03 Request for Information - Arc Heaters Follow-on 2026-02-04.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION / SOURCES SOUGHT

UNCLASSIFIED

Request for Information (RFI) / Sources Sought Notice

FA9101-26-R-0001

Arc Heater Components

Issued by:

Air Force Test Center (AFTC) / PZIA Arnold Air Force Base, TN 37389

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

• Document Type: Request for Information (RFI) / Sources Sought

• Notice ID: FA9101-26-R-0001

• NAICS Code: 332710 – Machine Shops

• Product Service Code (PSC): 5340 – Hardware, Commercial

• Response Due Date: 13 February 2026, 1:00 PM Central Time

• Issuing Agency: Air Force Test Center (AFTC)/PZIA, Arnold Air Force Base

• Primary Point of Contact:

Brogan Fullmer, Contracting Officer Email: brogan.fullmer@us.af.mil Phone: 801-499-7586

• Secondary Point of Contact:

Robert Greene, Contract Specialist Email: robert.greene.17@us.af.mil Phone: (931) 454-6295

2. DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE

This is a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the Air Force Test Center (AFTC) at Arnold Air Force Base (AAFB), TN. In accordance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) Procedures, Guidance, and Information (PGI) 206.302-1(d), this notice is posted to identify responsible sources capable of manufacturing and delivering arc heater components to support a potential sole-source, follow-on Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract.

The Government anticipates awarding this contract to the incumbent, Neodora, LLC, which has been identified as the only known responsible source able to satisfy the Agency’s requirements.

The purpose of this RFI is to survey the market to determine if any other sources possess the requisite capabilities to meet the Government’s needs as described herein. The results of this inquiry will be used to inform the Justification and Approval (J&A) for Other Than Full and Open Competition.

https://www.google.com/url?q=mailto%3Abrogan.fullmer%40us.af.mil https://www.google.com/url?q=mailto%3Arobert.greene.17%40us.af.mil

THIS IS AN RFI ONLY. This notice is for market research and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue a RFP in the future.

3. BACKGROUND AND REQUIREMENT DETAILS

The Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) requires a continuous supply of specialized arc heater components to support mission-essential hypersonic testing and reentry programs in its High-Temperature Lab (HTL) facilities. These operations are vital to national defense and support a wide range of stakeholders including U.S. Air Force and commercial space industry partners.

Demand for these components is significantly increasing due to a high operational tempo and the stand-up of new test facilities, which will increase the number of active segmented arc heaters.

The predecessor ID/IQ contract, FA910121D0001, has reached the end of its ordering period with its ceiling nearly exhausted due to this increased demand.

The arc heater components must be manufactured to exacting specifications to survive the extreme operational environment. Key technical characteristics include:

• Material: Oxygen-Free High Conductivity (OFHC) copper

• Performance: Must withstand temperatures up to 13,000°R (6,649°C), gas pressures of

170 atmospheres (atms), and internal water-cooling pressures of 1,000 pounds per square inch (PSI) without deformation

• Manufacturing: Components must be accurately machined and brazed, free from any microscopic obstructions or defects

The Government’s need is for an estimated 3,727 ‘H1’ type arc heater components and 14,623 ‘H2’ and ‘H3’ type arc heater components over a five-year ordering period.

4. ANTICIPATED CONTRACT

• Contract Type: Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ)

• Period of Performance: Five (5) year ordering period

• Estimated Total Value/Ceiling: $14,976,177.31

• Funding: The acquisition will be funded by FY26 through FY30 Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) appropriations.

• Intellectual Property: The Government is not acquiring title to or license for any new technical data. All deliverables will be acquired with Government Purpose Rights.

5. REQUESTED INFORMATION FROM INTERESTED PARTIES

Interested parties who believe they are capable of meeting the requirements described above are invited to submit a response. Your response should provide clear and convincing evidence of your capabilities. Please address the following items:

# Requested Information

Regulatory Basis / Rationale

1 Capability Statement

A detailed narrative demonstrating your company’s technical ability to manufacture, braze, and machine OFHC copper components to the extreme tolerances and performance specifications required. Describe your quality control processes. (FAR Part 10 - Market Research)

2 Past Performance

Evidence of past performance on projects of similar scope, complexity, and scale within the last five years. Provide contract numbers, project descriptions, dollar values, and a customer point of contact for verification. (FAR 15.304 - Evaluation Factors and Significant Subfactors)

3 Access to Data and Facilities

Confirmation of your company’s access to all necessary technical data, proprietary processes, specialized tooling, and facilities required to produce these specific arc heater components. If such data is not owned, describe how access will be obtained.

(FAR 6.302-1 - Only One Responsible Source)

4 Company Information

Provide your Company Name, Full Address, Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code, Unique Entity ID (UEI), and Business Size Status (e.g., Small Business, Woman-Owned, etc.) under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 332710. (FAR Part 19 - Small Business Programs)

6. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

• Responses are due no later than the date and time specified in Section 1 of this notice.

• Please submit your response via email to the Primary Point of Contact, Brogan Fullmer, at brogan.fullmer@us.af.mil. The email subject line should read: “Response to RFI FA9101-26-R-0001 Arc Heater Components.”

• Submissions shall be in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format and are limited to ten (10) 8.5” × 11” pages, font no smaller than 10 point; demonstrating ability to provide the products listed in this Technical Description.

• Documentation should be in bullet format. No phone or email solicitations with regards to the status of the RFP will be accepted prior to its release. Your capabilities statement must provide evidence of being able to supply all items identified above.

• Any proprietary information must be clearly marked.

Please specifically provide:

1) A tailored capability statement addressing the requirements of this notice, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of your firm’s capability to meet our technical requirements must be provided. If you are submitting a substitute item, you must provide technical detail sufficient for AEDC to determine if your proposed item(s) will meet our need.

2) What are the Minimum/Maximum quantities that can be ordered? Elaborate on the company’s overall capacity to meet this potential need.

https://www.google.com/url?q=mailto%3Abrogan.fullmer%40us.af.mil

3) Delivery time-frames are extremely important for this potential project. Please provide your company’s delivery lead-time.

4) Are there potential discounts for large quantity purchases?

Additionally, the submission should outline what vehicles can be utilized to obtain the items provided in this sources sought notice such as GSA (provide schedule), or any other existing contract vehicle.

7. DISCLAIMER

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract action based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.

Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. The Government will not be responsible for any costs incurred by interested parties in responding to this RFI.

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION / SOURCES SOUGHT