Sources Sought - Small Uncrewed Aircraft System
Closed Pre-Solicitation Posted
A newer solicitation was posted. See the latest solicitation from .
- Solicitation number
- NB671000-26-00986
- Agency
- National Institute of Standards and Technology Department of Commerce
- Responses due
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- NAICS code
- 336411 Aircraft Manufacturing
- PSC
- 1550 Unmanned Aircraft
- Place of performance
- Boulder, Colorado 80305, United States
- Points of contact
-
- Daniel Kent daniel.kent@nist.gov (303) 497-6533
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is conducting market research to identify vendors capable of supplying a Small Uncrewed Aircraft System (sUAS) for indoor flight research and development. NIST's Communications Technology Laboratory, Public Safety Research Division, seeks a multirotor sUAS airframe and operator control unit no wider than 0.6 meters, equipped with lidar mapping capability, 4K video recording with gimbal stabilization, FLIR thermal imaging, GPS-denied position-hold functionality, propeller guards, crash recovery mode, glass breaker, payload dropper, robot mount capabilities, and onboard white and blue LED lights. The system must demonstrate durable crash-resistant construction, achieve 15-20 minutes of flight time, comply with the NDAA American Security Drone Act of 2023, and support indoor flight in confined spaces with real-time object awareness and autonomous floor-plan creation. NIST will use the responses to this sources sought announcement to determine whether at least two qualified small businesses can fulfill the requirement, which would trigger a small business set-aside solicitation, and to establish the appropriate acquisition method for posting on sam.gov. Interested vendors must submit their responses by April 8, 2026, with the understanding that this announcement is not a binding request for quotation and the government is under no obligation to make an award.
This procurement is not designated as a set-aside and NIST is actively seeking responses from all responsible sources, including small businesses (SB), socially and economically disadvantaged businesses (SDB), women-owned small businesses (WOSB), HUBZone-certified firms, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSB), and veteran-owned small businesses (VOSB). No incumbent contractor or current contract holder has been identified in this sources sought notice. While a specific award value is not disclosed in this pre-solicitation phase, the procurement has been assigned NAICS 336411 (Aircraft Manufacturing) with a small business size standard of 1,500 employees and falls under PSC code 1550 (Unmanned Aircraft). The requirement includes two batteries, power supply, USB cables, spare propellers or an accessory kit, and a ruggedized custom-fit hard storage case, along with a comprehensive three-year warranty and training package that features unlimited repairs and maintenance, one airframe replacement annually, on-demand training, in-person training for up to three trainees, and visualization/operation software with three-year storage. Delivery is required by July 19, 2026, to NIST-Boulder with partial delivery acceptable, and vendors must possess an active Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) and Unique Entity Identification Number (UEI) on SAM.gov at the time of award.
Notice text
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Acquisition Management Division
Sources Sought for Commercial Product Purchase
THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTATION.
It is a market research tool being used to determine potential and eligible business firms that can provide the product described herein prior to determining the method of acquisition.
The National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) seeks information on vendors that can provide a Small Uncrewed Aircraft System per the Specifications attached herein.
This announcement is not a Request for Quotation (RFQ) and does not commit the Government to award a contract now or in the future. No solicitation is currently available. Additionally, The Government is not obligated to and will not pay for any information received from potential sources because of this Sources Sought announcement. The results of this Sources Sought will be utilized to determine if any Small Business Set-aside opportunities exist. All Small Business Set-aside categories will be considered. In addition, this market research tool is being used to identify potential and eligible firms, of all sizes, prior to determining the method of acquisition and issuance of a solicitation.
Based on this Sources Sought announcement, NIST may conduct a competitive procurement on the System for Award Management (sam.gov) website and subsequently award a contract. If at least two qualified small businesses are identified during this market research stage that can fulfil the requirement, in accordance with the Specifications, then this acquisition shall be solicited as a small business set aside. However, NIST is seeking responses from all responsible sources, including large and small businesses (SB, SDB, WOSB, HUBZone, SDVOSB and VOSB). This requirement is assigned NAICS 336411 – Aircraft Manufacturing with a small business size standard of 1,500 employees.
Interested business organizations that believe they can meet the requirement should submit electronic copies of their capability statement. Please limit responses to five (5) pages or less. Responses should include the following information:
1. Company Profile to include number of employees, office location(s), Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number and Cage Code.
2. Name of company that will provide the product.
3. Name of company that will manufacture and country of origin of the product.
4. Specification sheets and examples of products that meet the Specifications attached herein.
5. Typical lead time to deliver the product after receipt of award to include installation time and any necessary training that is provided.
6. Identification and verification of the company’s small business status.
7. Any other relevant information that is not listed above which the Government should consider in developing our requirement and finalizing our market research.
(Company sales brochures or marketing packages will not be considered).
REQUIREMENTS OVERVIEW:
See the attached Specifications Document.
Attachments
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Attachment 1 - Specifications Draft.pdf |
Notice history
| Notice | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Solicitation - Small Uncrewed Aircraft System | Solicitation | |
| Sources Sought - Small Uncrewed Aircraft System | Pre-Solicitation |
On GovTribe
Work this opportunity on GovTribe
- Track it in your pipeline
- Find teaming partners
- Similar opportunities
- Ask GovTribe AI about this opportunity