REQUEST FOR CONSORTIUM MANAGEMENT PROPOSAL HQ0034259C00F

The Government seeks to enter into an Other Transaction (OT) Agreement under 10 U.S.C. § 4022 for consortium management. This Request for Consortium Management (RCM) seeks to re-establish the DoD Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MII)  in the Advanced Fibers and Textiles technical focus area as a Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Consortium (RFTC) other transaction (OT) agreement.

It is anticipated that Project Agreements (PAs) awarded through the RFTC may utilize either 10 U.S.C 4021 (Research projects) or 10 U.S.C. 4022 (Prototype projects) to maximize technology and process advancements.

BACKGROUND:

The Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) Manufacturing Technology Program (ManTech) furthers national security objectives through the development and application of advanced manufacturing technologies and processes. ManTech manages a portfolio of DoD Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MIIs) authorized under 15 U.S.C. § 278s, Manufacturing USA. 

The MII’s purpose is to create effective manufacturing research infrastructure for U.S. industry and academia and leverage existing resources, collaboration, and co-investment to nurture manufacturing innovation and accelerate commercialization. The MIIs are partnerships between government, industry and academia, supported with cost-share funding from Federal and non-Federal sources. The MIIs focus on Manufacturing Readiness Levels (MRL) 4-7, ranging from production of technology in a laboratory environment to capability to produce systems, subsystems or components in a production relevant environment. MIIs are led by independent, non-profit organizations as public-private partnership(s) (PPP) to accelerate investment in and deployment of advanced manufacturing technologies. (See Appendix 1)

In conjunction with the OT agreement, the DoD and MII will jointly develop a system of governance for the RFTC. ManTech provides Federal financial and technical assistance, and other Federal funding to revitalize the U.S.’s domestic manufacturing capability through domestic PPPs that enhance America’s strategic competitiveness while advancing the military of tomorrow. The three key stakeholders in DoD MII’s are government, industry, and academia who collaborate in a joint governance model.

Led by the Consortium Manager (CM), the RFTCC seeks to create a research and prototyping ecosystem comprised of government, industry and academia to collaborate, advance and scale critical manufacturing processes for revolutionary fibers and textiles.  The RFTC will support research and prototyping that advance the performance and manufacturability of fibers and textiles with properties of strength, flame resistance, electrical conductivity, phase change, chemical adsorption, etc. The RFTC will foster a collaborative framework that supports innovative mechanisms to rapidly produce end-item prototypes. The RFTC will support advanced manufacturing workforce development through educational outreach programs and workforce training programs. The RFTC will collaborate with allied technology areas supported by other non-Federal organizations including, but not limited to, the NextFlex (flexible hybrid electronics) MII, ARM (advanced robotics for manufacturing) MII, BioMADE (bioindustrial manufacturing) MII, and the National Science Foundation North Carolina Textile Innovation Engine.

INDUSTRY DAY:

The Government plans to hold an industry day with interested organizations to discuss the specifics of the RCM and Phase I White Paper Submittals. This notice will be updated with registration information once the date and time is identified.