Special NoticePosted Sep 11, 2026·Responses due Sep 16, 2026

FRED Optical Engineering Software

Air Force and Space Force · FA2396 USAF AFMC AFRL PZL AFRL PZLE

Stage
Early notice (sources sought, presolicitation or special notice)
NAICS
513210
Value
Not stated
Solicitation
None
Set-aside
None stated
PSC
7A21
Place
Wright Patterson AFB, OH, USA
Contact
Glenn Wellman (glenn.wellman@us.af.mil)
CSV Email

Capture briefs (a one-page, shareable copy of this page) are part of Pro. The CSV here holds the notice, its timeline and past awards.

Where this opportunity stands

This notice has no solicitation number, so earlier and later notices cannot be tied to it.

Early notice
  • Sep 11, 2026 · this notice
    Special Notice
Solicitation
None posted
Award
Not yet. Typical award: Nov 6, 2026 to Mar 9, 2027, middle of the range Dec 18, 2026.
Measured from 253 past early notices at Dept of the Air Force that later posted an award (middle half of cases, counted from Sep 11, 2026).

Next steps for this stage

Standard steps for the notice type; not advice about this buyer.

  • Answer the notice: this is when the requirement can still be shaped.
  • Contact the contracting officer named on the notice.
  • Check who won similar work; they are the likely bidders.

What the notice says

NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD SOLE SOURCE The United States Air Force (the Government) intends to issue a Firm-Fixed-Price order to a single source; Photon Engineering, LLC, on or about 30 September 2026. The software support is expected to run through 30 June 2027. PSC: 7A21 NAICS: 513210 Size Standard: $47,000,000.00 Product Name / Type: FRED Optical Engineering Software Updates / Support Supplier Name: Photon Engineering, LLC Product Description: FRED Optical Engineering Software allows users to successfully simulate the propagation of light through any opto-mechanical system by raytracing and … (show all)

is the essential tool for virtual prototyping optical systems. FRED can be used for a wide variety of applications that include stray light analysis, virtual prototyping, laser beam propagation, illumination system design and much more. Line # Part Number Description Qty 1 FRDAM200 FRED Classic Optical Engineering Software 1 2 FRDAM201 FRED Optimum Optical Engineering Software 1 3 FRDAM201 FRED Optimum Optical Engineering Software 1 4 FRDAM201 FRED Optimum Optical Engineering Software 1 5 FRDAM201 FRED Optimum Optical Engineering Software 1 6 FRDAM206 FRED Optimum Optical Engineering Software 1 7 FRDAM216 FRED Optimum Optical Engineering Software 2 This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations. However, all responsible sources may submit a capability statement, proposal, or quotation, which shall be considered by the Government. The Government will consider responses received within 3 business days of issuance of this notice. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct a full and open competitive procurement or a small business set aside competitive procurement. The Government will not pay for any information received in response to this announcement. If the Government decides to compete this requirement, a synopsis shall be issued utilizing the combined synopsis/solicitation procedure identified in RFO 12.202. If this effort becomes a Small Business Set-Aside, RFO 52.219-14, Limitation on Subcontracting, will apply. Therefore, small businesses that want to be considered for a small business set-aside should demonstrate how they intend to comply. A determination not to compete this requirement based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Contractors should be aware of the following information: Contractors must include the following information: Points of contact, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers. Identification as a large U.S. business, a small U.S. business, or a foreign business. Please note that size indicated should be based on the NAICS code for this effort listed above. Identification of any other socioeconomic status (Women-Owned Small Business, Economically Disadvantaged Small Business, 8(a), Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Veteran Owned Small Business or HUBZone). Company CAGE Code or DUNS Number. In your response, you must address how your product meets the product characteristics specified above. Submitted information shall be UNCLASSIFIED. Responses are limited to 10 pages in a Microsoft Word compatible format. Responses should be emailed to Glenn Wellman at glenn.wellman@us.af.mil no later than, 16 September 2026, 5:00 PM EST. Any questions should be directed to Glenn Wellman through email.

Who won similar work

53 award notices on SAM.gov in the last 24 months. Match: Same agency (Air Force and Space Force), same NAICS 513210.

WinnerAwardsValueLast
CARAHSOFT TECHNOLOGY CORP6$5.9MFeb 27, 2026
Ansys Government Initiatives, LLC4$4.2MDec 31, 2025
The MathWorks, Inc.3$10.5MJan 12, 2026
PLEXSYS INTERFACE PRODUCTS, INC2$1.3MSep 17, 2026
R.S. MEANS COMPANY2$184KJul 23, 2025
OGILVY PUBLIC RELATIONS WORLDWIDE LLC1$15.0MApr 1, 2026
ADA CORE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.1$1.4MMar 25, 2025
ENTERPRISE INTEGRATION, INC1$1.3MMar 31, 2025
IDEA ENTITY CORPORATION1$1000KJul 23, 2026
DYNAMIC SYSTEMS INC1$831KFeb 19, 2025

Value counts single-winner awards. "Shared" awards are multiple-award contracts that list every winner with the same total ceiling; that ceiling is not one company's win, so it is not added in.

Latest awards

Competitive landscape

For the 8 most frequent past winners above. Lobbying is matched by the company's exact name or exact ticker; agencies are as named on the filings.

  • 0 of these past winners lobbied Air Force, Dept of since 2024 (0 filings)
  • 0 of their lobbyists list a past Air Force, Dept of job
  • No corporate PAC money from them to the overseeing committees since 2024
  • 0 foreign-agent (FARA) registrations
See who and the source records with Pro

Policy around it

Bills the past winners named while lobbying this agency's issues, rules from the department, and executive orders that name the agency, last 12 months.

  • 0 bills named on the past winners' lobbying filings
  • 32 rules from the department in the last 12 months
  • 0 executive orders naming the agency in the last 12 months
See who and the source records with Pro

Market

For past winners matched exactly to a listed company. Insider trades are open-market buys and sells (Form 4) in the last 90 days, shown as facts; our own study found insiders do not reliably buy ahead of awards.

  • 0 of the past winners are listed companies
  • 0 insider buys and 0 insider sells at them in the last 90 days
See who and the source records with Pro

Sources: SAM.gov notices and award notices; Senate LDA lobbying filings; FEC filings; FARA; Federal Register; congress.gov; SEC Form 4. Every row above links to its record.

Companies are matched to tickers by exact name only. A company we could not match shows no market rows; that is a miss, not a finding.