Low SWaP-C TAPPAS

The Department of the Air Force, through its Space Rapid Capabilities Office (SpRCO), is seeking to identify potential vendors with mature technologies or products for a Direct to Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project focused on developing Low Size, Weight, Power, and Cost (Low SWaP-C) Tactical Awareness Payload for Proliferated, Agile Satellites (TAPPAS). This Request for Information (RFI) is issued for informational purposes only and does not constitute a binding solicitation or commitment to award a contract. Responses must be submitted electronically to jennifer.wilterdink.1@spaceforce.mil with the subject line "RFI Response: Low SWaP-C TAPPAS" and must be classified no higher than Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) on an unclassified network. Responses are limited to a maximum of four pages, including attachments, and must be concise. The deadline for submitting questions is May 1, 2026, while responses to the RFI are due by May 11, 2026. Qualifying respondents will be notified when the public SBIR solicitation becomes available for response. Responders will not be entitled to payment for information furnished in response to this RFI, as all information received will be treated as informational only and not as proposals.

This opportunity is designated as a Total Small Business set-aside, limiting competition to small business entities. No specific incumbent contractors or current contract holders are identified in this pre-solicitation notice. The RFI does not specify an award value or budget range for the potential subsequent SBIR contract. No specific quantity of deliverables or detailed timeline for service completion is provided at this pre-solicitation stage. The government has made clear that it is not obligated to issue a solicitation or award a contract as a result of this RFI, and the RFI serves primarily as a market research tool to assess vendor capabilities in low SWaP-C satellite payload technologies before proceeding to a formal solicitation phase.