AST Environmental Support Services Q&A

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Commercial Space Transportation is seeking an environmental support services contractor to provide expert consultative services for environmental analysis of space launch and reentry transportation activities. The primary services include reviewing and commenting on license applications, developing environmental documentation (EIS, EA, CATEX), maintaining electronic records, supporting public outreach, and providing stakeholder engagement for environmental, licensing, and permitting actions related to commercial space launch compliance. The FAA emphasizes that vendors must demonstrate direct experience with rocket launch environmental compliance and NEPA regulations, with lack of direct launch experience potentially resulting in an "Unknown Confidence" past performance rating. The solicitation will be evaluated using a Best Value Trade-Off approach, with technical capability weighted as the most important factor, followed by past performance and price. This is a Pre-Solicitation Notice with the final Solicitation Information Request (SIR No. 693KA9-25-R-00013) anticipated to be released in the coming weeks; the notice posted on December 30, 2025, represents FAA responses to comments on the draft SIR with changes highlighted in blue.

This is a non-small business set-aside opportunity classified under NAICS code 541690 (Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services) with a small business size standard of $19 million in annual receipts. The contract will be structured as a Time and Materials engagement with a one-year base period followed by four optional one-year periods, totaling up to five years of potential performance. Specific award values and budget ranges are not disclosed in this pre-solicitation notice; however, the solicitation indicates that estimated hours and travel costs included in the documentation are for evaluation purposes only and will be governed by federal travel policies. Interested vendors should prepare responses addressing the detailed labor category requirements, which include specific educational and experience qualifications, as well as demonstrated past performance in commercial space launch environmental compliance contexts. No proposal due date is indicated in this pre-solicitation phase, as the final SIR is still pending release.