Sources Sought
Chemical and Electric Propulsion Systems (Pre-RFI Market Research)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
AI summaryNASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, CA is doing early market research to find small businesses, small business joint ventures, or teams led by a small business that have experience with spacecraft chemical and electric propulsion systems. This is a Sources Sought, not a bid: you reply by filling out a capability form and emailing it to JPL's Small Business Programs Office by October 30, 2026 (an amendment moved it to Nov 13, 2026, 3:00 PM PST · 6:00 PM Eastern). More in the summary
Market research, not a bid. Replying is free and tells National Aeronautics and Space Administration who could do this work. Send a short reply to the contracting contact; no price is needed. See the contact
A newer version of this notice was posted Oct 29, 2026. It moves the due date from Oct 2, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026, which is the date shown on this page. See the latest version.
AI summary Beta
Summary of the version posted Oct 6, 2026. The notice was amended Oct 29, 2026. The due date moved from Oct 30, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026. Check what else changed on SAM.gov.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, CA is doing early market research to find small businesses, small business joint ventures, or teams led by a small business that have experience with spacecraft chemical and electric propulsion systems. This is a Sources Sought, not a bid: you reply by filling out a capability form and emailing it to JPL's Small Business Programs Office by October 30, 2026 (passed).
Who can bid
- Be a small business, a small business joint venture, or a team led by a small business under NAICS 336414 (1,300 employee size standard)
- Experience and capabilities in all of the scope tasks listed on the form
How to submit: Email the completed attachment to smallbusiness.programsoffice@jpl.nasa.gov, due Oct 30, 2026 3:00 PM Pacific (response deadline Oct 30, 2026, 3:00 PM PDT · 6:00 PM Eastern). What to include is under Full summary below. Check the solicitation's instructions on SAM.gov.
Things to watch (4)
- Worth checking: Must cover all scope tasks. The minimum qualification is experience in every listed task, so a firm that does only part of the work would need to team with others.
- Worth checking: Specialized space hardware work. The scope calls for flight-qualified spacecraft propulsion and electric propulsion test facilities, which few small firms have.
- Minor: Market research only, no commitment. Responding does not guarantee a solicitation or award.
Show all 4Show fewer
- Minor: Webinar dates already passed. The notice lists three webinars in mid-September 2026, before the October 6 posting date, so live questions may no longer be possible.
Read from the notice and 1 attachment. Show which files.
- JPL SBPO-2610-01092026 Chemical and Electric Propulsion Systems.docx (read)
Full summary
What they want
- Design, development, integration, test, qualification and flight-readiness of chemical and/or electric propulsion systems
- Propulsion system architecture and requirements
- Thruster and feed-system design
- Propulsion subsystem engineering, modeling and simulation
- Power processing and propellant systems
- Propulsion hardware fabrication and assembly support
- Environmental performance testing, failure analysis and verification
- Electric propulsion experience (Hall thrusters, plasma diagnostics, vacuum facilities) and spacecraft-plume integration testing
- Place of performance
- Pasadena, CA, USA
- Estimated value
- Not stated
- Offers due
- Oct 30, 2026 3:00 PM Pacific (response deadline Oct 30, 2026, 3:00 PM PDT · 6:00 PM Eastern) (from the version posted Oct 6, 2026; amended since)
- How to submit
- Email the completed attachment to smallbusiness.programsoffice@jpl.nasa.gov
What to include when you submit
- Download and complete the attached capability form (company information, size and socioeconomic classifications, teaming status, Yes/No for each of the 10 scope tasks)
- Provide up to three past performance entries: contract name, issuing agency, contract number, dollar value, period of performance, prime or subcontract tier, scope summary, and which scope tasks apply
- Put "Chemical and Electric Propulsion Systems Capabilities" in the email subject line
Not in the notice text
- Contract type, value, length and number of awards are not stated
- Whether this will become a competed solicitation or a JPL subcontract is not stated
- Webinar registration links are in the SAM.gov Attachments/Links section and were not provided in the text
Eligibility and how to respond
- No set-aside. Any business can reply: this is market research, and no bid is being taken yet.
- To respond, send a short reply to the contracting contact near the top of this page. No price is needed.
Notice details
- Posted
- Sep 1, 2026
- Notice type
- Sources Sought
- Office
- NASA Management Office -- JPL, Pasadena, CA
- Business type
- Aircraft, ship & vehicle parts (FedReady's grouping, from NAICS 336414)
- Versions
3 versions have been posted, newest first.
- Oct 29, 2026 · Amendment 0002Due Nov 13, 2026 (changed)
- Oct 6, 2026 · Amendment 0001Due Oct 30, 2026 (changed)
- Sep 1, 2026 · Sources Sought (this version)Due Oct 2, 2026
- 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
Terms on this notice: Sources sought notice
Full notice text from SAM.gov
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