Summary: NextSTEP-3 Appendix A - Lunar Enabling Infrastructure Accelerator

This is a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Appendix establishing solicitation requirements for technology maturation and capability demonstration efforts across five distinct technology areas supporting lunar and cislunar infrastructure. NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate seeks innovative solutions to advance technology readiness levels (TRLs 5-6) and reduce technical, programmatic, integration, and operational risks for near-term lunar missions. The solicitation (80GRC026R0008) is structured as Firm-Fixed-Price contracts with a maximum 3-year performance period and anticipates multiple awards. Proposals are due in the Fourth Quarter of Fiscal Year 2026 by 5:00 PM EDT, with a draft submission deadline of July 17, 2026 for clarifying questions. The five technology topics are: Topic 1 - Vertical Solar Array; Topic 2 - In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Oxygen from Regolith Production System; Topic 3 - Stirling Radioisotope Generator System; Topic 4 - In Space Advanced Manufacturing; and Topic 5 - Innovative Nanomaterials Production. Each topic permits one proposal per eligible offeror and is organized into multiple Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs) representing distinct development phases from concept development through demonstration and validation.

Eligible offerors include all U.S.-based organizations (educational institutions, industry, and not-for-profit entities), but exclude non-U.S. organizations, NASA civil servants, Jet Propulsion Laboratory employees, national laboratories, and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers as prime contractors. Proposals must comply with China funding restrictions and address topic-specific technical objectives detailed in attachments. Submission is electronic via NASA's Enterprise File Sharing and Sync Box (EFSS Box) with individual file limits of 150GB. Proposals require a signed Model Contract, completed Pricing Template (Attachment D), Statement of Work (SOW), organizational capability documentation, essential personnel qualifications, implementation feasibility and risk mitigation strategies, and a completed Organizational Conflicts of Interest Plan. Evaluation considers past experience (acceptable/unacceptable rating), proposal relevance (acceptable/unacceptable rating), technical merit using a five-tier adjective scale (Excellent through Poor with percentile ranges 91-100 through 0-30), price reasonableness, and business volume factors. Technical merit is weighted significantly more heavily than price. Proposals receiving a "Poor" technical rating are ineligible for award. NASA reserves the right to select one, multiple, or no proposals; make partial awards; and conduct post-selection negotiations if necessary.