NASA Research Announcement (NRA) - Development Plan for Open Fan Flight Demonstration

NASA Glenn Research Center issued a Research Announcement (NRA 80GRC026R0002) on June 17, 2026, soliciting proposals for a development plan for open fan flight demonstration, with proposals due August 3, 2026, by 5:00 PM EDT. Participation is restricted to U.S. organizations only; no subcontracting to non-U.S. entities is permitted. The estimated total government budget is $5.0 million, potentially distributed across multiple awards, with a maximum contract duration of twelve months (six-month primary plan development plus up to twelve months of optional parallel risk mitigation activities). The contract is hybrid: CLIN 01 is Firm Fixed Price for flight demonstration plan development; CLIN 02 is Cost Plus Fixed Fee for optional risk reduction activities.

The solicitation seeks a comprehensive flight demonstration plan for open fan propulsion technology integrated into single-aisle commercial aircraft (150–180 passengers, 3,500 nm design range, Mach 0.78–0.82 cruise) with assumed 2035–2040 fleet entry. Proposals must address ten core elements: vision system development, technology and configuration development plans, key performance parameters, system and subsystem requirements, cost and schedule estimates, partnership and interface strategies, system and human integration approaches, concept of operations, and comprehensive risk assessments with mitigation strategies. The plan must address technical, operational, and certification considerations including aerodynamic integration, structural impacts, noise and emissions, and propulsion reliability.

Eligible offerors must be U.S. organizations organized under U.S. law and more than 50% owned and controlled by U.S. nationals, or certified subsidiaries of foreign companies with substantial U.S. market commitment. Proposals must include a technical volume (executive summary, past experience, technical approach, proposed statement of work), pricing volume in Microsoft Excel format with working cell formulas, and business volume documentation, submitted electronically via NASA's EFSS Box. Offerors must disclose any intent to use Artificial Intelligence during contract performance and must hold a valid CAGE code matching their corporate address. Selected offerors will be invited to provide oral presentations in late August with 3–5 business days' notice. Questions were due July 2, 2026; the most recent Questions and Answers were posted July 14, 2026. Amendment 1 was posted June 22, 2026.