Presolicitation
Structural Materials Open BAA
Dept of Defense · Dept of the Air Force · Sol. FA8650-18-S-5010
Due in 345 days
Track this notice by email. We'll email you if it's amended or awarded, and a week and two days before responses are due.
AI summary Beta
The Air Force Research Laboratory (Materials & Manufacturing Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH) runs an open, ongoing call for research ideas in structural materials such as ceramics, composites, metals, inspection sensors and computer modeling. Companies send a short white paper first; only those the Air Force likes are asked for a full proposal. White papers are accepted until 20 September 2027, awards are expected to run 12 to 60 months, and the total program is about $800 million.
Watch out for
- Research and development, not routine services. This is for scientific research in materials; you need real R&D capability and credible technical staff, and the Air Force may award none or few of the white papers.
- White papers only for now. No contract is awarded from a white paper; you only get a chance to write a full proposal if the Air Force invites you, so the work to win is spread over two steps.
ONLY WHITE PAPERS ARE BEING SOLICITED AT THIS TIME.
- Science and technology protection review. Amendment 05 requires a security plan and key-person forms, and a plan judged inadequate can make a proposal unawardable.
the Government in its sole discretion, may be grounds for considering the
- Strict page limits and format rules. Pages over the limit are not read, and the Air Force checks format, so a small team must tightly follow font, spacing and page rules.
The Government will not consider pages in excess of these
- Government wants unlimited data rights. The Air Force expects unlimited rights to technical data and software developed with its money, which can conflict with a small company protecting its own technology.
(1) Technical Data: Unlimited Rights
- Export control and no foreign participation. Work may be export controlled, requiring a DD Form 2345, and foreign nationals on your team are restricted.
Foreign participation is not authorized.
- Instructions are spread across many amendments. The original BAA asks for hard copies and a CD, but Amendment 04 changed this to email and later amendments changed contacts, dates and funding, so older details may be out of date.
Offerors should submit 1 copy of the White Paper electronically via e-
Read from the notice and 12 attachments.
- FA8650-18-S-5010_Amend 05_19Sep23.pdf
- FA8650-18-S-5010_Amend 04.pdf
- FA8650-18-S-5010_Amend 03.pdf
- FA8650-18-S-5010-Atch3.pdf
- FA8650-18-S-5010-Atch2.pdf
- FA8650-18-S-5010-Atch1.pdf
- FA8650-18-S-5010_Amend_02_FBO_Posting.pdf
- FA8650-18-S-5010-BAA.pdf
- FA8650-18-S-5010-NOCA.pdf
- FA8650-18-S-5010-Amd1.pdf
- Attachment 05 - Security Program Questionnaire.docx
- Attachment 04 - SF 424.pdf
Full brief
What they want
- Research on high-temperature ceramic and ceramic matrix composite materials and processes
- Polymer matrix composites, including processing models and ways to harden structures against directed energy
- Metallic materials and processes for hotter, higher-stress propulsion and hypersonic parts
- Sensing and non-destructive inspection technologies to find damage in aircraft structures (characterization, sensing and analytics)
- Computer modeling that links processing, microstructure and performance (called ICMSE)
- Materials for Air Force needs in propulsion, space, hypersonics and thermal protection, munitions and sustainment of aging aircraft
- Electromagnetic and high-power-microwave protection and multifunctional structures
- Contract type
- Varies by award: any FAR contract type (often cost-plus-fixed-fee or firm-fixed-price), Other Transaction agreements, grants or cooperative agreements
- Period of performance
- Each award is expected to run 12 to 60 months, set award by award; the BAA is open until 20 September 2027
- Place of performance
- Wright Patterson AFB, OH (as listed in the notice); can vary by award
- Estimated value
- Total program about $800,000,000, with multiple awards from $50,000 to $50,000,000 (Amendment 05); the Government can award larger or smaller
- How they'll choose
- Two steps. Step 1 white papers are screened on fit to the Air Force's needs and available funding. Step 2 proposals get a scientific review (technical first, cost/price second) and are labeled Selectable or Not Selectable, then chosen based on importance to Air Force programs and funding.
- Offers due
- White papers accepted at any time until 20 September 2027 (the notice lists 2027-09-20 3:00 PM Central). Full proposals are due after the Air Force asks for them, within 30 working days of the request (Amendment 01).
- How to submit
- Email one electronic copy of the white paper to the Contracting point of contact, Ms. Gabrielle Sherer, AFRL/RXKMC (gabrielle.sherer@us.af.mil), per Amendment 04. Assistance-instrument (grant-type) proposals may also go through Grants.gov, with an email to the Contracting POC.
- Page limits
- White paper: 4 pages plus 1-page quad chart. Later technical/management proposal: 20 pages plus 1 quad chart, plus a separate Statement of Work of up to 10 pages. Cost/business proposal has no page limit. Pages over the limit are not considered.
What they'll judge offers on
- White paper screening (equal importance): technical approach consistent with the BAA technologies; research of interest to the Structural Materials Division; appropriate funding available
- Proposal technical factors, in descending order: unique and innovative approach; understanding of the scope; soundness of approach, risks and staff qualifications; potential to transition to Government needs (data restrictions are considered)
- Cost/price including realism: substantial factor but second in priority
What to include when you submit
- Step 1 white paper is required before any proposal; it includes a quad chart (template in Attachment 2) and a rough order of magnitude (ROM) cost
- White paper format: Word, Arial 10-point, double-spaced, 8.5x11 inches, 1-inch margins, cover page counts as page 1
- White paper sections: A) BAA number, program title, company name, business size, CAGE and company IDs, contacts; B) period of performance and task objectives; C) technical summary and deliverables; D) ROM cost; E) quad chart
- Proposal volumes: technical/management and cost/business in separate volumes, valid for 180 days, referencing FA8650-18-S-5010
- Cost files must be Excel with formulas; label electronic files with company name and proposal title
- Include SF 424 Key Person Profile (Expanded) form and a Security Program Questionnaire/plan for AFRL science and technology protection (Amendment 05)
- Include data rights assertions (DFARS 252.227-7017) and a Certified DD Form 2345 if the work is export controlled
- Contract awards may need a cost-reimbursement-adequate accounting system; non-small businesses need a subcontracting plan for efforts over $700,000
You must have
- Unrestricted competition (no set-aside); small businesses are encouraged to propose. Small business size standard is 1,000 employees for NAICS 541715.
This is an unrestricted solicitation.
- Must submit a white paper first; proposals without a prior white paper are not eligible for award
without first submitting a white paper will not be eligible for an award.
- Foreign participation is not authorized (foreign nationals only with prior Foreign Disclosure Office approval and only for public domain information)
Foreign participation is not authorized.
- A Certified DD Form 2345 (Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement) is required if the work involves export-controlled data
2345, Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement, will be required to be
- Security Program Plan and Security Program Questionnaire for AFRL science and technology protection, plus SF 424 Key Person Profile for all senior/key personnel
Documentation of a Security Program Plan in support of the AFRLI 61-113
- For cost-reimbursement awards, an accounting system adequate for tracking costs
have an accounting system considered adequate for tracking costs applicable to the
- Active SAM registration and a Grants.gov account to apply for grants or assistance instruments
Organizations must have an active System for Award Management
- Some awards may need a facility security clearance (Top Secret/SCI), though most are expected to be unclassified
awards will be unclassified. However, there may be instances when Top
Not in the notice text
- Which contract type, period and place of performance apply to any single award (set award by award)
- Whether the contracting and technical contacts listed in the 2022 and 2023 amendments are still current
- Current CDRLs, government property and base support (all decided award by award)
- The SF 424 Key Person Profile form (Attachment 04) did not load as readable text, so its fields are not shown
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Key facts
- Response due
- Sep 20, 2027, 8:00 PM UTC
- Posted
- Apr 22, 2026
- Notice type
- Presolicitation
- Solicitation
- FA8650-18-S-5010
- Agency
- Dept of Defense · Dept of the Air Force
- Office
- FA8650 USAF AFMC Afrl PZL Afrl/PZL
- NAICS
- 541715
- Product/service code
- AC13
- Business type
- Engineering, architecture & research
- Place of performance
- Wright Patterson AFB, OH, 45433
- Contracting contact
- Phil Draytonphillip.drayton@us.af.mil
- Versions
- 7 (amended since first posted)
What similar contracts paid
1,057 contracts at this agency under the same NAICS code, in the same state, had activity in the last 5 years, according to USAspending.gov. Small businesses won 25% of the dollars in this market over the last 3 fiscal years.
Typical contract$6MMiddle half: $2.4M to $12.5M
Typical per year$1.1MValue divided by years of performance
Possible incumbent's contract endsJun 2028A similar contract in this state, ending near when this one starts
Before you respond
Full notice text from SAM.gov
Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials & Manufacturing Directorate, Structural Materials Division, AFRL/RXC, is soliciting white papers and potentially technical and cost proposals under this announcement that support the needs of its Structural Materials and Applications mission. Structural Materials technologies that range from materials and scientific discovery through technology development and transition are of interest. Descriptors of Materials and Manufacturing Directorate technology interests are presented in two contexts in the Statement of Objectives (BAA Attachment 1); that of structural materials science and engineering academic "competencies," and that of Air Force application area needs.
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