WASHINGTON - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is seeking industry feedback on a draft Screening Information Request for Phase IV of its Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise program, a cost-shared public-private initiative aimed at advancing certifiable aircraft and engine technologies that reduce fuel burn, emissions, and noise.
Phase IV of the CLEEN program is a follow-on effort to the first three five-year phases and will continue through calendar year 2028. The FAA anticipates making multiple awards under cooperative agreements, with total funding of up to $25 million based on fiscal year 2025 congressional appropriations. Awards are expected to include a 12-month base period and a 12-month option period, with a minimum 1:1 cost-sharing between government and industry participants.
Under statutory authority in Title 49 of the U.S. Code, the FAA uses the CLEEN program to mature and test aircraft and engine technologies that can meet airworthiness certification requirements, including environmental standards. The agency said the program also supports the development of future FAA environmental regulations and environmental reviews tied to rulemaking and certification activities.
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The posting is issued as a request for information (RFI) only and does not constitute a formal solicitation or a commitment by the government to award contracts. The FAA said it is not seeking or accepting unsolicited proposals at this time and will not reimburse respondents for any costs incurred in providing feedback.
Environmental goals
For Phase IV, the FAA is focused on collecting data to inform aircraft and engine environmental standards and to improve certification and environmental review processes. While no explicit reduction targets are specified, proposed technologies must demonstrate benefits relative to current aviation products in at least one area, including fuel efficiency, noise, nitrogen oxide emissions, or particulate matter emissions.
The draft SIR identifies a range of example technology areas of interest, including non-traditional propulsion systems such as open rotor, electric or hybrid-electric, and cryogenic fuel concepts; advanced aircraft configurations such as blended-wing body and truss-braced wing designs; supersonic aircraft and engines; and advanced air mobility vehicles and uncrewed aircraft systems. The FAA emphasized that the list is not exhaustive and does not indicate evaluation preferences.
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Technology concepts are expected to progress toward Technology Readiness Level 6 or 7 demonstrations by the end of the program. Proposals should identify current and projected technology and manufacturing readiness levels and cover the full period of performance. The FAA said it does not anticipate holding a separate procurement for the option period.
The FAA asks that interested parties email the account [email protected]. with the subject "AAQ 460" no later than 12 p.m. (noon) Eastern on 17 February 2026. More information, including specific details, is available at https://sam.gov/workspace/contract/opp/7c1d51f1aaac40f7a66263f866f80f62/view.
