Contract Award: University of Maine System (Orono, Maine) – $9,000,000

University of Maine System, Orono, Maine, is awarded a $9,000,000 cost reimbursement contract for the Composites for Advanced Maritime Structures III effort. The work to be performed will focus on improving the manufacturing technologies used for creating unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and related maritime structures. This involves developing digital manufacturing software tools that guide design decisions to achieve an optimal balance of build time, cost and performance. Additionally, the effort includes conducting manufacturing technology experiments to assess cost and performance models through the design, fabrication, and testing of structures and USVs in both laboratory and maritime environments. Work will be performed in Orono, Maine, and is expected to be completed in July 2027. The total cumulative value of this contract, including a 36-month base period with no options, is $9,000,000. Fiscal 2023 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,000,000 are obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under long range broad agency announcement N0001423SB001 entitled “Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science & Technology,” posted on Oct. 2, 2023. Since proposals are received throughout the year under the long-range BAA, the number of proposals received in response to the solicitation is unknown. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N0001424C1324).