Pioneering Aerospace Capabilities, Engineering and Research

What they want

• Research and development white papers on aerospace technology: study efforts on novel concepts, and work to mature specific technologies to the right technology readiness level for their end use.
• High-speed systems work for Mach 3+ vehicles: power and thermal management, multi-Mach operations, durability, mission systems, and vehicle integration and analysis.
• Power and controls work for military air vehicles, such as cooperative control of unmanned aerial vehicles and autonomous air combat tactics.
• TAWODI Call (Amendment 1): a 48-month foundational baseline plus optional sprints, with a capstone test event in Optional Sprint 4.
• High-Speed Aero-Propulsion Scythe (HSAPS) Call: hypersonic engines able to operate at or above Mach 5, under an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract whose first task order is POETICS.
• Hypersonic Affordable Mass Weapon Concepts (HAMWC) Call: a 48-month foundational baseline estimated at $750,000–$1,250,000, with optional sprints 1 to 4.
• Earlier MASTR Call: an IDIQ plus a Capabilities Study task order of $10,000.00–$15,000.

What they'll judge offers on

• Technical: understanding of the scope of the technical effort; soundness of the technical approach (major technical risks, feasible mitigation, related experience and qualifications of technical personnel); potential to transition the deliverables to future Government needs, including any proposed limits on technical data or software
• Cost/Price: realism of the proposed cost; second order of priority
• For grants and other assistance instruments: Gold Standard Science go/no-go screening, then technical merits, then potential relationship to Department of War (DoW) missions, then cost realism

What to include when you submit

• Send open BAA white papers to the PACER central inbox; white papers sent directly to technical or contracting contacts will not be reviewed.
• For each Call, follow the Call's own due date, contacts and submission method.
• For grants and other assistance instruments, put an SF 424 (R&R) application form on the white paper as the cover page, with the Research and Related Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) form and the Research and Related Personal Data form.
• Security package: a Security Program Plan with a completed Security Program Questionnaire, plus a Privacy Act Statement consent form for each covered individual, signed by the applicant as sponsor.
• For R&D grants, include a data management plan, generally no more than 2 pages.
• For assistance instruments, include clear benchmarks for measuring success and a commitment to Gold Standard Science (GSS).
• If the effort is subject to export control, submit a certified DD Form 2345, Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement, with the proposal.
• TAWODI Call: include cost details for each Optional Sprint, cost the foundational baseline for the entire 48 months, and include all costs to run the capstone test within Sprint 4.
• HAMWC Call: the white paper covers the foundational baseline and includes rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost estimates for optional sprints 1-4.
• HSAPS Call: discuss the technical approach at both the IDIQ and task order level, with a ceiling ROM for the IDIQ and a ROM for the task order's base and options.

After award, you must have

• Employees who need access to Air Force bases, AFRL facilities or Government IT networks must be U.S. citizens, unless the Contracting Officer grants a written waiver. A permanent resident card does not count. From Atch 8 SOW Supplemental Requirements.pdf: …must be U.S. citizens. For the purpose of base and network access, possession of a permanent…

Current contractor

No incumbent is named. The BAA anticipates multiple awards, and the Air Force may award zero, one or more contracts.

Not in the notice text

• The current BAA (Revision 4, posted July 15, 2026), the Call documents (TAWODI dated October 9, 2026, HSAPS dated June 17, 2026, HAMWC dated March 16, 2026, and others), the model contract and the cost data lists are attached on SAM.gov but not read.
• The BAA text that was read (revised April 2025) had its middle part cut, so the open BAA's white paper format, page limits and evaluation steps are not shown here.
• White paper due dates for the TAWODI and HSAPS Calls are not in the text read.
• Which response due date governs: SAM.gov's May 10, 2031 or the BAA text's May 10, 2043.
• SAM.gov states no set-aside; the BAA gives a 1,000-employee small business size standard for NAICS 541715.
• Period of performance and value for most Calls and for the open BAA white papers are not given in the text read.
• The DD Form 254 (security classification form) is controlled and must be requested on SAM.gov; Call documents that are controlled unclassified or classified are released only on request.