NIGP 80453: Payload Delivery Systems, Spacecraft

NIGP 80453 Payload Delivery Systems, Spacecraft (Item) covers feasibility, siting, and economic analysis work for spaceport development and orbital launch infrastructure. State and local governments are soliciting under this code to evaluate the business case and operational viability of establishing commercial spaceport facilities within their jurisdictions. The Utah Department of Transportation issued an RFP in January 2026 seeking comprehensive siting assessment and economic impact analysis across seven potential locations (Promontory, Wendover, Vernal, Delta, Green River, Bluff, and Kanab) to determine which sites offer the strongest market demand, operational feasibility, and economic return. The analysis includes two phases: narrowing candidate sites based on capital and operating costs, regulatory constraints, and market potential, then delivering detailed economic modeling, return on investment estimates, infrastructure needs assessments, environmental and airspace analyses, and SWOT evaluations culminating in a public presentation. Issuing bodies under this code include state transportation departments and related state agencies tasked with economic development and infrastructure planning.

The Utah Department of Transportation's RFP (UDOT260154MP, due February 13, 2026) represents recent activity in the Mountain West region. The solicitation evaluates proposals in four stages—mandatory compliance, technical merit (105 points maximum across project team qualifications, relevant past work, methodology, and risk assessment with an 80-point minimum threshold), cost (25 points maximum using a ratio-based formula), and combined scoring—with a single contract award anticipated through October 2026. Prospective vendors must demonstrate experienced key personnel, prior similar project experience, maintain $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate liability insurance, and comply with E-Verify requirements and Utah Government Data Privacy Act confidentiality standards. All deliverables become state property as work made for hire, with a one-year warranty and six-year record retention requirement.