DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SEEKS NATIONAL PROTOTYPE CENTER CHARTER PARTNERS AND ANNOUNCES WORKSHOP FOR INTERESTED PARTICIPANTS The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) seeks to create technology partnerships with private sector companies at The National Prototype Center (NPC) located at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, managed and operated by Lockheed Martin Energy Systems for DOE. The Y-12 Plant was designated as the National Prototype Center last year by the U.S. Congress. The NPC is a resource through which both government agencies and private industry can find the capabilities, skills, and resources needed to turn great ideas into innovative, affordable, manufacturable products. The NPC specializes in high-risk, complex prototype work integrating manufacturing, engineering, and scientific capabilities. DOE is now seeking four Charter Partners from the private sector. If selected, these Charter Partners will be able to more rapidly develop their new products and processes through their on-site access to the unique capabilities of the NPC. The NPC Charter Partners will work with NPC personnel and have access to the world-class expertise and facilities of the Centers for Manufacturing Technology at the Y-12 Plant and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Projects selected will be complementary to DOE's National Security mission and core competencies. Industry input on the opportunity and the details of the competition will be sought at a workshop planned for March 24, 1998 in Oak Ridge. A request for proposals will be published in the "Commerce Business Daily" on March 30, with a deadline for proposal submissions of June 30. Awards to successful partners will be made by July 15, 1998. The workshop will include descriptions of NPC capabilities, examples of NPC prototyping, and discussions of proposal selection criteria. In addition, tours of NPC facilities, discussions of regional economic development opportunities, and networking opportunities for teaming will be provided. Charter Partners, when selected, will be asked to locate a team of between two and twenty employees in Oak Ridge where they would work side-by-side with engineers and scientists from DOE facilities. Preference will be given to companies willing to assist in the economic development of the region. Y-12 has been developing unique one-of-a-kind prototypes for more than 50 years beginning with demanding requirements for national security missions in the early 1940s. More familiar examples of prototype successes include the Apollo "Moonbox," the Seawolf Submarine Propulsor Project, and the "hospital-in-a-box" developed last year for the U.S. Army and the Marine Corps. Currently, work is under way on the Marine Corps' Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle that will serve as a weapons platform for the Marines' challenging missions. To register for the March 24 Workshop or for more information contact: Paul C. Turner, Director; National Prototype Center; P. O. Box 2009; Oak Ridge, TN 37831-8091; (423) 574-0907; (800) 356-4USA; e-mail: turnerpc@ornl.gov WEB: Information on the National Prototype Center, http://www.ornl.gov/orcmt/npc.html. E-MAIL: Director of the National Prototype Center, turnerpc@ornl.gov.

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