SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- OPPORTUNITY NOTICE FOR POTENTIAL CENTENNIAL CHALLENGES SPONSORS
- Notice Date
- 3/8/2011
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Headquarters Acquisition Branch, Code210.H, Greenbelt, MD 20771
- ZIP Code
- 20771
- Solicitation Number
- NNH11UA002L
- Response Due
- 3/7/2012
- Archive Date
- 3/8/2012
- Point of Contact
- Dr. Larry P Cooper, Program Executive for Centennial Challenges, Phone 202-358-1531, Fax 202-358-3223, Email Larry.P.Cooper@nasa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Dr. Larry P Cooper
(Larry.P.Cooper@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Through this Opportunity Notice (NOTICE), NASA seeks to identify potentialSponsoring Organizations who may be interested in partnering with Allied Organizations tosupport prize competitions conducted under Centennial Challenges program(http://www.nasa.gov/challenges ) of NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Challenges are:The Strong Tether Challenge is to create tethers with the highest strength-to-weightratio and demonstrate a material that is at least 50 percent stronger than the strongestcommercially available. This challenge has a prize purse of $2.0 million. The objectiveis to stimulate innovations in high strength-to-weight materials. Super-strong tetherswill enable many great advances in aerospace capability, including reduction in rocketweight, habitable space structures, solar sails, and various tether-based propulsionsystems, culminating in the ability to construct a Space Elevator. The Strong TetherChallenge has been managed by the Spaceward Foundation http://www.spaceward.org.The Power Beaming Challenge is a practical demonstration of wireless power transmission.This Challenge has a prize purse of $1.1 million. The objective is to foster innovationsin new power distribution technologies that have applications to many aspects of spaceexploration, both surface and space based. Near term applications include point-to-pointpower transmission for robotic and human expeditions to planetary surfaces. ThisChallenge also supports the development of far-term space infrastructure concepts such asspace elevators and solar power satellites. The Power Beaming Challenge has been managedby the Spaceward Foundation http://www.spaceward.org.The Green Flight Challenge: Teams will fly aircraft they designed to travel 200 miles inless than two hours using the energy equivalent of less than one gallon of gasoline peroccupant. This Challenge has a prize purse of $1.65 million. The Challenge objective isto stimulate development and demonstration of a broad spectrum of technologies to achievevery high energy efficiencies in quiet and practical aircraft. The challenge will beheld in July 2011. Green Flight Challenge is managed by the CAFE Foundationhttp://cafefoundation.org.The Sample Return Robot Challenge is to demonstrate a robot that can locate and retrievegeologic samples from wide and varied terrain without human control. This Challenge hasa prize purse of $1.5 million. The objectives are to encourage innovations in automaticnavigation and robotic manipulator technologies. The Sample Return Robot Challenge ismanaged by Worcester Polytechnic Institute http://wp.wpi.edu/challenge/.The Night Rover Challenge is to demonstrate a solar-powered exploration vehicle that canoperate in darkness using its own stored energy. The prize purse is $1.5 million. Theobjective is to stimulate innovations in energy storage technologies of value in extremespace environments, such as the surface of the moon, or for electric vehicles andrenewable energy systems on Earth. An Allied Organization is being sought to manage thisChallenge.The Nano-Satellite Launch Challenge is to place a small satellite into Earth orbit, twicein one week. The prize purse is $2.0 million.The objectives of this challenge are tostimulate innovations in low-cost launch technology for frequent access to Earth orbitand encourage creation of commercial nano-satellite delivery services.An AlliedOrganization is being sought to manage this Challenge.CENTENNIAL CHALLENGES BACKGROUND Centennial Challenges is a program of incentive prizes to generate novel solutions toproblems of interest to NASA and the nation. The mission of the program is to [1] driveprogress in aerospace technology of value to NASAs missions, [2] encourage theparticipation of independent teams, individual inventors, student groups and privatecompanies of all sizes in aerospace research and development; and [3] find the mostinnovative solutions to technical challenges through competition and collaboration. Since 2005, nineteen Centennial Challenges competitions have been held in six technicalareas. A total of $4.5 million has been awarded in prizes to thirteen different teams.The competition events, especially in the head-to-head contest format, typically involvepublic spectators, televised or webcasted coverage and are high-visibility opportunitiesfor public outreach. Additional information can be found at www.nasa.gov/challenges. ROLE OF ALLIED ORGANIZATIONS Allied Organizations are those NASA partners that conduct the Centennial Challengescompetitions. NASA provides the prize purse for the competitions, but no funding for theconduct of the competition itself. Allied Organizations may provide additional fundingfrom other sources subject to NASAs approval. Allied Organizations are selected througha competitive process and agreements are negotiated directly between the AlliedOrganization and NASA. Allied Organizations cannot compete in the Challenges for whichthey have responsibility. Because no NASA funds are provided to fund the conduct of the Challenges, AlliedOrganizations must administer the Challenges with their own funding or they must acquirethe funding needed to administer the Challenges through partnerships with SponsoringOrganizations or through other means. Allied Organizations are also encouraged tosupplement the prize purse with funding from outside organizations, such as a SponsoringOrganization. ROLE OF SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONSSponsoring Organizations are partners of the Allied Organization that contribute fundstowards the prize purse, towards the administrative expenses associated with theChallenge, and/or provide in-kind support for the Challenge. Sponsoring Organizationsare expected to enter into agreements directly with the Allied Organization administeringthe sponsored Challenge. These agreements are subject to NASA approval. NASA does notanticipate entering into agreements directly with any Sponsoring Organization.ASponsoring Organization cannot compete in the Challenge to which it contributes.Because the success of Challenges hinges on the ability of NASAs Allied Organizations tosuccessfully administer and conduct the prize competitions, NASA wishes, through thisNOTICE, to identify interested Sponsoring Organizations that seek the opportunity topartner with an Allied Organization to support one or more Challenges.NASA expects thatindividual Challenges will demonstrate technologies or operational capabilities, andproduce high profile competition events that may enhance the visibility and reputation ofthe Sponsoring Organization. In return for its contributions, a Sponsoring Organizationwould be associated with a specific Challenge.Depending upon the agreement a SponsoringOrganization negotiates with an Allied Organization, a Sponsoring Organization may beentitled to negotiate naming rights or other public-facing acknowledgement and/or providetimely input to the structure and rules of the Challenge to which it contributes. NASAdoes not anticipate permitting Structure and Rule changes after they have been approvedand posted in the Federal Register.Sponsoring Organizations may include but are not limited to: for-profit companies andcorporations, universities and other non-profit or educational organizations, andprofessional or public organizations, as well as individuals. SUBMISSION DETAILS Responses to this NOTICE should be no more than three pages in length and: Provide all the pertinent identifying and contact information about the potentialSponsoring Organization, and the principal individuals of the Organization; -Name of Sponsor Organization.-Business mailing address and phone number of organization.-Web site of organization (if applicable).-Name, business mailing address, e-mail address, and phone number of primaryofficer of the organization having authority to enter into an agreement with an AlliedOrganization-Name, business mailing address, e-mail address, and phone number oforganizations point-of-contact for the proposal (if different from primary officer). Identify the Challenge(s) in which your organization may wish to partner with a NASAAllied Organization. Identify the type(s) of sponsorship your organization is seeking (Prize Purseaugmentation, administrative funding support, in-kind support, or other type) Describe your organizations reason(s) for wanting to be a Sponsoring Organization.The following individual contact information should be included on any submission inresponse to this NOTICE: - Organization and Individual Point-of-Contact Name - Complete Business Mailing Address -Telephone Number(s) - Email Address - Reference document number NNH11UA002LResponses to this NOTICE should be sent to the Centennial Challenges Program at NASAHeadquarters by electronic message to: hq-prize-idea@mail.nasa.gov with the subject lineSponsorship Opportunity Notice. USE OF INFORMATION PROVIDED UNDER THIS NOTICE On a regular basis, NASA intends to share information provided by interested, potentialSponsoring Organizations under this NOTICE with current NASA Allied Organizations andother non-profit organizations that have expressed their interest or intent to partnerwith NASA as an Allied Organization for the Centennial Challenges program. Theinformation may also be shared within NASA and with contractor personnel associated withthe Centennial Challenges Program. Information provided by potential SponsoringOrganizations under this NOTICE will not be published or posted on any public websitewithout prior authorization by the submitting entity. DURATION This NOTICE will remain open for a period of one year.Prior to submitting a response tothis NOTICE, potential Sponsor Organizations should check the current status(Open/Completed) of a Challenge at http://www.nasa.gov/challenges to determine ifsponsorship opportunities are still available.GENERAL INFORMATIONThis NOTICE does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that the NationalAeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will take procurement or other action in thismatter. Further, neither NASA nor the Government will be responsible for any costincurred in furnishing the information requested in this NOTICE.Organizations responding to this NOTICE may be contacted by the current or potentialAllied Organizations to solicit commitment for sponsorship. Potential SponsoringOrganizations have no obligation to respond but may choose to enter into a sponsorshiparrangement with one or more current or potential Allied Organizations. Potential Sponsoring Organizations are responsible for conducting appropriate diligenceprior to entering into any arrangement with an Allied Organization. Selection of anAllied Organization to administer a competition by NASA does not constitute anendorsement of that Allied Organization by NASA.NASA reserves the right to amend or withdraw this NOTICE at any time.
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