A -- Metals Affordability Initiative (MAI)

Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate (AFRL/ML), announces solicitation #3 under the Core Metals Affordability Initiative ("Core MAI"), Agreement Number F33615-99-2-5215. This Initiative is a joint effort of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Materials and Manufacturing Directorate and a Consortium made up of raw material producers, component suppliers, designers, assemblers, and original equipment manufacturers, currently: The Boeing Company through its subsidiary McDonnell Douglas Corporation, Brush-Wellman Incorporated, Dynamet (Carpenter Technologies), Honeywell Incorporated, The Ladish Co. Inc., Howmet (an Alcoa company), Oremet-Wah Chang (Allegheny Technologies/Allvac), Lockheed Martin, Northrop-Grumman Corporation, Rolls-Royce Corporation, General Electric Aircraft Engines, Titanium Metals Corporation (Timet), Special Metals Corporation, PCC Structurals, Inc., and United Technologies Corporation (Pratt & Whitney). Presently Pratt & Whitney is the fiduciary agent or lead company ("Recipient") for the Consortium and staffs a Program Office to support the Consortium. It is noted that as a Technology Investment Agreement ("TIA") this Cooperative Agreement is not subject to the requirements of the Federal Acquisitions Regulations ("FAR"). The Statement of Work, Proposal Evaluation Process, Program Operating Plan, Points of Contact and Important Dates corresponding to this solicitation as well as the unabridged version of this CBD announcement/request for White Papers containing all information necessary to propose can be accessed from the Wright Research Site Contracting office home page at the MAI-CORE Contracting Toolbox site, "http://www.wrs.afrl.af.mil/contract/". Further the actual Technology Investment Agreement (included all documents and procedures referenced herein) and the Articles of Collaboration, that details the modus operandi of the Consortium, may be obtained by contacting the MAI Program Office. Please see all the corresponding names, postal and electronic addresses, telephone and facsimile numbers as set forth in the documents that have been made available electronically at the website indicated above. The Core MAI Initiative is structured to facilitate the conduct of projects based upon the submittal and selection of White Papers setting forth projects that will further the goals stated herein. This is the third such request and notice of the opportunity for the submission of these White Papers. The Materials Affordability Initiative Consortium (MAIC), in conjunction with AFRL/ML, is interested in receiving proposals ("White Papers") on the technical efforts ("Projects") described below. White Papers in response to this announcement shall be sent to the MAI Program Office at Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, Ct (see the Points of Contact section assessable through the website indicated above). White Papers shall be submitted for receipt on or before 1600 Hours local (East Hartford) time, 01 March, 2002 if the offeror wishes to have his/her White Paper considered for funding at the expected Technical Oversight Committee ("TOC") meeting to be held in mid-April 2002. Offerors who wish to submit White Papers after 01, March 2002, can do so 4 (four) months prior to the proposed start date of the project (with no end date of a project proposed to go past the completion date of the Core MAI Cooperative Agreement which is currently September 30, 2007). However, because of the uncertainty of funding, it is not known when the TOC committee will again meet to review and evaluate White Papers. No other solicitation is anticipated in regard to this requirement round; but you are advised to monitor the Wright Research Site Contracting Office Home Page indicated above. You are further advised to continue to monitor the CBD and FedBizOpps (Federal Business Opportunities Web Site (http://www.eps.gov/) for adjustments and updates, including possible changes in the perf