Statement of Purpose
For nearly 50 years, NASA’s journeys into air and space have deepened humankind’s understanding of the universe, advanced technology breakthroughs, enhanced air travel safety and security, and expanded the frontiers of scientific research. These accomplishments share a common genesis: education. NASA will continue the Agency’s tradition of strengthening the Nation’s education programs and supporting the country’s educators who play a key role in preparing, inspiring, exciting, encouraging, and nurturing the young minds of today who will manage and lead the Nation’s laboratories and research centers of tomorrow.
In 2006 and beyond, NASA will continue to pursue three major education goals:
• Strengthen NASA and the Nation’s future workforce: NASA will identify and develop the critical skills and capabilities needed to achieve the Vision for Space Exploration. To help meet this demand, NASA will continue contributing to the development of the Nation’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce of the future through a diverse portfolio of education initiatives that target America’s students at all levels, especially those in traditionally underserved and underrepresented communities.
• Attract and retain students in STEM disciplines: To compete effectively for the minds, imaginations, and career ambitions of America’s young people, NASA will focus on engaging and retaining students in STEM education programs to encourage their pursuit of educational disciplines critical to NASA’s future engineering, scientific, and technical missions.
• Engage Americans in NASA’s mission: NASA will build strategic partnerships and linkages between STEM formal and informal education providers. Through hands-on, interactive, educational activities, NASA will engage students, educators, families, the general public, and all Agency stakeholders to increase Americans’ science and technology literacy.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration seeks one or more unfunded collaborations with organizations that would enhance NASA’s ability to achieve its educational goals. Specifically, NASA seeks proposals for creating and managing innovative activities, events, products, services, or other types of formal or informal education methods for the purpose of disseminating information nationally about NASA’s projects and programs.
NASA will enter into as many qualified collaborations as possible, without limiting the types or categories of activities, events, products or services considered. However, if multiple offers are received in one particular category or type, NASA may need to select only one offer per category for a specific time period (defined as “limited exclusivity”).
It is intended that this request for entrepreneurial offers will result in the establishment of one or more non-reimbursable Space Act Agreements that will define the full roles and responsibilities of NASA and the proposing organization(s).
Benefits to Corporate Partner
In exchange for a collaborator’s investment to create and implement a means to creatively disseminate NASA information, NASA will consider negotiating brand placement, limited exclusivity (defined above) and other opportunities as part of a strategic collaboration.
Consideration only will be given to those offers that are commensurate with the value of the above, and that reflect NASA mission, values and goals.
NASA Requirements and Evaluation Criteria
NASA is looking for a collaborator to deliver the following:
All proposals must demonstrate the following threshold requirements to be considered:
• The activities, events, products, services, or other types of education opportunities must be available nationally.
• Proposals must include opportunities to “inspire, engage, educate or employ” the stated audiences.
o Inspire—Activities focused on promoting awareness of NASA’s mission among the public, primarily through informal education and outreach activities. Inspire level efforts are broad, with the goal of reaching a large number of people, but are not limited to “in-person.” This category forms the base of an education structure that becomes more focused at progressively higher levels of the framework.
o Engage—Education activities that in some manner incorporate participant interaction with NASA content for the purpose of developing a deeper understanding. Participants are strategically identified and targeted.
o Educate—Focused education support that promotes learning among targeted populations. Education activities focus on student learners, or pre- and in-service educators, and are designed to develop and/or enhance specific STEM knowledge and skills using NASA resources. Educate activities promote new knowledge acquisition and strengthen an individual’s skills. NASA’s elementary and secondary education efforts are supplementary to formal classroom instruction. NASA’s higher education efforts may include development of specific university curricula in support of the NASA mission.
o Employ—Targeted development of individuals who prepare for employment in disciplines needed to achieve NASA’s mission and strategic goals. Through internships, fellowships, and other professional training, individuals become participants in the Vision for Space Exploration and NASA science and aeronautics research. At the apex, they have acquired sufficient mastery of knowledge for employment with NASA, academia, industry, or within STEM fields of teaching.
• Significant experience in successful design and implementation of the proposed method of engaging the target audience.
• Ability to measure success of the proposed activity.
Evaluation Criteria
Overview: Offers will be evaluated on the capabilities to provide the proposed method, the viability of the organization, the level of the team’s experience, the documented experience and success in the proposed method.
All proposals will be evaluated on the documented success of the organization in the following areas:
Technical Ability and Experience:
1. Ability to create and manage the proposed method of engaging the target audience.
2. Documented metrics on the demographics and popularity of the proposed method.
3. Documentation on the success of the proposed method in reaching the target audience effectively, and other results-oriented documentation.
4. As appropriate, documented success on delivering a campaign through various media, including print, radio, television and the Internet, to inform about missions and recent accomplishments, and to facilitate encouragement of young Americans to enter scientific, mathematical and engineering fields.
5. Evidence of the proposer’s experience and expertise in the development of educational programs, projects, products or activities.
Management ability:
1. Ability to schedule and meet realistic milestones.
2. Management team experience (include information on location, points of contact and top-level organizational structure.)
3. Projected schedule and milestones for accomplishing project.
Financial Stability:
1. Strength of market analysis and strategy analysis.
2. Strength of financial plan and evidence of financial stability (include annual audits, balance sheets and appropriate documentation.)
Other:
1. Level of NASA assets and resources, such as the NASA identity, people, content and facilities, requested for the collaboration.
2. Level of prestige of the organization, company and/or other government agency represented, and how its strategy, mission statement, values and goals reflect NASA’s.
3. Level of additional value and benefits offered to NASA.
Additionally, the proposal and the proposed method must be consistent with applicable NASA statutes, policies, and regulations.
Instructions
Submittals should address all the areas to be evaluated as stated under “NASA Requirements and Evaluation Criteria.” The proposal also must identify what the proposer expects NASA to provide in terms of assets and opportunities for the collaboration, as outlined in the section entitled, “Benefits to Corporate Partner.”
This request will be open for eight weeks following date of release of this announcement. All proposals must be received by June 28, 4:30 p.m. Eastern, to be considered. Submittals should be limited to no more than 15 pages, double-spaced, 1” margins using Times New Roman 12-point type. Exceptions to the 15-page limitation are documentation regarding factor two under “Financial Stability.” Submission may be in either hard-copy format, sent via email or on compact disk in Adobe PDF format. Submission must be received at the address indicated below no later than 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, on June 28, 2006. Proposals hand-carried or delivered by commercial couriers must arrive at NASA’s shipping and receiving, rear of the building, at the street address below. NASA will use submissions only for evaluation purposes under this announcement. All proprietary information must be clearly marked in the proposals. Submit proposals to Debbie Rivera, Office of Public Affairs, NASA Headquarters, 300 E Street, SW, Washington, DC 20546, or at drivera@nasa.gov.
This request is not to be construed as a commitment by NASA, nor will NASA pay for the information solicited. Respondents will be sent an acknowledgement of the receipt of their materials. Any questions regarding this request should be directed to the identified point of contact.
Original Point of Contact
Debbie Rivera
Office of Public Affairs
NASA Headquarters
300 E Street, SW
Washington, DC 20546
For more information: 202-358-1743
drivera@nasa.gov
