepted while a topic is open, and SAM.gov's response due date conflicts with the BAA text
- No set-aside is stated on SAM.gov; the BAA says awards result from unrestricted competition and encourages small businesses
- Any follow-on request for proposal (RFP) will set its own specific instructions and dates
- Total funding for the BAA is not stated; estimated costs are given per topic
Eligibility and how to respond
- No set-aside: any business, large or small, can bid unless the notice says otherwise.
- How to submit, from the AI summary: White papers by email to the topic's technical point of contact with a copy to 9-ACT-AAQ-600-BAA@FAA.gov; proposals, if requested, by email to 9-ACT-AAQ-600-BAA@FAA.gov only. Check it in the notice before you send anything.
Notice details
- Posted
- May 28, 2025
- Notice type
- Solicitation
- Office
- 692M15 Acquisition & Grants, AAQ600, Atlantic City, NJ
- Product/service code
- AJ11 · General Science and Technology R&D Services; General Science and Technology; Basic Research
- Business type
- Engineering, architecture & research (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 5417)
- Versions
16 versions have been posted, newest first.
- Oct 19, 2026 · AmendmentSAM.gov date Dec 2, 2029
- Sep 29, 2026 · AmendmentSAM.gov date Dec 2, 2029
- Jul 14, 2026 · AmendmentSAM.gov date Dec 2, 2029
- May 7, 2026 · AmendmentSAM.gov date Dec 2, 2029
- Apr 30, 2026 · AmendmentSAM.gov date Dec 2, 2029
- Mar 12, 2026 · AmendmentSAM.gov date Dec 2, 2029
- Feb 12, 2026 · AmendmentSAM.gov date Dec 2, 2029
- Jan 14, 2026 · AmendmentSAM.gov date Dec 2, 2029
- Jan 6, 2026 · AmendmentSAM.gov date Dec 2, 2029
- Sep 9, 2025 · AmendmentSAM.gov date Dec 2, 2029
- Aug 19, 2025 · AmendmentSAM.gov date Dec 2, 2029
- Jun 9, 2025 · AmendmentSAM.gov date Dec 2, 2029
- May 28, 2025 · Amendment 0013 (this version)SAM.gov date Dec 2, 2029
- May 28, 2025 · AmendmentSAM.gov date Dec 2, 2029
- May 5, 2025 · AmendmentSAM.gov date Dec 2, 2029
- Dec 3, 2024 · SolicitationSAM.gov date Dec 2, 2029
- Attachments
Past awards and competition
Who has won work like this before, the likely incumbent, and what similar contracts paid, from USAspending.gov.
Before you respond
- How to respond to a solicitation (8 steps)
- How to read a government solicitation
- How to price a government contract
Terms on this notice: Solicitation
Full notice text from SAM.gov
This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA), for Screening Information Request 692M15-25-R-00004, is sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and will be open for ten (10) years from December 5, 2024. The BAA will be valid through December 4, 2034, unless terminated sooner. This BAA supports research interests from the William J. Hughes Technical Center for Advanced Aerospace, Aviation Research Division, which is located at Atlantic City International Airport, Atlantic City, NJ and other FAA organizations as required. See attached documents. 10/19/2026: Amendment 013 is issued to add BAA Topics of Interest ARAS0015: Lost Communication Concerns with Autonomous Ground Vehicle Systems (AGVS) in the Airport Environment; and ARAS0016: Spectrum Interference Concerns with Autonomous Ground Vehicle Systems (AGVS) in the Airport Environment; remove ARAP0013: Enhancement of Airport Pavement Layer Backcalculation Software (BAKFAA); and ARSS0003: Integrated Flight and Propulsion Control for Rotorcraft; and place on hold ARSS0008: Complex Digital System (topic is pending a revision - do not submit white papers for ARSS0008 until further notice). 9/29/2026: Amendment 012 is issued to add BAA Topic of Interest ARAS0014: Cybersecurity Concerns with Autonomous Ground Vehicle Systems (AGVS) in the Airport Environment; ARSS0010: A Training Framework for Reducing Pilot Decision-Making Errors; ARSS0011: Improving Airline Safety Using Nationwide Pilot Training Data; and ARSS0012: Pilot Operational Decision-Making Aid. Amendment 011 is issued to add BAA Topic of Interest ARSP0002 Hydrogen Aviation Safety Research and remove ARAP0007 Designing and Implementing an Embedded Acoustic Sensor System for Monitoring Subsurface Damage in Concrete Test Pavements at NAPTF; ARAP0008 Design Model for Reflection Cracking in Airport Asphalt Overlays of Rigid Pavements; and ARAP0011 Scale Effects in Reflective Cracking: Table-Scale versus Full-Scale Overlay Tests. Amendment 010 is issued to add BAA Topic of Interest ARAP0015 Advancing Concrete Strength Evaluation for Airport Pavement Design and Construction Amendment 009 is issued to remove BAA Topic of Interest ARSS0002 Flight Controls and Mechanical Systems and correct POC information for Topic ARSM0001 Structural Integrity of Metallic Components Amendment 008 is issued to add BAA Topic of Interest ARSM0001 Structural Integrity of Metallic Components Amendment 007 is issued to add BAA Topic of Interest ARSP0001 Nickle Anomoly Fatigue Testing Amendment 006 is issued to add BAA Topic of Interest ARAP0014 Advancing Pavement Condition Assessment Practices for Airport Pavements. Amendment 005 is issued to delete BAA Topic of Interest ARAP0001 Develop Measurements, Specifications, and Guidance for Multiple Bump Events of Airport Pavement Roughness to Supplement the Existing Pavement Surface Boeing Bump Index (BBI). Amendment 004 is issued to add BAA Topic of Interest ARAP0013 Enhancement of Airport Pavement Layer Backcalculation Software (BAKFAA). Amendment 003 is issued to remove BAA Topic of Interest ARAS0009 Airport Unmanned Aircraft System(s) (UAS) Detection and Mitigation Research Program which was previously deleted under Amendment 001. Amendment 002 is issued to add BAA Topics of Interest ARAP0012 Engineering Analysis of Field Monitoring and Instrumentation Data and ARSS0009 Future of Oversight. Amendment 001 is issued to delete BAA Topic of Interest ARAS0009 Airport Unmanned Aircraft System(s) (UAS) Detection and Mitigation Research Program.
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