LAWTON – The FISTA Development Trust Authority wants to hear from contractors interested in supplying manufacturing equipment for FISTA’s STEM Center, which will give students a chance to work on projects related to science, technology, engineering and math.
The board voted unanimously Jan. 7 to approve a request for proposals for additive manufacturing equipment for the STEM lab and advertise the RFP as required by law. The RFP was released Jan. 9.
Proposals must be submitted to Tradesman Architectural Studios, which is the architectural and engineering consultant on the STEM lab, by 1 p.m. Jan. 30.
The city has already begun construction on the STEM lab, but FISTA held off on seeking RFPs for manufacturing equipment due to its specialized nature, said FISTA President/ CEO Dr. Krista Ratliff.
“We wanted to go out to bid separately for this equipment so we could find someone that specializes in that,” she said.
When construction is finished, the STEM lab will be outfitted with a DMP Flex 350 metal laser printing system or its equivalent, according to the request for proposals. FISTA has budgeted $800,000 for the equipment, including installation.
Tradesman assisted FISTA with the request for proposals, Ratliff said.
“We did partner with Tradesman on the release of this RFP because we wanted to make sure that we got everything right,” she said. “This is such a highly specialized, highly skilled piece of equipment.”
Ratliff said once a contractor has been selected, FISTA officials are expecting that installation of the printer will begin by the fourth quarter of 2026.
FISTA is building the STEM lab, incubator and manufacturing space in the former Old Navy and UPS stores in Central Plaza. A $20 million grant from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science & Technology supplied funding for the project.