Summary
New Mexico State University issued a sole-source pre-award solicitation titled "Astrophysical Research Consortium Pre-Award FY27" seeking an annual membership to the Astrophysical Research Consortium for FY27 with an estimated budget of approximately $357,401. The solicitation scope covers membership fees for access to the 3.5‑m telescope at Apache Point Observatory and allows interested parties to submit a written challenge within the listed challenge window. The posting lists an open/posting date of 2026-07-06 and a closing date of 2026-08-05, and directs vendors to the buyer-hosted procurement event page (SciQuest/Jaggaer) for the sole-source justification and other attachments.