Supply Department Indian Head Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, 101 Strauss Ave, Indian Head, MD 20640-5035

A -- INSULATING ROCKET NOZZLES WITH NON-PHENOLIC MATERIALS SOL BAA 99-001 POC Brenda Price, 1143, (301) 744-6570 E-MAIL: BAA 99-001, BrendaPrice@mail.ih.navy.mil. Indian Head Division (IHD) Naval Surface Warfare Center seeks materials to insulate nozzles of solid propellant rocket motors. We want composites of glass, silica, or carbon cloths with a non-phenolic polymer. Uncured resin, "as-is" or with minor changes, must wet the fabric and make a drapable prepreg. Cured insulation must be stable over a wide range of temperature. Hot supersonic propellant gas should erode it less than 0.050 inches per second. A 6000 F thermal gradient must not cracr or spall it. Constituent materials should have an established commercial market. A market base allows acquisition for weapon systems within a two-to-three year period. Indian Head is interested specifically in a two-phase project. The Phase 1 task is to measure thermal and mechanical properties of a material to predict its response in a rocket nozzle. The Phase 2 task is to build one or more rocket nozzles to test it. Proposed work should have a base performance period of not more than twelve months. However, the effort may include phased options that could extend beyond the initial performance period. Offerers should submit an abstract of a project before making detailed estimates. Indian Head will request a full proposal from offerors whose abstract looks promising. Solicitation of a full proposal does not assure the award of a contract. The abstract should consist of a title page and a summary of up to three pages. The title page should state "Proposal Abstract for (the BAA title)", the offeror's Point of Contact with telephone and facsimile numbers, and the signature of an authorized company officer. The summary should identify a proposed material generically as well as by trade name. It should include evidence that the material may meet the requirements above, e.g., its stability when exposed to high temperature gas. The summary should outline a two-phase project using a top level Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). It should present educated estimates of schedule and cost of each of the two phases by Fiscal Year beginning 1 October. Offerors should separate the two phases. They should base Phase 1 estimates on finding these properties for each composite: thermal diffusivities, tensile strengths and moduli, shear strengths and moduli, and compressive strengths and moduli. They should provide data at four temperatures up to 3000F. They should bse Phase 2 estimates of a 7-inch long rocket nozzle. The nozzle has a 3-to-4 inch diameter shell of mild steel, tapewrapped insulation, and a 1-2 inch diameter graphite throat. IHD will provide detail design of the test nozzle. A proposal should have from 7 to 11 pages plus a title page, in the following format: a. Title page stating "Proposal for (the BAA title)", the offeror's Point of Contact with telephone and facsimile numbers, and the signature of an authorized company officer. b. Executive Summary (1 page) of extant technology relevant to this effort; c. Schedule/milestones (1 page) by WBS element; d. Proprietary claims (1 page) to materials or processes developed under contract; e. Technical approach (1 page) with a discussion of deliverable data and hardware; f. Statement of Work (5 pages maximum) with the top level Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) of major tasks only; clearly define the scope of effort, and specify government resources needed, if any, with amounts, dates and duration; g. Qualifications (1 page) of offeror's team members from previous related work; h. Cost and fee (1 page) broken down by fiscal year; give cost details by labor category, material, travel, and other direct or indirect costs for each major task in the WBS. The following Selection Criteria will guide proposal evaluation: a. evidence that proposed material(s) may have the characteristics required in (1) above; b. evidence that the offeror's team understands the requirements, and appreciates the technical risk and innovation involved in satisfying them; c. evidence that the offeror's principal team members have related background experience in producing or testing polymers, composite materials, rocket nozzles; d. evidence that the offeror's team has facilities and proven abilities which give strong prospects for the proposed effort's success within the desired time frame; and e. costs and fee. (Cost is important, but technical factors and schedule are paramount.) Small samples of proposed materials are welcome but not required. Indian Head can make no award without a proposal of specific tasks within a definite schedule and cost. The Government reserves the right to select all, part, or none of any proposal. Proposals received under this accouncement become Government property. Indian Head policy treats proposals as competitive information, and allows desclosing the contents for evaluation purposes only. The Government may require unlimited data rights for work performed under resulting contracts. The Government shall not reimburse any cost associated with writing a proposal, either directly or as a contract cost. Availability of funds will determine the scope of effort and the number of contracts awarded, atthe sole discretion of the Government. Indian Head may review and act on proposals immediately. A review should take no more than two weeks from the date the proposal arrives. Direct technical questions to : Weapon Engineering Department of Indian Head Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, ATTN: Code 590R (Fred Borrell) 101 Strauss ave, Indian Head MD 20640-5035. Telephone (301 744-4240 ext. 3. The BAA solicits a response from all offerors able to satisfy the Government's needs. Indian Head will accept proposals for one year, until close of business on the 365th day after publication of this BAA. Submit three copies of the proposal to : Indian Head Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, ATTN: 1143B (Brenda Price), 101 Strauss Ave, Indian Head MD 20640-5035. Posted 11/12/98 (W-SN270898). (0316)

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