FA9101-25-Q-Sources Sought Slipper Wear Tribology-611310-College_Universities_Professional Schools.pdf

15 May 2025

MEMORANDUM FOR VENDORS REGISTERED UNDER NAICS CODE 611310 – COLLEGES,

UNIVERSITIES, AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS

FROM: AFMC/AFTC/PZIA (Arnold)

SUBJECT: Sources Sought Market Research Request: JESTR Slipper Wear Tribology – Validated Model for Development of Wear Reduction Techniques and Materials

Disclaimer:

This sources sought notice is for information purposes to assist the Government in developing an acquisition strategy, if funding is received. It does not constitute a solicitation and shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government; therefore, this is not a request for quote. Responses in any form are not offers or quotes and the Government is under no obligation to award a contract / agreement as a result of this announcement. No funds are available to pay for preparation of responses to this announcement. Any information submitted by respondents to this request is strictly voluntary.

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code:

The anticipated NAICS code for this requirement is 611310 – Colleges, Universities, and Professional

Schools with the business size standard of $34.5M.

Requirement Overview:

During testing at the Holloman High Speed Test Track (HHSTT) and other tracks, “sleds” (means to carry the unit under test and propulsion) are constrained to the rail by metal “slippers” that wrap around the rail head and ensure the sled follows the trajectory defined by the track. Slipper wear tribology, continues to be a limitation for certain sled tests, especially during high-speed tests or when the sled is required to travel longer distances. The physical interaction between the slippers and the rail during sled testing is not well understood. Excessive slipper wear (to the point where the sled could leave the rail) is thought to be caused by large forces generated from impacts between the slippers and the rail, friction forces applied over time, and potentially other interaction effects. High speeds and long travel distances tend to increase slipper wear, but the accurate prediction of slipper wear has proven to be challenging.

Slippers that wear to the point of structural failure are of most concern, especially with higher velocities and longer travel distances expected in the future. One of the central problems in the development of wear-resistant materials for use in slippers is the lack of a validated, high-speed wear prediction model.

Without a validated prediction model the amount of wear slippers are likely to experience during a sled test cannot be accurately predicted.

This notice is to inform Industry that the Arnold Engineering Development Complex is seeking sources that have the capability to provide the products and work listed in Attachment 1, Performance Parameters.

The contractor must be capable of furnishing all required labor, material, facilities, and equipment to produce the required physics-based model and associated software.

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

HEADQUARTERS AIR FORCE TEST CENTER (AFMC)

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE CALIFORNIA

Market Research Request

1. Provide supporting documentation showing the vendor’s experience with this requirement. If the vendor has been awarded previous contract(s) and / or agreements that are similar in nature, provide details.

a.

2. Provide business CAGE code and business size – large or small. If a small business, identify if the business is a HUBZone, 8(a), SDVOSB, WOSB, or EDWOSB.

3. If available, identify pre-existing contract vehicle(s) that would be available to the Government to procure the requirement such as: DoD ESI, General Service Administration (GSA) Federal Supply

Schedules, NASA SEWP, or any other decentralized contract vehicle the Government could utilize.

4. Please provide an estimated cost and schedule ROM for this project.

5. Identify subcontractors that would be needed to support this requirement, if any.

6. Identify any additional information, not already included in the attachment, that is missing or needed to provide a better understanding of the requirements.

7. If the Government made the determination to procure the requirement using authority 10 U.S.C.

4022 - Authority of the Department of Defense to carry out certain prototype projects, provide supporting documentation justifying how the company would satisfy at least one criteria of the

Appropriate Use of Authority requirement detailed in (d)(1)(A)-(C) within the authority:

(A) There is at least one nontraditional defense contractor or nonprofit research institution participating to a significant extent in the prototype project.

(B) All significant participants in the transaction other than the Federal Government are small businesses (including small businesses participating in a program described under section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638)) or nontraditional defense contractors.

(C) At least one third of the total cost of the prototype project is to be paid out of funds provided by sources other than the Federal Government.

8. If the Government determined to procure the requirement utilizing 10 U.S.C. 4022, provide an estimated cost to develop a prototype for this requirement, and specify which prototype definition, or combination of definitions, that best fits the vendor’s vision of prototype development. Prototype definition – 10 U.S.C 4022 (e)(5)(A)-(F):

(A) a proof of concept, model, or process, including a business process;

(B) reverse engineering to address obsolescence;

(C) a pilot or novel application of commercial technologies for defense purposes;

(D) agile development activity;

(E) the creation, design, development, or demonstration of operational utility; or

(F) any combination of subparagraphs (A) through (E).

9. If the Government determined to procure the requirement utilizing 10 U.S.C. 4022, provide an estimated cost to develop the finalized requirement in the follow-on production phase once the prototype was determined successful (10 U.S.C. 4022(f)).

10. Provide any notable standard business practices in regards to data rights and intellectual property pertaining to the prototype and follow-on production phase.

a. .

11. Provide documentation showing any previous experience related to metal fatigue studies and software programming.

Submission Details:

- Submit Responses To: greggory.jones.4@us.af.mil

- Atch 1 Request Due Date: 22 May 2025, 10:00 AM CST

- Submission Due Date: 30 May 2025, 10:00 AM CST

- Submission Requirements: 11 – 12 Font Size, no more than 10 pages (excluding cover page), Word or PowerPoint

Attachment:

- Atch 1 - JESTR Slipper Wear Performance Parameters-Distro D.pdf o If the vendor believes their company is capable of executing this requirement, request

Atch 1.

o Upon receipt of vendor’s Atch 1 request, the Agreements Officer (AO) / Contracting

Officer (CO) will pull the vendor’s NIST SP 800-171 Assessment date and score. The vendor’s assessment date shall be no older than three (3) years old to receive Atch 1 -

JESTR Slipper Wear Performance Parameters-Distro D.pdf.

NOTE:

- The AO / CO will pull and consider the vendor’s Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS)

Supplier Risk score from Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE) upon receipt of submission.

GREGGORY C. JONES, NH-III, DAF

Contracting Officer / Agreements Officer mailto:greggory.jones.4@us.af.mil