Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise (CLEEN) Phase IV Program: Q&A Responses and FINAL SIR Release

The Federal Aviation Administration is soliciting proposals under the Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise (CLEEN) Phase IV Program through Solicitation Number 693KA9-26-R-00006, with a deadline for submissions set for May 18, 2026, at 12:00 PM EDT. This solicitation invites U.S.-based corporations to enter into cooperative agreements aimed at developing certifiable aviation technologies that reduce fuel burn, emissions, and noise in civil aircraft, with a focus on performance, aerodynamics, and aeroacoustics. The program requires a 1:1 cost share from participants, with the FAA contributing up to 50% of total project costs, although exact funding levels are redacted. Proposals must be submitted electronically in three volumes: a Technical/Management Proposal, a Pricing/Business Proposal, and Agreement Feedback with tracked changes to the provided Cooperative Agreement Template, adhering to strict page limits and formatting rules, including a minimum 12-point font and single-sided printing. Evaluation of proposals will be based on a trade-off process that prioritizes technical merit over lowest price, with Volume 1 carrying the most weight. Corporate experience is a pass/fail criterion, while technological benefits and maturation plans are assessed using adjectival ratings across subfactors such as potential impact on FAA environmental standards, fleet-wide applicability, and reductions in emissions, noise, and fuel consumption. Pricing is evaluated in context of overall value, permitting higher-cost proposals to be selected if they deliver greater government benefit. All performance must occur within the United States, with no single designated location, and the expected period of performance is up to 24 months post-award, with possible six-month extensions under specific conditions. Special requirements include mandatory NDAs for personnel handling sensitive information, strict data safeguarding protocols for FOUO, SSI, and other protected markings, audit rights reserved by the FAA, and requirements for subcontractor compliance. Financial reporting must be submitted via the Delphi eInvoicing portal, and all deliverables, including test reports and progress updates, must be uploaded to the FAA’s Knowledge Sharing Network SharePoint. The agreement is governed by FAA-specific clauses under 49 U.S.C. § 106, with intellectual property rights defined under Limited or Unlimited Rights, and no standard FAR clauses are applied.