USAFA Notice of Intent to Sole Source: Data Collection System

The U.S. Air Force Academy’s Aerospace Laboratory is seeking market information for a new Data Collection System to replace obsolete and fragmented hardware currently in use across its facilities. The system must serve as a unified foundation for acquiring, recording, and monitoring physical test data during aeronautics experiments, with strict technical requirements including a minimum sample rate of 10 kHz, 24-bit ADC resolution for bridge inputs, and support for analog voltages, thermocouples, and strain gauges with programmable excitation. The system must also include approximately 50% additional channel capacity for future expansion and be designed with a maintainable upgrade path spanning over ten years. Crucially, the hardware must integrate with a C# .NET ecosystem through a fully accessible API, provide real-time data display, and interface with lab control systems to enable automated safety shutdowns. The government requires complete ownership of all intellectual property and source code, including the right to modify the software. Respondents must disclose whether they are the manufacturer, the origin of the product, and whether any foreign-owned entities, foreign nationals, or reconditioned/surplus government property will be involved. This is a Sources Sought notice issued under solicitation number FA700026Q0069 by the Department of Defense’s 10 CONS/PKB office, with a posting date of July 23, 2026, and a response deadline of July 10, 2026. The procurement is not a solicitation or request for quotation and does not commit the government to any award; it is solely for market research and planning purposes. The anticipated contract type is firm-fixed price, with delivery FOB destination to the USAF Academy in Colorado Springs. Responses must be submitted via email to the contracting officer or contract specialist no later than 2:00 p.m. MT on the deadline and must not exceed five pages. Companies must provide their SAM registration status, estimated pricing, typical lead time, and warranty terms. The NAICS code is 334515, indicating the small business size standard is 750 employees, and while no set-aside is currently planned, the government is evaluating the potential for small business participation. All submissions are to be directed to Mikayla Brandt and Kenneth Helgeson, and foreign-owned firms must explicitly state their status. No contract clauses, evaluation criteria, delivery schedules, or formal invoicing details are included as this stage is strictly pre-solicitation