NRA_AACES_Final.pdf

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE

ADMINISTRATION (NASA)

NASA Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability (AACES) 2050

NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) NASA Research Announcement (NRA) for

Phase I: AACES 2050 Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability

ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER: 80GRC024N0001

NRA ISSUED: December 4, 2023

KEY DATES

Questions Due: January 5, 2024

Proposals Due: February 2, 2024

Table of Contents 1 Overview

2 Introduction

3 Background

4 AACES 2050 Approach and Goals

4.1 Phase I – Advanced Concept Development

4.2 Phase II – Advanced Concept and Technology Development

5 Description of Solicited topics

5.1 Future Scenarios Development

5.2 Technology and Subsystem Exploration

5.3 Aircraft Concept Exploration

6 Expected Outcomes and Data

7 Intellectual Property

8 Reviews and Deliverables

9 Eligibility Information

9.1 Eligibility

9.2 Other Eligibility Limitations

9.3 Number of Proposals and Teaming Arrangements

9.4 Proposed Use of Unique NASA Capabilities

9.5 Programmatic Considerations

10 Proposal and Submission Information

10.1 Electronic Submission of Proposals – Proposal Marking and Delivery Through Nasa Box

10.2 Proposal Content and Format

11 Proposal Review Information

11.1 Administrative Review

11.2 Proposal Review Information

11.3 Partial Awards and Participation with Others

12 Provisions

13 Representations and Certifications

14 Summary of Key Information

15 Works Cited

16 List of Attachments

Appendix A. Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) Definitions

Appendix B. Desired Data for Phase I

Appendix C. Vehicle Concept Performance Calculations

Vehicle References

Concept Metrics

1 Overview This Glenn Research Center (GRC) Center-Level NASA Research Announcement (NRA) is issued in accordance with NASA Federal Acquisitions Regulations (NFS) 1835.016-71. This NRA shall be used to announce Phase I of the Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability (AACES) 2050 effort that is focused on exploring aircraft concepts and technologies which could enter service around 2050 and continue to reduce aviation’s environmental impact.

Unlike a traditional Request for Proposal (RFP) containing a defined Statement of Work (SOW) or specification to which Offerors are to respond, this NRA provides for the submission of competitive project ideas, conceived by the Offerors, in one or more program areas of interest.

Specifically, this solicitation focuses on identifying and sponsoring innovative work in two topic areas focusing on development of complete aircraft concepts and enabling technologies (see Section 5). Additionally, whereas a traditional RFP provides the Government’s defined SOW within Section C of the RFP, this NRA is requesting that Offerors submit a Work Plan in the form of a Statement of Work (SOW) as part of their proposal that, if selected, is intended to become the SOW included in Section C on any awarded contract(s). In addition, this NRA includes a Model Contract (See NRA Attachment A) with all potential clauses that will be included in the final contract(s) to inform Offerors of NASA’s expectations to expedite contract award at the conclusion of this NRA.

Upon completion of the NRA proposal evaluations, NASA intends to award Cost-Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) contract(s) to Offerors who best meet the goals set forth in this NRA. In accordance with NFS 1835.016-71(d)(4), a competitive range will not be established, and final proposal revisions shall not be requested/accepted. If an Offeror’s proposal is selected at the conclusion of the Final NRA evaluation period, NASA will advise the Offeror that the Government intends on entering into negotiations and will follow up with a contract that includes (if necessary), modifications contemplated in the Offeror's Statement of Work, and request agreement or identification of any exceptions. NASA will request the Offeror to complete and return certifications and representations and Standard Form 33, Solicitation, Offer, and Award. Any necessary negotiations will be conducted in accordance with FAR Subparts 15.3 and 15.4.

Issuing Office:

NASA Glenn Research Center Office of Procurement, MS 60-1 21000 Brookpark Road Cleveland, OH 44135-3127

Agency Contacts:

Ashlee B. Shaw, Contracting Officer, Phone – 216.433.2916, Email – ashlee.b.shaw@nasa.gov

Linda M. Nabors, Contracting Officer, Phone—216.433.2407, Email – linda.m.nabors@nasa.gov

Administration (FAA), United States 2021 Aviation Climate Action Plan, November 2021). This plan focuses on aviation combustion CO2 emissions and well-to-tank life cycle GHG emissions (CO2, N2O and CH4), but also includes other climate impacts of aviation such as other emissions, noise, local air quality, contrail formation, and more. NASA is beginning to investigate what technologies and aircraft concepts are important in the 2045-2050 timeframe to help contribute to these aggressive sustainability goals for 2050 and beyond. Figure 2 shows projected aviation growth out to 2050 and the associated CO2 emissions with areas and efforts that could be used to reduce emissions to net-zero in 2050.

Figure 2: U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan Future Domestic and International Aviation CO2

Emissions.

It is anticipated that sustainability will continue to play an increasing role in aircraft design and operations in the 2040s and beyond. Adapting the viewpoint of the Brundtland Commission, sustainability can be broadly viewed as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Brundtland, 1987). In the context of aviation, sustainability can be multifaceted, including factors such as the renewability of the energy source used, the environmental impacts of the operations, land use impacts of the ground infrastructure, and the recyclability of the materials used to manufacture the vehicles. Although aviation is currently a relatively small contributor to global GHG emissions (2.7% CO2 domestically and 2.1% CO2 globally), historically aviation has had a strong growth rate, and it is estimated that in 2050 ten billion passengers will fly twenty-two trillion revenue passenger kilometers (Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), United States 2021 Aviation Climate Action Plan, November 2021; Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), September 2020; Waypoint 2050, September 2021). Flown using today’s fleet and operational efficiency this activity would require approximately twice the amount of fuel used in 2019 (currently provided almost exclusively from non-renewable sources), generate approximately twice the amount of CO2, and have other negative impacts on global climate (e.g., contrails) and local air quality (e.g., NOx emissions). Great advancements have been made since the beginning of commercial aviation to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impacts; however, increases in air travel demand have consistently outpaced improvements, leading to increasing environmental impacts with time. A future in which aviation can meet society’s sustainability expectations without placing constraints on demand will only be possible through a fundamental re-examination of traditional air transport design and operation paradigms.

Sustainability is, therefore, critically important to consider in the design and development of mid-century EIS aircraft. This NRA solicitation aims to sponsor work with one or more industry and academic partners that help NASA identify and mature critical aircraft concepts and technologies for mid-century aviation.

4 AACES 2050 Approach and Goals The NASA AACES 2050 study is anticipated to include two phases. Phase I is focused on the design and development process of advanced concepts and the assessment of advanced technologies. An investment of approximately $8M (potentially spread across multiple awards) is anticipated for the 18-month Phase I study. The actual number and value of awards made for Phase I will depend on the funding available based on approved NASA budgets as well as the quality and content of proposals. Phase II (dependent on approved NASA budgets) will focus on refining selected advanced concepts, technologies, and subsystems developed under Phase I awards or other independent development activities. Participation in Phase I will not be required for consideration for Phase II awards.

4.1 Phase I – Advanced Concept Development

Phase I of the AACES 2050 study is focused on the design and selection process and identifying aircraft concepts and technologies that will be critical to sustainable commercial aviation (both passenger and cargo transport). The approach for this phase is to perform technology and aircraft concept exploration trade studies that include prioritizing the enabling technologies that are needed to achieve sustainable aviation in the mid-century timeframe. Sustainable aviation is full life cycle aviation activities including development, manufacturing, operations, and end of life that meet the current demand without compromising future environment, societal, and economic goals.

NASA’s role in this AACES NRA is to provide an opportunity for Offerors to develop advanced aircraft and technology concepts that will achieve revolutionary improvements in economics and environmental performance and enable net-zero GHG emissions from the U.S. aviation sector.

From the results of these studies, NASA will build a robust technology investment portfolio of technologies, subsystems, and aircraft configurations that will contribute to the aggressive sustainability goals for 2050 and beyond.

The future operational environment must be established to make a case for the advanced vehicle concept(s). Offerors will describe the future scenario(s) that gives context for the advanced vehicle concept(s) entering service in 2045-2050, including market factors, energy availability, infrastructure, the environment, and other key drivers that may influence the air transportation system. Ground and airport infrastructure requirements are part of the scenarios for any proposed alternative fuels or energy sources.

There are many metrics that can be used to trace the impact of aviation and its technologies. A subset of metrics will be used to represent this impact and make evaluations tractable. Emissions metrics are defined as follows for evaluation purposes: energy consumed during the mission, U.S.

Aviation Climate Action Plan GHG emissions, well-to-wake GHG emissions (CO2, N2O, and CH4) for the energy consumed during the mission, amount of energy required (megajoules) per available seat kilometer, cradle-to-grave aircraft life cycle GHG emissions, impact on contrails, landing and takeoff NOx, and landing and takeoff noise. Appendix C further defines the individual emissions metrics above. At a minimum, Offerors will evaluate their aircraft concepts and technologies against these metrics to show their benefit to future sustainable aviation. These metrics provide NASA with a consistent way to internally assess the concepts across all NRA awardees after the completion of the NRA. Offerors may propose additional emissions metrics beyond those listed in the NRA. The level of detail for emissions is not prescribed for this work. The level of detail for emissions should be chosen to be consistent with the overall level of effort for Phase I and the level required to appropriately assess the concepts and technologies. In addition to these technical metrics, the potential financial benefits defined through metrics like direct operating cost + investment (DOC+I) will be considered, as high costs could limit the economic viability of the concept or technologies. NASA will be using the Probabilistic Technology Investment Ranking System (PTIRS) to evaluate direct operating cost plus interest (DOC+I) for advanced aircraft concepts. PTIRS is a complete life cycle cost model for commercial aircraft development, production, and operations. The PTIRS development and production cost estimating relations (CERs) are calibrated to reproduce published prices for commercial transport aircraft, given reasonable assumptions regarding amortization of development costs, return on investment capital, and manufacturer’s pricing mark-ups. The scenarios provided by the Offerors inform which metrics are more or less important for their solutions.

To enable a consistent basis for evaluation of each vehicle concept in Phase I, each aircraft must use two reference missions, a design mission and an economic mission defined by NASA in Appendix C. The Offeror may include two additional reference missions, a design and an economic mission based on the Offeror’s future scenario with sufficient justification for the additional reference missions.

The primary goals of Phase I are:

• Develop or identify a future scenario(s) that supports adoption of advanced technologies, subsystems, and aircraft concepts

• Identify critical technologies, subsystems, and aircraft concepts for mid-century sustainable aviation

• Evaluate the technologies, subsystems, and aircraft concepts against metrics

• Develop technology roadmaps with associated risks for enabling technologies and concepts not currently used in commercial aviation

4.2 Phase II – Advanced Concept and Technology Development

Phase II of the AACES 2050 study will build on the results of Phase I and other independent studies by refining the concepts and technologies that show potential for sustainability.

Participation in Phase I will not be required for consideration for Phase II awards. Dependent upon NASA funding, a new, formal solicitation for Phase II proposals will be released later along with the selection criteria.

5 Description of Solicited topics This solicitation seeks proposals to identify and develop aircraft concepts and technologies that achieve revolutionary improvements in economics and environmental performance and the U.S.

Aviation Climate Action Plan goal of net-zero GHG emissions while remaining commercially viable. Specifically, this solicitation is intended to identify and develop aircraft concepts and technologies for sustainable aviation in the topic areas described below. The goal is to fully identify critical technologies and capabilities by mid FY25 (Phase I) to enable further investment and development in the FY25-FY26 timeframe (Phase II).

Three research topics are being solicited for Phase I. These research topics start with developing future scenarios (Topic 5.1) then use these developed scenarios to explore technologies and subsystems for sustainable aviation (Topic 5.2). All proposals are required to include Topics 5.1 and 5.2. The third research topic uses the developed scenarios and identified technologies and subsystems to explore integrated aircraft concepts for sustainable aviation (Topic 5.3). Topic 5.3 is not required in proposals; however, if a proposal includes Topic 5.3, then the proposal will be evaluated in accordance with the NRA requirements for Topic 5.3.

5.1 Future Scenarios Development

The future scenario(s) development task gives context for the advanced vehicle concept(s) and associated technologies entering service in 2045-2050. The future operational environment must be established to make a case for the advanced vehicle concept(s). Offerors will describe the future scenario(s) that gives context for the advanced vehicle concept(s) entering service in 2045-2050, including market factors, energy availability, infrastructure, the environment, and other key drivers that may influence the air transportation system. This topic is required in all proposals.

5.2 Technology and Subsystem Exploration

The technology and subsystem exploration topic area seeks to identify, evaluate, describe, and roadmap development needs for critical technologies and/or subsystems for sustainable aviation based on the scenarios identified in Topic 5.1. This topic is required in all proposals. Proposals to this topic area shall include all of the following tasks:

Technology and Subsystem Exploration Trade Study Task The technology and subsystem exploration trade study task seeks to identify critical technologies and/or subsystems for sustainable aviation. Individual technologies need a direct path to integrated vehicle system level benefits. Proposals to this topic present the design process that will be used to identify and down select to the most promising technology and/or subsystem solution(s) including the appropriate analysis order level. Offerors identify sensitivity studies that will provide insight into the performance of their concepts during the design process. Analysis order levels should be chosen to be consistent with the overall level of effort for Phase I and the level required to appropriately assess the concepts and technologies. Tools and methods needed for the trade study, analysis, and development are identified during the design process. Tools and methods development may be proposed which is consistent with the overall level of effort for Phase I and the work required to appropriately assess the concepts and technologies. Technology and subsystem concepts developed in this topic are focused on achieving revolutionary improvements in economics and environmental performance and the U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan goal of net-zero GHG emissions while remaining commercially viable. Appendix B contains desired data that describe an advanced technology or subsystem concept. The outcome of this task is a technology or suite of technologies.

Detailed Technology or Subsystem Description Task The detailed technology or subsystem description task includes providing the detailed information that describes the technologies and/or subsystems (see Appendix B). The advanced technology or subsystems represent the best solutions to revolutionary improvements in economics and environmental performance and the U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan goal of net-zero GHG emissions while remaining commercially viable. The detailed descriptions include characteristics and quantified estimates of emissions, performance, and noise characteristics including an assessment of the environmental, economic, and mobility impacts. The outcome of this task includes the concept descriptions, what analysis tools and methods were used to generate the data, identify gaps, and development necessary for current and future development.

Technology Development Roadmaps Task The technology development roadmaps task defines the current technology readiness level (TRL) and provides traceability of the technologies from their current TRL to being integrated into advanced vehicle concept(s) by the 2045-2050 timeframe. Each technology roadmap includes a risk analysis that characterizes the relative importance of each technology toward enabling advanced vehicle concept(s) and the relative difficulty anticipated in overcoming development challenges.

5.3 Aircraft Concept Exploration

The aircraft concept exploration topic area seeks to identify, evaluate, describe, and roadmap development needs for integrated subsonic aircraft concepts for sustainable aviation based on the scenarios identified in Topic 5.1 and which incorporate the technology and subsystem topic 5.2.

This topic is not required in proposals; however, if a proposal includes topic 5.3, then the proposal will be evaluated in accordance with the NRA requirements for topic 5.3 and section 11. Proposals to this topic area shall include all of the following tasks:

Aircraft Exploration Trade Study Task The aircraft exploration trade study task seeks to identify the best integrated advanced aircraft concept(s) for sustainable aviation. The aircraft concept(s) serve as a platform for integrated technologies which together form a system to reduce noise, emissions, and energy usage. Proposals to this topic present the design process that will be used to identify and down select to the most promising design solution including the appropriate analysis order level. Offerors identify sensitivity studies that will provide insight into the performance of their concepts during the design process. Analysis order levels should be chosen to be consistent with the overall level of effort for Phase I and the level required to appropriately assess the concepts and technologies. Tools and methods needed for the trade study, analysis, and development are identified during the design process. Tools and methods development may be proposed which is consistent with the overall level of effort for Phase I and the work required to appropriately assess the concepts and technologies. Concepts developed in this topic should be focused on achieving revolutionary improvements in economics and environmental performance and the U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan goal of net-zero GHG emissions while remaining commercially viable. Appendix B contains desired data that describe an integrated advanced aircraft concept. The outcome of this task is one or multiple aircraft concepts.

Detailed Aircraft Description Task The detailed description task includes providing detailed information that describes reference(s) and advanced concept(s) (see Appendix B). The advanced aircraft concepts represent the best solutions to revolutionary improvements in economics and environmental performance and the U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan goal of net-zero GHG emissions while remaining commercially viable. The detailed descriptions include aircraft characteristics and quantified estimates of emissions, performance, and noise characteristics including an assessment of the environmental, economic, and mobility impacts that insertion of the advanced aircraft concept(s) may have on the future fleet. The outcome of this task includes the reference and concept descriptions, what analysis tools and methods were used to generate the data, identify gaps, and development necessary for current and future development.

Aircraft Concept Development Roadmaps Task The aircraft concept roadmaps task defines the current technology readiness level (TRL) and provides traceability of the concepts from their current TRL to entry into service in the 2045-2050 timeframe. Each aircraft concept roadmap includes a risk analysis that characterizes the relative importance of each enabling technology and the relative difficulty anticipated in overcoming development challenges.

6 Expected Outcomes and Data The desired outcomes and data of a successfully awarded contract are listed below. They should be incorporated into the appropriate deliverable in Section 8.

• Future Scenarios Development (5.1)

a. Description of the future scenario(s) that gives context for the advanced vehicle concept(s) entering service in 2045-2050.

b. Models and list of assumptions for the future scenario(s)

• Technology and Subsystem Exploration (5.2) o Technology and Subsystem Exploration Trade Study

a. Exploration trade studies which seek the best solution to achieve revolutionary improvements in economics and environmental performance and the U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan goal of net-zero GHG emissions while remaining commercially viable. A list of desired data can be found in Appendix B.

o Detailed Technology or Subsystem Description

a. Detailed information that describes the most promising technology or technologies and/or subsystem(s) identified in topic 5.2. A list of desired data can be found in Appendix B.

o Technology Development Roadmaps

a. Technology development roadmap for each detailed technology described in topic 5.2

b. Risk analysis of each detailed technology described in topic 5.2

• Aircraft Concept Exploration (5.3) o Aircraft Exploration Trade Study

a. Exploration trade studies which seek the best solution to achieve revolutionary improvements in economics and environmental performance and the U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan goal of net-zero GHG emissions while remaining commercially viable. A list of desired data can be found in Appendix B.

o Detailed Aircraft Description

a. Detailed information that describes the most promising aircraft identified in topic 5.3. A list of desired data can be found in Appendix B.

o Aircraft Concept Development Roadmaps

a. Aircraft concept development roadmap for each detailed aircraft described in topic 5.3

b. Risk analysis of each detailed aircraft concept described in topic 5.3

All deliverables shall be delivered in the expected 18-month period of performance of the contract.

7 Intellectual Property Data Rights. Normally, the Government has unlimited rights in technical data created under a NASA agreement. Delivery or third-party licensing of proprietary software or data developed solely at private expense will not normally be required except as specifically negotiated in a particular agreement to satisfy NASA's own needs or to ensure the commercialization of technology developed under a NASA agreement.

A clear statement is required of what intellectual property is expected to be available to the Government, U.S. Aeronautics Community, and Public at the conclusion of the work. It is NASA’s preference that all deliverables under the contract be provided to NASA with unrestricted/unlimited rights; thus, any restrictions must demonstrate a significant net benefit to the Government.

Patent Rights. The Government will have certain statutory rights in an invention that is conceived or first actually reduced to practice under a NASA award. 51 U.S.C. 20135 provides that title to such inventions vests in the United States, except where 35 U.S.C. 202 provides otherwise for nonprofit organizations or small business firms. However, NASA may waive all or any part of the rights of the United States subject to certain conditions.

8 Reviews and Deliverables The desired reviews and deliverables of a successfully awarded contract include:

Project Coordination

• Technical and schedule progress virtual meeting every two weeks (or as agreed upon) to assess progress

Reviews

• Kick-off review (virtual)

• Annual contract review (virtual)

• Regularly scheduled (e.g. quarterly or semi-annually) or event-driven (e.g. task completion) formal reviews (virtual)

• Final contract review presentation (unlimited release with a limited release supplement if needed) (in-person at a location TBD)

Reports

• Monthly status reports documenting the technical, financial, and schedule progress

• Topic completion report documenting the results of each topic, including the final data and/or models, technical results, recommendations, and conclusions

• Monthly and Quarterly 533 financial reports

• Final data and/or models, along with associated documentation

• Final report (limited and unlimited versions) documenting the results of the entire contract, recommendations, and conclusions o This report shall be prepared in accordance with NFS 1852.235-73 Final Scientific and Technical Reports (DEC 2006)

• Final oral report and presentation materials o The final contract review shall consist of a public and Government-only review NASA requests two versions of the presentation, one with non-proprietary content suitable for presenting in a public forum and one for NASA Government review only

Data Rights Identification

• Material from the reviews and the report must identify all data with the appropriate limited and unlimited rights restrictions.

• Any technical data or computer software developed, delivered, or used under this contract (including reviews and reports) for which the Offeror anticipates that the Government will receive less than Unlimited Rights must be identified on the Data Rights Assertion Table (See Model Contract, Clause Identification and Representation of Limited Rights Data and Restricted Computer Software for instruction) and appropriately marked at the lowest segregable level. Limited Rights technical data must be identified and marked at the lowest segregable level pertaining to an item, component, or process and Restricted Computer Software data must be identified and marked at the lowest segregable level pertaining to computer software.

9 Eligibility Information

9.1 Eligibility

Participation in this program is open to all categories of U.S. organizations, including educational institutions, industry, and not-for-profit institutions. Historically black colleges and universities, other minority universities, small, disadvantaged businesses, veteran-owned small businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, historically under-utilized business zone small businesses, and women-owned small businesses are encouraged to apply.

NASA funding through this NRA may not be used to support research and development efforts by non-U.S. organizations at any level. Participation by non-U.S. organizations is not permitted, except that (a) research may be conducted with foreign entities on a cooperative, no-exchange-of funds basis; or (b) U.S. award recipients may directly purchase supplies and/or services, which do not constitute research, from non-U.S. sources. Team members who are not U.S. citizens but are employed by or studying at a U.S. organization, may receive funding to support their research activities through this NRA. Each Offeror shall submit– NRA Attachment D - Eligibility Certification and Supplemental Information Form to determine its eligibility for this NRA.

9.2 Other Eligibility Limitations

Proposing to more than one topic area in Section 5 simultaneously or with overlapping timeframes is permitted, provided the proposed studies are within scope of the NRA and the recipient can carry out all proposed studies if selected.

9.3 Number of Proposals and Teaming Arrangements

There is no restriction on the number of proposals that an organization may submit to this solicitation or on the teaming arrangements for any one proposal. However, each topic being proposed from Section 5 must have a separate Statement of Work (SOW), schedule, and cost document for evaluation purposes. If multiple study activities are being proposed under one topic area, those activities must have a separate SOW, schedule, and cost document as well so each activity can be evaluated separately.

NASA reserves the right to select only a portion of a proposed activity, such as a level of support reduced from that requested in the original proposal, and/or to select a portfolio of proposals that best meets the objectives of the AACES 2050 NRA, as described herein. NASA also reserves the right to select only a portion of proposal(s) that best meet the objectives of the AACES NRA as described herein. Offerors shall specify if a proposal is offered as a non-separable package of work.

Additionally, NASA may decide to award a study for less than the full period of the proposal. In these cases, the Offeror will be given the opportunity to accept or decline such selection. If the Offeror accepts such an offer, a revised budget and SOW may be required before the funding action on the proposal can be initiated. If the Offeror declines the offer of a partial selection, or participation in a joint investigation, the offer of selection may be withdrawn in its entirety by NASA. To assist determining costs for a partial award, the Cost Proposal shall be split into separate CLINs.

NASA funding through this NRA may not be used to support research and development efforts by non-U.S. organizations at any level. Teaming Arrangements with non-U.S. organizations is permitted only to the extent that either (a) research is being conducted with foreign entities on a cooperative, no-exchange-of funds basis; or (b) U.S. award recipients are directly purchasing supplies and/or services, which do not constitute research, from non-U.S. sources. Team members who are not U.S. citizens but are employed by or studying at a U.S. organization, may receive funding to support their research activities through this NRA. Each Offeror shall submit–

Eligibility Certification and Supplemental Information Form to determine its eligibility for this

NRA.

9.4 Proposed Use of Unique NASA Capabilities

The use of NASA software, technical staff, and/or facilities/capabilities is not required. NASA uses a variety of specialized computing software and equipment to achieve its mission. Most of the software is available to Offerors as open source or via requests submitted through https://software.nasa.gov. Any need for additional software packages and NASA computing equipment must be explicitly described in the proposal, including the asset, rationale, and justification of the need, how it supports the mission, and when during the proposed period the resource will be required.

9.5 Programmatic Considerations

Currently, the total Government estimate for the AACES 2050 Phase I is anticipated to be $8.0M, dependent upon future NASA funding profiles. The actual number and value of the awards will depend on the quality and cost of the proposals received and the availability of Government funds.

10 Proposal and Submission Information

10.1 Electronic Submission of Proposals – Proposal Marking and Delivery Through Nasa

Box

Please note that it is the Offeror’s responsibility to fully complete Steps 1 and 2 of the procedure described in NRA Attachment C no later than 14 calendar days prior to the proposal submission deadline in Section 14.

(a) The Offeror shall submit its proposal via NASA Box, a FedRAMP Moderate certified platform.

Electronic submissions shall not contain hidden formulas, tables, be locked, be protected, or contain links to data not included in the electronic copy. All electronic submissions shall be searchable and shall not contain scanned documents, except those documents that must be provided in their native format (e.g., signature pages, evidence of teaming arrangements, as applicable).

The Offeror shall ensure documents are free from viruses and malware, as documents determined by NASA to contain a virus or malware will not be opened or evaluated. Major Subcontractors and Teaming Partners may submit their required proposal information separately using the instructions in this RFP.

The Offeror is solely responsible for ensuring that proposal content submitted to NASA by its Major Subcontractor(s) or Teaming Partner(s) complies with all solicitation instructions.

(b) All individuals intending to submit proposal content to NASA on behalf of an Offeror in response to this solicitation shall create a Box account in accordance with the instructions in NRA Attachment C, Instructions for Setting up a Box Account.

NASA recommends that Offerors, Major Subcontractors, and Teaming Partners create multiple Box accounts per company for redundancy (but only one Box account per individual). Please note that it is the responsibility of the Offeror, each Major Subcontractor, and each Teaming Partner to fully complete Steps 1 and 2 of the procedure described in NRA Attachment C no later than 14 calendar days prior to the proposal submission deadline in Section 14 – Summary of Key Information.

As Steps 1 and 2 of this procedure can take more than one day to fully complete, NASA strongly recommends that all individuals who intend to upload proposal files begin completing these steps more than 14 calendar days prior to the proposal submission deadline. Failure by the Offeror, each Major Subcontractor, and each Teaming Partner to complete Steps 1 and 2 of the procedure described in NRA Attachment C by 14 calendar days prior to the proposal submission deadline shall result in NASA rejecting any proposal content submitted (i.e., at least one individual acting on behalf of the Offeror, each Major Subcontractor, and each Teaming Partner must first complete Step 1 of the procedure, and then the NASA Contracting Officer must be in receipt of the confirmation email described in Step 2 from the Offeror, each Major Subcontractor and each Teaming Partner, no later than 11:59 p.m. EDT 14 calendar days prior to the proposal submission deadline).

Note: Individuals who already have an existing Box account still need to complete Step 2 – logging into Box account, emailing the NASA RFP Points of Contact to confirm account creation, and providing the email address associated with the account.

The email address provided to the Contracting Officer in Step 2 must match the one used to set up the Box account. As described in Step 3 of the NRA Attachment C procedure, the Contracting Officer will subsequently set up a folder for each individual name submitted in which only that individual can upload proposal documents.

This methodology enables Offerors, at their own discretion, to view the proposal file(s) that they have uploaded and/or verify that the file(s) saved to Box in the format, size, etc. intended by the Offeror. NASA recommends that each Offeror independently verify that its proposal is complete.

NASA will not verify receipt of proposals in part or in whole. NASA will only accept proposal content submitted through the methodology specifically described within this solicitation.

If an Offeror experiences problems when using the NASA Box system (e.g., Box account creation, login, file transfer), the Offeror shall contact the Contracting Officer via e-mail as soon as possible, and NASA will attempt to help the Offeror remediate the issue. However, please note that, as more fully explained in paragraph (d) below, it is the Offeror’s responsibility to timely submit complete proposals.

The Offeror shall upload all proposal files to the folder that the Contracting Officer granted them access to in paragraph (b), above. If NASA receives multiple versions of a required proposal file (e.g., two versions of a Volume I—Mission Suitability), the Government will only evaluate the content within the most recent file submitted prior to proposal submission deadline and the Government will discard all prior versions.

(c) Offerors are encouraged to include all individual proposal files within a single .zip file.

Electronic file names shall be limited to letters, numbers, and single spaces, with the exception of the period that is required before the file extension (e.g., .zip, .pdf), in order to successfully upload and download files from the NASA Box system.

The Offeror shall not use special characters “/” or “\” in file names. The Offeror should clearly label the contents of the file and include the name of the Offeror in the file name. Examples of acceptable file names are as follows (not specific to this solicitation):

Offeror name Solicitation number – MS Volume.pdf Offeror name Solicitation number – PP Volume.pdf Offeror name Solicitation number – Cost_Price.xlsx Offeror name Solicitation number – Model Contract.docx

Subcontractor and Teaming Partner submissions should follow the same naming nomenclature detailed above and include both the Prime and Subcontractor/Teaming Partner names for the Offeror Name.

Individual files shall not exceed 150 GB per file. Files shall not include password protection.

NASA will not accept alternate proposal submissions.

(d) The Offeror is responsible for ensuring its proposal reaches the Government office designated in the solicitation by the date and time specified in the solicitation (see FAR 52.215-1(c)(3)). The Government is not responsible for any failure attributable to the transmission or receipt of documents submitted using electronic means, including the missing of any submission requirements and established deadlines.

Please note that uploading documents via NASA Box and the transmission of the files from the Offeror to the Government may not be instantaneous. To ensure timely delivery, per FAR 52.215- 1(c)(3)(ii)(A)(1), the Offeror is encouraged to submit its proposal at least 24 hours prior to the due date specified in the solicitation.

(e) Offerors shall submit each proposal Volume in the formats specified in the table below. Any document that NASA is unable to open will be considered non-responsive. Offerors shall not submit multiple formats of a single proposal file (e.g., one Microsoft Word file of Volume I – Mission Suitability and one Adobe PDF file of Volume I – Mission Suitability). If NASA receives multiple formats of a proposal file, NASA will use only the most recent version of the file in the Required File Format for evaluation.

10.2 Proposal Content and Format

The proposal format and content requirements are outlined below in Table 1. Summary of Proposal Content. The below noted sections of the proposal must be submitted as one searchable, unlocked PDF file with edit permissions enabled, with the exception of Section IV – Cost, which will be submitted via Attachment B to this NRA. The Offeror’s Cost Volume proposal shall include completed Cost Volume exhibits in Microsoft Office Excel format with working cell formulas.

Offerors must comply with the format and page limit requirements as described below.

1852.215-81 Proposal Page Limitations (APR 2015) The following page limitations are established for each portion of the proposal submitted in response to this solicitation.

Table 1. Summary of Proposal Content

Section No Subsecti on No

Title Page Limit

Title Page 1 I Executive Summary 2 II Past Experience 3 III Technical Merit T1 Overall Merit, Relevance, and Potential for

Success

T2 Technical Approach and Capabilities 10 T3 Proposed Work Plan(s) 10 each*

IV Cost Volume No Page Limit* V Business Volume

*Subcontracting Plan, Waiver of Rights Inventions, and Approved Cost Accounting

System Letter (or Completed SF 1408)

NRA

Attachment A

Signed Model Contract(s), and Section 13 Provisions

No Page Limit*

NRA

Attachment D

Eligibility Certification and Supplemental Information Form

No Page Limit

* A separate Work Plan, Cost Proposal, and signed Model Contract shall be provided in the proposal for each technical topic area from Section 5. If multiple study activities are being proposed under one topic area, those activities shall have a separate Work Plan, Cost Proposal, and signed Model contract as well. The Offeror’s Proposed Work Plan is intended to become the Statement of Work (SOW) on any awarded contract(s).

A page is defined as one side of a sheet, 8 1/2" x 11" with at least one-inch margins on all sides, using not smaller than 12-point font, with the exception of tables and figures, which may use 8-point font. It is recommended that expository text necessary for the proposal not be located solely in figures or tables, or in their captions. Offerors may submit foldout pages (11” x 17” or smaller);

however, the fold out will be considered as two (2) 8 1⁄2” x 11” pages. Any font that the Government determines is smaller than this amount shall not be evaluated. Proposals may not include references to materials outside the proposal (e.g. published articles and sites on the internet) for information or material needed to either complete or understand the proposal.

Pages submitted in excess of the limitations specified in this section will not be evaluated by the Government.

(End of Provision)

Title Page This section shall include the following:

• Include any notice of restriction on use and disclosure of proposal information.

• An optional graphic image may be included.

• The Offeror’s name of the proposal or proposed project

• Date of the proposal

• The title and solicitation number

• Organization name and address and CAGE code

• Offeror’s point of contact name, title, e-mail address, and phone number

• Type of organization (e.g. other than small, educational, small business, minority, women-owned, etc.)

• Proposal validity period (minimum of 90 days from proposal submission)

Section I - Executive Summary The Offeror shall describe the proposal’s prominent and distinguishing features. The executive summary shall provide an overview of the proposed study that is suitable for release through a publicly accessible archive should the proposal be selected.

Section II - Past Experience The Offeror shall describe experience providing goods and services performed in the past three (3) years that are of a similar size, scope, and complexity to the technology development proposed.

Include any work related to the proposed technology area such as current and pending support.

Section III – Technical Merit T1 - Overall Merit, Relevance, and Potential for Success

a. Overall Merit The Offeror shall describe the overall scientific or technical merit of the proposal, including unique and innovative methods, approaches, or concepts.

b. Relevance to NASA’s Expected Outcomes:

The Offeror shall describe how the proposed work contributes to the AACES 2050 Phase I Expected Outcomes and Data in Section 6.

c. Potential for Success:

The Offeror shall discuss the potential for success. The discussion shall include the key technical challenges, risks and a means to address them, and the Offeror’s capabilities, related experience, facilities, techniques, or unique combination of these which are integral factors for achieving the proposal's objectives.

T2 - Technical Approach and Capabilities

a. Overall Approach:

The Offeror shall describe the technical approach which will be used to complete the subtopics in Section 5. The discussion shall include the anticipated key technical advancements which will be made to overcome the technical challenges and risks identified in T1.c and an assessment of the approach against state-of-the-art.

b. Software:

The Offeror shall describe software packages which will be used for the proposed design and development including any needed software development. The discussion shall clearly identify any NASA supplied software required to complete the proposed design and development.

c. Key Personnel:

The Offeror shall describe the qualifications of the principal investigator and key team members. The description shall include the experience and breadth of the team, experience in conceptual subsonic transport aircraft design, experience in advanced technology development for aviation, experience in noise, emissions, and performance of conceptual aircraft, and the ability to offer innovative approaches to the future aviation transportation requirements. The Offeror shall discuss how those qualifications will enable the team to successfully perform the proposed work.

T3 - Proposed Work Plan(s)

a. Overall Work Plan:

The Offeror shall provide the Work Plan(s) written as a statement of work (SOW) to perform the proposed contribution or development. If the Work Plan(s) is required to include proposal/background information, the Offeror shall provide a separate copy with the information in addition to the SOW version. The Work Plan(s) shall include the proposed schedule for meeting the objectives, management approach, use of the Offeror’s resources, and the use of any NASA resources. Objectives with measurable metrics toward achieving the proposer’s goal must be provided.

b. NASA Collaboration:

Within the requested Work Plan, written as a SOW, the Offeror shall describe the plan(s) for collaboration with the NASA AACES 2050 team throughout the proposed study including NASA's involvement, partnership, and insight/oversight roles. Collaboration with NASA researchers is desirable, with the objective of enhancing knowledge transfer and the long-term value of the proposed work.

c. Intellectual Property:

Data Rights assertions are taken into consideration on every NASA contract in order to fully evaluate whether the Government’s needs are met. NASA respects Industry’s technology that has been developed entirely at private expense and does not request unlimited rights for that technology. The expectation is that NASA will receive unlimited rights to any technology that was developed with government funding (i.e. DoD, FAA, NASA). If the offeror seeks to assert limited rights in any data produced or delivered under the contract, such data shall be included in the Data Rights Assertions (DRA) table at the lowest segregable level along with a justification for such an assertion.

The Offeror shall identify intellectual property that will be limited and publicly available at the conclusion of the work. Data Rights Assertions shall be captured and included as an attachment to the Offeror’s submitted Model Contract(s). Instructions can be found in Section H, clause IDENTIFICATION AND REPRESENTATION OF LIMITED RIGHTS DATA AND RESTRICTED COMPUTER SOFTWARE in the Model Contract.

The Agency will make an award to the offer(s) that provide the best value to the Government. NASA will evaluate the proposals to determine whether there is a clear statement of intellectual property rights, including whether any data to be delivered will be LIMITED RIGHTS or UNLIMITED RIGHTS data. Serious consideration will be given concerning data rights. Proposals with UNLIMITED RIGHTS to all contract deliverables will be given considerably higher consideration than those with Limited Rights or Restricted Computer Software. All Contractor or subcontract/vendor limited data rights or restricted computer software assertions shall be made in accordance with 80GRC024N0001 Provision K.6, 52.227-15 Representation of Limited Data Rights and Restricted Computer Software and Clause C.4, Identification and Representation of Limited Rights Data and Restricted Computer Software, and all data rights assertions and intellectual property (IP) issues shall be clearly presented as an attachment to the Model Contract.

Offers are advised that although it is possible for them to make limited rights data or restricted computer software assertions in accordance with this RFP, in this acquisition NASA seeks and will give considerably higher consideration to proposals that provide Unlimited Rights to designs, models, analysis results, etc. The purpose of this acquisition is to produce knowledge that can benefit the public and create reports that can be widely dispersed (within potential ITAR and EAR restrictions).

d. Deliverables:

Within the requested Work Plan, written as a SOW, the offeror shall describe the topic-oriented outcomes and data (see Section 6) which will be produced throughout the study incorporated into the appropriate deliverable in Section 8.

Section IV – Cost Each proposal shall provide a budget justification for each CLIN/year of the proposed study and supported by appropriate details by cost category.