Fire Management Technical Expertise for Air Force Wildland Fire Branch (AFWFB) | W9126G252SOI2927

Opportunity Information: Apply for W9126G252SOI2927

The Fire Management Technical Expertise for the Air Force Wildland Fire Branch (AFWFB) opportunity is a USACE Fort Worth District cooperative agreement aimed at securing specialized technical support for Air Force wildland fire management needs. It is not an open competition for the general public; eligibility is limited specifically to organizations that are members of the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units (CESU) Program within the Colorado Plateau, Great Plains, or Gulf Coast CESU Regions. The award will be made under the CESU Master Agreement framework, including the established CESU indirect cost rate of 17.5 percent, and will proceed once both parties mutually agree to the terms and conditions laid out in the request materials.

At this stage, the government is only collecting Statements of Interest (SOIs), not full technical proposals or budgets. The purpose of the SOI process is to identify which CESU member organizations are best positioned to perform the work based on their qualifications, relevant past experience, and overall capability. After reviewing SOIs, the government will invite the most suitable submitter(s) to provide a full proposal. The detailed scope of anticipated work is referenced in a Statement of Objectives (SOO) attached to the full RSOI package in the related documents, meaning prospective applicants should use that SOO to align their experience and capabilities when preparing their SOI.

Funding for the base period is expected to be about $1,111,500.00, with the possibility of additional funds for optional tasks or follow-on work in later years. The posting lists an award ceiling of $5,030,235 and anticipates making one award. The period of performance for the base agreement is structured as an 18-month term from the date of award, designed to provide 12 months of technical support while allowing additional time for start-up and closeout activities. Beyond that base period, the government may add up to four follow-on periods of 15 months each, dependent on funding availability and continuing need.

Legally, the project will be awarded under 16 USC 670c-1 (the Sikes Act), which is commonly used for work tied to military installation natural resources programs and Integrated Natural Resources Management Plans (INRMPs). The notice also highlights a statutory priority: for projects supporting implementation and enforcement of INRMPs, preference is given to Federal and State agencies that have responsibility for conserving or managing fish or wildlife. In practice, that priority can matter in how the government weighs credentials and partnerships when selecting who to invite for a full proposal.

Submission is straightforward: SOIs are due by 2:00 P.M. Central Time on 03 FEB 2025, and must be submitted by email. The points of contact listed are Sandy Justman, Grants Specialist (sandra.justman@usace.army.mil, 817-886-1107) for submission and grants questions, and David Leptien, Project Manager (david.b.leptien@usace.army.mil, 402-889-5570) for technical or project-specific questions. SOIs will be evaluated by a review board at the receiving installation or activity, with selection focused on how well the submission supports program objectives, the strength of the proposed Principal Investigator, the relevance of prior work, and the organization’s capacity to successfully deliver the required technical support.

Key identifying details from the posting include the Funding Opportunity Number W9126G252SOI2927, CFDA 12.005, activity category listed as science and technology and other research and development, instrument type cooperative agreement, agency listed as Fort Worth District, and an original closing date of 2025-02-03. The essential takeaway is that interested parties should treat this as a qualification-based down-select within specific CESU regions, emphasizing demonstrable wildland fire and fire-management technical expertise aligned to Air Force mission and natural resources requirements, with the expectation that only a subset of SOI respondents will be asked to submit full proposals later.

• The Fort Worth District in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fire Management Technical Expertise for Air Force Wildland Fire Branch (AFWFB)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.005.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-01-06.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-02-03. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $5,030,235.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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