The Federal Aviation Administration awarded a $4.86 million definitive contract to General Electric Company, GE Aviation division (operating as GE Edison Works), on September 24, 2026, for vanguard hybrid electric certification path demonstration and supercooled large drop icing characterization, with firm fixed-price terms and a ceiling value of $4.862 million. No set-aside was used.
Place of performance is Washington, DC 20591. The contract extends through September 29, 2028. The effort supports the FAA's Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise (CLEEN) Phase IV Program, which develops and matures technologies to reduce fuel burn, emissions, and noise for civil aircraft. The originating pre-solicitation, posted January 16, 2026, indicated the FAA allocated $25 million in total program funding across multiple awards, with a base 12-month period and optional 12-month extension; the program requires 1:1 cost-sharing, with participants contributing 50 percent of project costs and the FAA contributing the remainder through cooperative agreements. Eligible technologies included non-traditional propulsion systems, advanced aircraft configurations, supersonic aircraft technologies, and advanced air mobility vehicles, evaluated on technical merit, environmental benefits, transition feasibility, and program management capability.