Sources Sought for the Establishment of a Center of Excellence for Energetics

The Army seeks market input on establishing a Center of Excellence (CoE) for the operation, management, and production of explosive materials at the Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD). The effort will require full‑scale safety and environmental compliance, including preparation of Explosive Safety Site Plans per DoD 6055.09‑M, securing local, state, and federal permits, and completing NEPA assessments. Respondents must describe a conceptual approach and notional campus layout that supports research and development labs, pilot‑scale and full‑rate production lines, analytical testing, packaging, waste treatment, and administrative functions, while incorporating flexibility to handle a range of energetic materials and future mission requirements. The response must also provide corporate/team capabilities, relevant experience in explosives process design, scale‑up, and large‑scale hazardous‑materials facility construction, a rough order‑of‑magnitude cost estimate with assumptions and risks, a proposed contracting vehicle (e.g., FAR‑based, OTA, Enhanced Use Lease), and an integrated master schedule with key milestones, facility sizes, net explosive weight by hazard class, and staffing requirements. Responses are limited to 40 pages, must be submitted electronically at no cost by 29 April 2026 5:00 PM CDT to the listed Contracting Officer and Specialists, and any file larger than 5 MB requires a DoD SAFE drop‑off request. Questions on the Sources Sought Notice are due by 10 April 2026 5:00 PM CDT. Unique considerations include the potential reuse of existing bunkers for raw material storage, the need for new infrastructure if a greenfield site is selected (approximately 89.25 acres), shared services agreements for security and hazard management, and recommendations on site access terms, permit modifications, and outdoor explosive testing capabilities. This notice is for market research only and does not constitute a solicitation.

Notice ID

9a89bc843e50439eb6c8aa8ffdb698f7

Solicitation Number

W519TC-26-R-0019

NAICS Code

N/A

Classification Code

N/A