A Study on Vessel Design Challenge

Agency	TRANSPORTATION, DEPARTMENT OF
Solicitation Number	693JF726R000016
Notice Type	Solicitation
NAICS	541720
Set-Aside	No Set-Aside
Place Of Performance
Posted	Nov 6, 2026
Source	Federal — SAM.gov
Response Deadline	Jan 10, 2027 64 days left as of Nov 7, 2026
Time Left	64 days left as of 2026-11-07
Primary	Christian Onwudiegwu · [email protected] · 2023661676
Secondary	Kelly Mitchell-Carroll · [email protected] · 2028766453
Official Notice	View On SAM.gov

About this opportunity

The purpose of amendment no. 6 is to respond to the following questions. Question-13. Are resumes and letters of support count towards the 20-page limit? Response-13. Yes, the limit is inclusive of all documents. Documents submitted outside that limit will not be reviewed. Question-14. Does MARAD anticipate establishing a deadline for proposer questions prior to the January 10, 2027 proposal closing date? Response-14. There is no deadline for proposer questions Question-15. Does MARAD have an anticipated timeframe for notification of successful applicants and execution of the resulting cooperative agreements? Response-15. Timelines vary, but generally successful applicants are notified within a month after selection, and the contracting process has begun Question-16. Where a proposal includes multiple organizations as part of the Design Team, does MARAD expect letters of commitment or other confirmation of participation from proposed team members at the proposal stage? If so, would these letters count toward the 20-page proposal limit? Response-16. MARAD does not expect letters of commitment. However, the assumption is that there is some level of commitment among the team members. Submissions are evaluated based on the team per the review criteria; therefore, the expectation is that the proposed team will be the project team, if selected. =============================================================================== The purpose of amendment no. 5 is to respond to the following question. Question-12. Could you please clarify whether the reference to fisheries vessels applies only to small fishing vessels or to all fishing vessels, including large commercial fishing vessels? Response-12. Fishing vessels, even large commercial vessels, fall outside the general purview of the Maritime Administration and thus are not the specific focus of this RFP. ===================================================================== The purpose of amendment no. 4 is to respond to the following question. Question-11. Would a U.S.-flagged, USCG-inspected passenger catamaran used for paid whale-watching trips fit the program? Response-11. Unfortunately, that type of vessel falls outside the purview of this project and generally outside the purview of the Maritime Administration. While there is no prohibition on submitting a proposal, it falls outside the preferred vessel types identified in the RFP. ====================================================================== The purpose of amendment no. 3 is to respond to the following questions. Question-9. Is MARAD primarily looking for design-stage studies in which fuel efficiency and URN are predicted through fluid dynamic modeling? Response-9. Yes. The goal is to demonstrate, through modeling, the benefits that can be realized through a systematic design approach integrating technologies with input from naval architects, shipyards, and technology suppliers on the efficacy of these approaches. There is no limitation on the type of modeling - approaches should be used as needed. Question-10. Is there any room for measurements within the Challenge? Response-10. This is a design stage challenge and does not include an expectation of direct measurement. ================================================== The purpose of amendment no. 2 is to respond to the following questions. Question-4. Is MARAD open to all forms of propulsion to gain fuel efficiencies - for example, hybrid diesel-electric equipment with electric motors and batteries? Response-4. There are no limits or specific requirements for the type of propulsion or fuel. Technologies, including fuels and propulsion, should be centered around performance and demonstrating the feasibility and economic achievability of these combined approaches and should be dictated by capacity needs set by industry requirements (tug capacity, crew capacity, operations support, range, TEU, cargo etc.). Designs should note specifically the technology readiness level and

Who can apply

Set-aside: NONE — as stated in the official notice: “NONE”. Verify eligibility on the official notice before bidding.

Source: SAM.gov. Verify every deadline on the official notice.