AOI 024-Aviation Energy Effciency Improvement CSO Area of Interest - 19 May 25.pdf

Area of Interest: Aviation Energy Efficiency Improvement for Contested Logistics Risk Reduction

1) General Information

a) AoI Background

i) AF/A4 and SAF/IEN are seeking to reduce contested logistics risk for the current and future joint force by increasing aviation energy efficiency. This includes capability development and process improvement initiatives to generate more lethal and effective air power. The partnership between AF/A4 and SAF/IEN ensures an operational focus on efficiency improvements, as well as how these improvements reduce contested logistics risks, particular in the Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility.

Solutions across all three Department of the Air Force warfighting domains are desired: air, space, and cyberspace. Solutions must allow for incremental funding and phased technology or process development to ensure risk-informed investment decision gates are available for senior leaders.

2) Opportunity for Industry Partners: AF/A4 and SAF/IEN seek innovative companies geared toward outcome-based capability development to accelerate modernization and maintain technological superiority of the Department of the Air Force. Effective management of technology, processes, and data strategies are critical capabilities. Solutions with dual-use potential (commercial and military) are of particular interest, especially those solutions that may attract private funding to augment DoD funding.

3) Selected partners will collaborate on a 12-24 month timeline to deliver solutions with potential to scale enterprise-wide and overcome bureaucratic and programming challenges to ensure rapid concept development and implementation.

4) Key Objectives for Contractors:

a) Develop a repeatable innovation process to achieve aviation energy and contested logistics strategic goals, including:

i) Outcome-based road-maps through sustainment phase

ii) Capability integration with operational commands

iii) Prototyping, testing, and execution risk-mitigation strategies

5) Solutions to proposed contested logistics risks introduced by the customer within the timeline outlined by the customer.

6) Project Requirements & Constraints

a) Focus Area: Aviation energy efficiency improvements to reduce contested logistics risks

b) Requirements:

i) Risk Analysis & Value Proposition:

(a) Identify complex, multi-domain, multi-faceted risks to aviation operations due to contested logistics and associated fuel constraints

(b) Define clear value metrics prior to execution

7) End-State & Overarching Management Philosophy:

a) Innovations must support desired acquisition outcomes

b) Multi-pronged or parallel capability development is encouraged

8) Data-driven Decisions:

a) Establish appropriate, data-based indicators to inform senior leader investment decisions

9) Collaborative Innovation:

a) Foster open innovation with non-traditional partners (industry, academia)

b) Engage with Air Force SMEs and utilize available Air Force data

10) The selected company/companies will be assigned an Air Force development/design project to address aviation energy efficiency challenges that address logistics risks. Solutions shall describe the proposed approach to address the subject operational risks.

a) Air Force subject matter experts (SMEs) will be available for consulting

b) Information will be made available to the company on the identified challenges

c) The government prefers fielding solutions within 12-24 months of challenge recognition

d) Government requires a solution that meets the following elements:

i) Examine and understand complex problems or obstacles to meet organizational strategic objectives; ensure a clear value proposition prior to execution

ii) Develop a vision for the organizational end-state; and innovation management, and governance that allows for the development of multiple asynchronous innovations

iii) Design deliberate implementation paths to desired end-states such that the implementation of the innovation is fully integrated into Air Force operations

iv) Execute rapid prototyping cycles to evaluate critical innovation elements and initial Return on Investment/Value, and reduce full implementation risks while maturing integration requirements

v) Set the conditions for full implementation in a way that has measurable operational return, and

vi) Engage non-traditional contractors in a focused manner that facilitates communication among Government, Industry and Academia in an open, creative, and centered on the specific needs of the Air Force’s vision

11) Pricing Strategy

a) The contractor will be issued a firm-fixed price award

12) Other

a) Using the repeatable process, solution prototype or experimentation campaigns will be developed and assessed for full implementation under the awarded contract

i) Successful prototype and experimentation campaigns addressing contested logistics risks will be considered for additional investment

ii) Performance dates: Company 1: 1 September 2025 – 31 August 2030

NOTE: Projected dates are dependent on the actual contract award date

iii) Location: Performance within the National Capital Region, Headquarters Air Force;

solution development to be performed at the company location(s)

iv) Lodging and transportation: The Company will be responsible for all travel and lodging costs.

v) Security requirements: Projects, data, and discussions will be at various levels of classification, with the potential to Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmentalized Information (TS/SCI); however, this classification should not impede initial work or collaborations

vi) Ensure all contractors working within the AoI are eligible and compliant with National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI).

vii) Platform environment and software applications must be compatible to operate within the FEDRAMP Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 199, moderate impact level security requirements.

13) A written solution must be sent via e-mail submission by 5:00 P.M. (EST) on 30 September 2025. However, immediate responses will be reviewed and considered upon receipt with subject line stating AVIATION ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT FOR CONTESTED LOGISTICS RISK REDUCTION to the Contracting Officer, Margaret Santos at margaret.santos@us.af.mil and the Contracting Specialist, Timothy Prymak at timothy.prymak@us.af.mil.

14) Solutions received after the specified due date and time will be discarded and not be evaluated by the Government.

15) AoI Open Period – This AoI shall close at 5:00 P.M.; 30 September 2025.

16) Points of contact:

17) AoI questions can be sent to:

18) Contracting Officer: Margaret Santos, margaret.santos@us.af.mil

19) Contracting Specialist: Timothy Prymak, timothy.prymak@us.af.mil.

20) The Air Force intends to award FAR Part 12 contracts as a result of this CSO, but reserves the right to award agreements (e.g. Other Transaction Agreements), if deemed in its best interest. Companies are advised that any Prototype Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) awarded in response to this Area of Interest may result in the award of a follow-on production contract or transaction without the use of competitive procedures. The follow-on production contract or transaction will be available for use by one or more organizations in the Department of Defense and, as a result, the magnitude of the follow-on production contract or agreement could be significantly larger than that of the prototype OTA. As such, any Prototype Other Transaction Agreement will include the following statement relative to the potential for follow-on production: "In accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2371b(f), and upon a determination that the prototype project for this transaction has been successfully completed, this competitively awarded prototype OTA may result in the award of a follow-on production contract or transaction without the use of competitive procedures mailto:margaret.santos@us.af.mil