Request for Whitepaper-Arc Heater Component Manufacturing and Supply

The Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC), operating under the Department of the Air Force Materiel Command Test Center, is soliciting a long-term manufacturing and supply partner for arc heater components through a Request for Whitepaper. The Government seeks to establish a ten-year strategic agreement under 10 U.S.C. 4022 (Other Transaction Authority for Prototype Projects) to secure a reliable vendor capable of manufacturing and refurbishing critical arc heater components that operate under extreme conditions while maintaining rigorous quality standards. Vendor responses must address four mandatory components: a Business Process Prototype describing end-to-end manufacturing and quality assurance processes with firm-fixed pricing for Years 1-5; Intellectual Property Rights acknowledging Government Purpose Rights for all Foreground IP; compliance with statutory requirements through nontraditional defense contractor participation, small business participation, or cost-sharing; and a Cybersecurity Compliance Plan demonstrating current Joint Certification Program (JCP) certification and either active CMMC Level 2 C3PAO certification or a detailed roadmap to achieve such certification by November 10, 2026. Whitepapers must not exceed ten pages and should be submitted electronically to Agreements Officer Greggory C. Jones at greggory.jones.4@us.af.mil, with a known capable source, Neodora, LLC, having a submission deadline of May 21, 2026 Close of Business; the RWP will remain open thereafter to allow additional qualified vendors to submit. The due date listed in the system is April 20, 2031, representing the final completion date for the ten-year performance period rather than the whitepaper submission deadline.

This procurement carries no set-aside designation and is targeted at machine shops (NAICS Code 332710). Neodora, LLC has been identified as a known capable source with a specific submission deadline, though the Government reserves the right to onboard additional vendors at any point during the period of performance should other qualified sources emerge. The specific award value or budget ranges have not been disclosed in the solicitation documents; instead, the agreement establishes a framework for incremental funding with specific component orders issued as modifications to yearly milestones (Years 1 through Year 10) on a Firm-Fixed-Price basis, with Years 6-10 pricing to be negotiated by the end of Year 5. All performance will be executed under an Operational Utility Prototype phase spanning the entire ten-year period, with the Government having no obligation to place orders but committing to formal bilateral written modifications when component requirements arise. The place of performance is Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee, where all delivered components must be transported with the performer bearing all risk of loss until Government formal acceptance.