Zylon Webbing

NASA's Shared Services Center has issued a Special Notice for the procurement of specialized Zylon webbing, announcing its intent to award a sole source contract to Bally Ribbon Mills located in Bally, Pennsylvania. The procurement will be conducted under FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i) authority, with Bally Ribbon Mills identified as the sole provider capable of manufacturing this specialized material. The webbing will be used for performance at NASA Langley Research Center, and the acquisition will utilize commercial item procedures under FAR Parts 12 and 13. The procurement falls under NAICS code 313220 for Narrow Fabric Mills and involves the acquisition of custom Zylon Poly-Benzobisoxazole webbing meeting specific military specifications.

The purpose of this Special Notice is to solicit capabilities and qualifications from interested organizations to determine whether the procurement should proceed on a sole source basis or be conducted competitively. Organizations must submit their written capabilities and qualifications by 3:00 p.m. Central Standard Time on August 7, 2025, with oral communications explicitly prohibited. The government will evaluate these submissions solely to determine if competitive procurement is warranted, though the final decision remains at the government's discretion. The requirement involves two configurations of Zylon webbing (3-inch and 4-inch widths) totaling 2,600 yards each, manufactured to MIL-T-87130 Type XI Class 15 specifications using captured shuttle looms, with delivery required within 20 weeks of contract award. Contractors must provide Material Certification Data Sheets and maintain specific storage conditions to minimize ultraviolet light and humidity exposure during manufacturing and inspection processes.