R -- Sole Source Synopsis. Purchase Planning Study for Prospective National Aerospace Materials Consortium

The contract involves the purchase of a planning study designed to establish and implement a metals processing strategy to support domestic aerospace manufacturers, specifically under the Air Force Research Laboratory's Manufacturing and Materials Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. This study will contribute to the prospective formation of a national aerospace materials consortium. The procurement falls under NAICS code 611310, with a size standard of $6.5 million, and is being conducted as a sole source acquisition. The sole source procurement will be awarded to Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts, and the government intends to negotiate exclusively with this institution under the authority of FAR 13.106-1. Although the synopsis has been published for informational purposes, solicitation documents are not publicly available. The notice clarifies that this announcement is not a request for competitive bids but the government will consider any submissions received within ten days to evaluate if a competitive procurement is necessary. The decision to pursue competition will be at the government’s discretion based on the responses. The contracting agency managing this acquisition is the Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command's procurement office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, with Yvonne C. Thacker serving as the contract specialist.