Request for White Papers: High-Performance Compressor System

The Air Force Test Center’s Installation Contracting Division at Arnold Air Force Base is seeking white papers from industry partners under a 10 U.S.C. § 4022 Other Transaction Prototype agreement to develop an Analysis of Alternatives and deliver a prototype High-Performance Compressor System capable of providing high-pressure, high-mass-flow air. This effort targets a critical capability gap and is structured in three phases: Phase I involves comprehensive design, including a final system design package, Process and Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID) compliant with ANSI/ISA-5.1, and a functional digital model; Phase II is an optional manufacturing effort producing a prototype using a production or limited-run unit to validate high-risk components along with maintenance manuals and a spare parts list; Phase III is optional and includes on-site engineering support during government-led installation and testing at Coopertown, Tennessee. All responses must be submitted as a 20-page PDF by June 15, 2026, at 1:00 PM Central Time to Brooke Vandeman, the Agreements Officer. Proposals must include company identification, technical approach, risk assessment, corporate experience with complex rotating machinery, a notional schedule across all phases, and a Rough Order of Magnitude cost estimate in WBS Level 2 format. At least one-third of the total project cost must be covered by non-federal sources, and vendors must demonstrate compliance with 10 U.S.C. § 4022 by either including a nontraditional defense contractor or nonprofit research institution, ensuring all significant participants are small businesses or nontraditional contractors, or meeting the cost-sharing requirement. Access to the Statement of Objectives, classified as Controlled Unclassified Information with Export Control restrictions, requires a current NIST SP 800-171 assessment in SPRS and certification in the Joint Certification Program. Respondents must grant the Government Purpose Rights to all technical data, drawings, and models, including a Level 3 Technical Data Package and a 20-year life-cycle cost analysis. The estimated total project value ranges from $500,000 for Phase I alone to $50.7 million inclusive of all phases, though this is for planning purposes only. White papers will be evaluated on technical approach clarity, understanding of objectives, and the credibility of the path toward high operational utility, with selected respondents potentially invited to present further details.