Sources Sought Notice for Aircraft Painting and Wrap Application

THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. NO PROPOSALS ARE TO BE SUBMITTED IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) is hereby soliciting information from potential sources for painting and applying a graphic wrap to one (1) F/A-18B and one (1) F-15D aircraft pursuant the following technical, schedule, and security requirements:

• White base coat application (Part #17925, FSN-8010-00-181-8281) for one (1) F/A-18B and one (1) F-15D aircraft
• NASA livery paint application to vertical tails for each aircraft as specified
  • F/A-18B – Drawing SP18-D-025 Paint Schematic page 5, tail number “867”
  • F-15D – use the referenced F/A-18 drawing as a guideline for vertical tail livery, tail number “885”
• Apply graphic wrap to one (1) F/A-18B and one (1) F-15D aircraft with the following suggestions
  • American Flag livery as shown in attached image
  • “Freedom 250” emblem
• Both aircraft must be provided in an airworthy state in sufficient time to support the Independence Day celebratory flyover in Washington, D.C., on July 4, 2026.
• Due to the sensitivity of the aircraft, the Contractor shall provide appropriate physical security and access controls to protect NASA aircraft, associated equipment, technical data, Government-furnished property, and sensitive components. Access shall be limited to authorized personnel only, with procedures for visitor control and key/badge accountability. When practical, aircraft shall be stored in a locked hangar and protected through controlled access, lighting, and security patrols. Aircraft doors, access panels, tanks, valves, and other applicable openings shall be locked, sealed, or tamper taped, as appropriate, and measures shall be implemented to prevent unauthorized aircraft access or engine start when unattended. The Contractor shall prevent unauthorized observation, photography, recording, or disclosure of sensitive information and shall immediately report any theft, damage, tampering, security incidents, or unauthorized access involving Government property or aircraft systems to the Contracting Officer and designated NASA representatives.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) AFRC is seeking capability statements from all interested parties, including all socioeconomic categories of Small Businesses and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)/Minority Institutions (MI) for the purposes of determining the appropriate level of competition and/or small business subcontracting goals for the aircraft painting and wrapping effort. Vendors are encouraged to demonstrate capabilities as a prime, subcontractor and/or teaming partner. The Government reserves the right to consider a Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), HUBZone, Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, and Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) business set-aside based on responses received.

Respondents are requested to provide informed input on realistic and appropriate SB subcontracting and/or participation goals for the specific requirement. This type of feedback supports NASA’s market research and helps ensure the acquisition strategy is aligned with actual industry capability. Industry feedback is requested for:

1. SB Subcontracting goals;
2. Barriers that may limit SB participation, such as certifications, unique technical requirements, security needs, specialized tools, or high-risk performance areas and/or
3. Strategies to increase SB participation, including:
   • Breaking requirements into smaller components
   • Identifying areas appropriate for subcontracting
   • Considering teaming or mentor protégé approaches

No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on SAM.gov. Interested firms are responsible for monitoring this website for the release of any presolicitation or solicitation notice.

Interested firms having the required capabilities necessary to meet the above requirement described herein should submit a capability statement. There is no page limit, but please keep your responses concise and focused only on the requested information for this Sources Sought.

Please provide the following information to the best of your ability in your response:

1. Company's name, address, primary point of contact (POC), and telephone number.
2. Company's SAM Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).
3. Indicate if your company is interested in performing as a prime contractor or subcontractor.
4. Description of the company's specific capabilities relevant to the Sources Sought requirements.

Please advise if the requirement is considered a commercial or commercial-type product. A commercial product and commercial service is defined in FAR 2, Definitions.

All responses shall be submitted electronically via email to Jennifer Schnarr at [email protected] no later than 11:00AM Pacific Time on June 1, 2026. Please reference 80AFRC26SS017 in any response. 

This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation.