Aero System West (ASW) Heavy Lift Multirotor (HLM) Hexacopter & RTK Upgrade.

NASA's Shared Services Center (NASA/NSSC) has issued a Special Notice for the procurement of an Aero System West (ASW) Heavy Lift Multirotor (HLM) Hexacopter with Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) upgrade capability. The agency intends to award a sole source contract to Aero Systems West, Inc., located in San Martin, California, under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i), having determined the company is the sole provider of the specified equipment. This procurement will be managed by NASA/NSSC with performance executed at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The solicitation is classified under NAICS Code 336411 (Aircraft Manufacturing) and PSC 1550 (Unmanned Aircraft). The government plans to acquire commercial items and services using the provisions and procedures outlined in FAR Parts 12 and 13.

The purpose of this Special Notice is to inform interested organizations of NASA's intent to conduct a sole source procurement while simultaneously inviting capable contractors to submit evidence that might warrant competitive consideration. Interested organizations must submit their capabilities and qualifications in writing to Laura Quave, Procurement Specialist, no later than 4:00 p.m. Central Standard Time on November 25, 2025; oral communications will not be accepted. The hexacopter procurement requires specific technical specifications including a 25 kg payload capacity, 50 minutes of endurance, modular payload integration, and a CubePilot autopilot stack for NASA research compatibility, with domestic manufacturing and U.S.-based technical support required. Contractors must also disclose any artificial intelligence technology use during contract performance in accordance with OMB memorandum M-25-22. There are no set-aside restrictions associated with this procurement, and the government retains sole discretion in determining whether to conduct the acquisition on a competitive versus sole source basis.