NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. -- The Avionics Component Improvement Program (AvCIP) is accepting proposals from program offices NAVAIR-wide for fiscal year 2010 project funding to support and repair avionics equipment.

“All program offices, fixed wing, rotary wing, unmanned aerial systems, weapons and support equipment, are eligible to receive AvCIP funds to address avionics issues,” said Tom Maday, program lead.

Concept proposals must be submitted by April 8. Proposals should identify the component to be repaired, the platform it is used on, the proposed solution and expected benefits of repairing the component. The components can be in or out of production.

“If your program is having a problem supporting a particular piece of avionics equipment, we may be able to help,” said Maday. “We have dedicated funding just for this purpose.”

Project selection and prioritization is based upon its urgency, the return on investment, the number of users affected and operational benefits and risk, with an emphasis on quick execution. Once a concept is approved, the AvCIP team will work with the selected team leads to complete a formal submission package for a working group review of the concepts, scheduled for the last week of May. Project selection is completed by mid-June to ensure an early fiscal year 2010 start. Proposals are solicited, reviewed, competed and selected by a panel of subject matter experts.

“The AvCIP submission template has been used to package and present information in a compelling way that allows submitters to pursue resources outside the AvCIP team’s dedicated funding lines,” said Maday. “Where possible, the AvCIP team will help the program compete for other possible funding.”

Both the Defense Logistics Agency’s Sustainment Engineering program and the Naval Inventory Control Point’s Logistics Engineering Change Proposal team have used the template information to review and support projects.

AvCIP was established in September 2003 to provide near-term resources to address critical avionics component war-fighting readiness degraders, excessive support cost drivers and obsolescence issues that present near-term loss of system sustainability and platform war-fighting capability.

For more information, including assistance in developing proposals, please contact Tom Maday, at 301-757-0910.