#5: Prime & Subcontractors

Word count & reading time: (1280 words – 10 minutes)

Welcome back to the Space Design Competitions – unique, impactful, and exhilarating space STEAM-a-thon events that get you conceptually designing space habitats for up to 80 years in the future… 

The last article elaborated on the details of the Company Structure and roles within them. Prime and Subcontractors were introduced and are often a stumbling block for most first-time participants. As such, we’ll dive into it here as these concepts are integral to the Space Design Competitions.

If you have not already, take a minute to watch this video reviewing 14 years of  the UKSDC event. It gives a great overview of what we’re all about.

What is a contractor?

A great place to start. What is a contractor and what do they have to do with industry? Before we jump into contractors, let us first acknowledge the root word: contracts. 

You may be familiar with what a contract is as you have probably got your phone data & call package on some form of contract, or are aware of contracts with utility providers (e.g. internet, electricity, water, or gas) for your home. But what is a contract?

A contract is a formal written —or spoken— agreement, especially one concerning employment, sales, or tenancy, that is intended to be enforceable by law. 

It’s essentially an agreement between two or more parties regarding work to be done. It should now make a lot more sense when you read the definition for a contractor below.

A contractor is an individual or firm that agrees to the terms of a contract and provides materials or labour to perform the service or fulfil the job as stated in the contract.

In essence, a contract is the agreement and the contractors are those fulfilling the terms of the agreement for the client. This is the bread-and-butter of modern day industry (especially the space sector!), describing how it operates efficiently and effectively.

A client is an individual or firm using the services of another professional individual or firm, the owner of the job stated in a contract. 

Picture yourself as the owner of an electronics shop. You may not have the skills within your shop to perform interior refurbishment. Desperately needing to upgrade the interior of your shop for new electronic hardware, you decide to hire specialists to perform these specific tasks. In this example, you —the business owner— are the client and the specialists are the contractors. It’s as simple as that!

If you haven’t quite understood this concept yet, give it some time to set in as the rest of the article will go into further detail about the various types of contractors.

What is a Prime Contractor?

The word “prime” is often given to an individual or entity that is of importance: the main entity. So in the case of contractors, the Prime Contractor is the main contractor. 

In very large projects (such as building a space settlement) there exists a wide array of skills and specialisations needed to complete the entire project. In such cases, you will need to hire many different subcontractors. But who manages them all?

The Prime Contractor is the lead contractor responsible for the completion of a project which is under contract with the owner of the job (the client). The obligation of the prime contractor is to complete a project and can hire multiple other contractors (subcontractors) to do the same.

So the prime contractor is the company that the client puts in charge of overseeing the execution of a project. 

In the case of the SDCs, the company that you are a member of is a prime contractor. There are five different companies in the SDCs, each battling to win the client’s trust —by creating the most attractive design proposal— to be awarded the contract. This is the basis of the Space Design Competitions. 

The five different prime contractors are listed below (their specialisations are accessible here):

• Kepler Automation
• Olympus Mons Trading Company
• Earhart Advanced Industries
• DaVinci Meccanica
• Condor Aviation

What is a Subcontractor?

You have probably guessed it already. A  subcontractor is just another contractor in the larger project who fulfils a small part of the whole.

A subcontractor is an individual or a firm that signs a contract to perform part of the obligations of another’s contract.

You would often hire subcontractors either to reduce costs, save time, or to mitigate project risks. In employing subcontractors, the prime contractor hopes to receive the same or better service than the prime contractor could have provided by itself at lower overall risk. Remember the example of the electronics shop?

In the SDCs, there are a tonne of subcontractors that you —a member of a prime contractor— can and should use in your design proposal. Each has a specialisation that may prove beneficial to you. The judges will be looking out for effective use of subcontractors to reduce project costs, timelines, and risks.

The idea of offloading your work to someone else may seem alien to you as this is not typically practised in school. Well, that’s just another reason you should take part in an SDC! We’re here to show you how industries work.

An SDC Example

You now know that in the SDCs you are a member of one of the companies (a prime contractor) competing to win a contract with the Foundation Society (the client) to build a space settlement. In this setting, you are encouraged and expected to use someone else’s specialisations (subcontractors) to fulfil a part of your design proposal. All right, let’s put this together in a typical SDC example.

You are a member of the Human Engineering department of Earhart Advanced Industries (a prime contractor). The Foundation Society (the client) has specifically listed a nutritional requirement for a varied, fresh, and balanced diet for the inhabitants.

Your department decides that fish is a tasty source of protein, fatty acids, and an assortment of vitamins and minerals. You also note that growing fish means you can offer ecological habitats on your settlement that resemble Earth, improving the mental health of the inhabitants. Great! But you have absolutely no clue how to farm fish.

Your first point-of-call is to check the list of subcontractors. Low and behold, CRISPR Cod is an organisation that sells, despite their name, a large variety of genetically modified fish that they claim are guaranteed to provide greater yields of produce with greater resistance to parasites and diseases.

You enlist CRISPR Cod’s services, noting how much it will cost. Simple as that. 

Here, you isolated a subcontractor that can perform the work you need and enlisted their services. In your final design proposal, all you need to do is state the use of the subcontractor, how much it will cost you, and how the provision of their services will make your settlement desirable to the client.

Congratulations, you’re one step closer to being SDC ready!

Final Remarks

The notion of contractors is of fundamental importance to the space sector. I hope you now have a deeper understanding of how they work and how you can utilise this knowledge in the SDCs. 

Next up, I will do my best to give you the skills necessary to decipher the Request for Proposal (RFP); the central document to all SDCs. It will be a 3-part series as there is much to cover…

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more!

External Links

• Want to get involved in this rapidly growing network of space education enthusiasts? Register your interest to volunteer here: eusdc.org/volunteer-registration
• Want to follow the news and events in the European context? Check out the EUSDC website here: eusdc.org
• Want to find out more about the organising charity? Check out the SSEF website here: ssef.org.uk

#4: Company Structure

Word count & reading time: (1095 words – 8 minutes)

Welcome back to the Space Design Competitions – unique, impactful, and exhilarating space STEAM-a-thon events that get you conceptually designing space habitats for up to 80 years in the future…

The last article elaborated on the details of the Request for Proposal (RFP) and the concept of companies for teams. But how do these companies work, and where do you fit in? That’s exactly what we’ll dive into in this article.

If you have not already, take a minute to watch this video reviewing 14 years of  the UKSDC event. It gives a great overview of what we’re all about.

Once again, what is the point of an SDC?

The SDC is an immersive aerospace industry simulation. It’s an opportunity for you to experience the joys and challenges of complex and multifaceted industry design proposals.

Through this simulation, you will transform yourself into a representative of a fictional company some 50-80 years in the future. Much will have changed, and you will need to work collaboratively to accomplish the design challenge set by the fictional client — the Foundation Society.

What does collaboration mean?

Working collaboratively is a core value of the Space Design Competitions. Without collaboration with your peers, you will not be able to successfully fulfil the RFP.

In the SDCs, you will be working in a company of up to 50 individuals. This may be the first time you will have worked in such a large group, and your ability to collaborate will be put to the challenge.

Collaboration in a workplace means sharing ideas to accomplish a common goal. It is simply teamwork taken to a higher level.

Teamwork is often a physical joining of people to accomplish a task and includes other aspects, such as the following:

• Thinking & brainstorming ideas to provide solutions – this key element brings groups together to offer different perspectives and expertise to solve common problems. The phrase ‘putting our heads together‘ idiomatically expresses this element of collaboration.
• Equal participation – in industry, a collaborative manager or leader may say ‘leave your titles at the door.’ Treating everyone as an equal can open up communication and encourage ideas not only from its upper management, but  from all levels of the company or department.
• Effective communication & management of ideas – central to all collaborative efforts is the ability to communicate ideas across the entire team, to manage their progress, and to evaluate their impact. You will need to choose specific  individuals to fulfil this role.
• A strong sense of purpose – groups and individuals who truly collaborate see the value in working together and do not feel forced to do so. There should be a meaningful reason for working together, and it should benefit the company as a whole.

Note. collaboration and collation are two very different concepts. One is the joint solving of a problem (collaboration) whilst the other is joining independently constructed solutions (collation) and hoping they fit together.

Confusing these terms results in inefficient company organisation and, ultimately, incomplete design proposals. Understanding how members of large groups work together is pivotal for success at the SDCs.

How are the companies divided?

Each of the companies comprises a group of up to 50 participants, all working towards a common goal: to satisfy the requirements of the RFP.

Depending on the number of participants within a competition, there may be only 2 or 3 companies. If the event is at full capacity, you can expect 5 companies to be running at max capacity! So how is the workload shared among 50 participants?

Splitting the company into specific focus groups guarantees that the workload is shared. As in industry, these focus groups are, in effect, company departments. In the SDCs, there are 4 such departments:

1. Structures — responsible for the overall structural design of the settlement
2. Operations — responsible for defining the infrastructure and utilities of the settlement
3. Automation — responsible for designing and providing digital and robotic services to support the operations of the settlement
4. Human Factors — responsible for ensuring human safety, livability, and comfort of the settlement

At the start of the event, you will have the opportunity to join any one of these departments. Choosing a department that best suits your interests allows you to explore the topic further, thereby challenging you to grow. It is always recommended that you choose a path that best fits your skills and passions.  But do maintain a degree of flexibility!

How are the companies structured?

As in industry, a hierarchical structure exists within each company in the form of leadership roles bearing specific responsibilities. You may have heard of some of these before: Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Head of Department (HoD), Team Leaders, etc. In the SDCs, there are 4 leadership roles:

1. Company President — provides leadership across the company and is the most senior role, ensuring that all aspects of the RFP are met.
2. (VPE) Vice President of Engineering — coordinates each department in order that all engineering divisions communicate their ideas and satisfy the requirements  set out in the RFP.
3. (VPM) Vice President of Marketing & Sales — imagines the brand for its space company, its financial structure, and its customer marketing.
4. (HoD) Head of Department — coordinates a specific department, ensuring progress as well as alignment to RFP requirements.

Each of these roles is depicted in Figure 1 below. The red positions represent adult volunteer roles, green positions represent student leadership roles, and blue positions reflect the remainder of student roles.

Note. red positions are filled by SDC alumni, members of academia or of industry and are available to you across the SDC event.

Figure 1. Company hierarchy diagram. 

Every department focuses its work within specialisations to complete the diverse requirements of the RFP.

Ultimately, the departments collaborate and pool their work to assemble the final design.

For a deeper understanding of specific roles and responsibilities, visit this document.

Final Remarks

Now you know about the RFP, about each of the 5 fictional companies within the SDCs, and about the organisation of each company. Perhaps now you even know about where  you fit within them the next time you participate!

Next up, we will explore the relationship between Prime and Subcontractors.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more.

External Links

• Want to get involved in this rapidly growing network of space education enthusiasts? Register your interest to volunteer here: eusdc.org/volunteer-registration
• Want to follow the news and events in the European context? Check out the EUSDC website here: eusdc.org
• Want to find out more about the organising charity? Check out the SSEF website here: ssef.org.uk

#3: Introduction to RFP & Companies

Word count & reading time: (1350 words – 10 minutes)

Welcome back to the Space Design Competitions – unique, impactful, and exhilarating space STEAM-a-thon events that get you conceptually designing space habitats for up to 80 years in the future…

The last article elaborated on the details of what to expect during a typical competition: its structure and timeline. But what exactly is expected of you, as a participant? That’s exactly what we’ll dive into in this article.

Before getting into the details, however, take a minute to watch this video reviewing  14 years of  the UK competition.

So what exactly is an SDC, again?

The SDC is an immersive aerospace industry simulation, i.e., a Space Design Competition. It’s an opportunity for you to experience the joys and challenges of complex and multifaceted industry design proposals. You will transform yourself from where you are today into a representative of a fictional company within the space sector some 50-80 years in the future. Much has changed, technology has advanced beyond our comprehension, and the fictional client —the Foundation Society— is keen to hear how your company will address its design requirements.

A few frequently asked questions that may help you…

Question: So, we’re part of a company during the competition. Is that like a group?

Answer: Yes! A group of space enthusiasts just like you. A company can consist of up to 50 participants. Your objective will be to work together to solve the design requirements of the client, the Foundation Society. Such large groups are typical in industry.

Question: Okay… so we’re working in companies and we’re designing something for the client. What are we designing?

Answer: Each SDC has a unique set of design requirements which are provided to the companies by the client in the form of a Request for Proposal (RFP). This RFP is also typical of industry. Each company designs according to the RFP and then presents their proposal to the client at the end of the competition. The most appropriate design to the RFP is the proposal that wins the bid.

Question: Right. So we’re designing a proposal in large groups according to an RFP that must satisfy the Foundation Society’s requirements. What exactly is the RFP?

Answer: The Request for Proposal (RFP) is everything at a competition. Some of the alumni are probably giggling at this point, because they know how often this is stated and yet overlooked in the rush of an SDC. What you find below may help shine a light on the most important document of the SDCs, the RFP.

What is the RFP about?

The RFP outlines all the design requirements of the Foundation Society for your space habitat. It is a list of tasks the client has asked for and that you need to provide. Remember, to win at the SDCs, your sole task is to deliver on the client’s needs better than any other company, which means fully understanding their needs. So please read the RFP!

The RFP is a long, text-heavy, and very detailed description of the requirements, typical of industry. It is normally split into 6 sections of focus:

1. Basic Requirements — overall requirements for the design proposal that all departments must adhere to
2. Structures — overall structural design of the settlement (e.g., interior/exterior drawings, configurations, construction materials, etc.)
3. Operations — infrastructure and utilities of the settlement (e.g., location of facilities, transportation, operation to support construction, functionality & usability, etc.)
4. Automation — design and provision of digital and robotic services to support the operations of your settlement (e.g., numbers, types, and designs of robots and computers needed)
5. Human Factors — provision of human safety, livability, and comfort of the settlement (e.g., designing workplaces, homes, and communities)
6. Cost & Schedule — detailing the departmental costs

Understanding the RFP and what is being asked of you is a crucial part of the design process. Without this understanding, you are simply sharing your bright ideas. Although we ask for you to do so, make sure that your ideas are also solutions.

Question: I got you. We definitely read the RFP and then design accordingly. There are quite a few tasks, though. I don’t like the sound of most, but I do like one in particular. How do we split the task?

Answer: Luckily, you are not alone in this behemoth undertaking of a challenge. You are with your fellow colleagues within your company. As is standard in industry, companies have departments. You will fit into one of them, or perhaps see yourself more fittingly in a leadership role? Regardless, you can design for whichever RFP section suits your interest the most. 

What are the companies?

There are 5 different fictional companies that, in industrial terms, are called the Prime Contractors. Within the Space Design Competition framework, you will be assigned to one of them:

1. (KA) Kepler Automation — a European multinational who specialises in satellite technology and are leaders in radiation management and habitation control.
2. (EAI) Earhart Advanced Industries — the first space contractor in the game. Whilst historically having favoured a cautious solution, they continually advance the state of the art across the entire field.
3. (OMTC) Olympus Mons Trading Company — a Martian logistics and resource trading company estimated to be the richest organisation in the galaxy. Information about the workings of the company is closely guarded.
4. (DM) DaVinci Meccanica — developed by several Roscosmos engineers with the idea of humanising ecologically responsible space exploration. A pioneering force in the generation of clean energy in space.
5. Condor — an Australian process engineering specialist turned launch provider, they have a strong focus on safety systems but know how to innovate, too.

Depending on the size of the competition, there may be only 2 or 3 companies. If the event is at full capacity, you can expect 5 very full companies! More on the company history available here.

As a part of one of the Prime Contracting companies, you may leverage your speciality (e.g., clean power generation) within your design proposal. But what if you want to use someone else’s? As well as the Prime Contractors, there also exist Subcontractors. Thanks to one in particular —Litigation Limiters— you are able to subcontract specific tasks that competing companies specialise in. More on this in a future article.

Each of the companies can be a group of up to 50 participants. Naturally, splitting the company into specific focus groups is a practical method of ensuring the workload is shared. As in industry, this is accomplished through the use of company departments. There are 4:

1. Structures — responsible for the overall structural design of the settlement
2. Operations — responsible for defining the infrastructure and utilities of the settlement
3. Automation — responsible for designing and providing digital and robotic services to support the operations of your settlement
4. Human Factors — responsible for ensuring human safety, livability, and comfort of the settlement

At the start of the event, you will have the opportunity to join any of them. Choosing a department that best suits your interests will allow you to explore the topic further, thus gaining an insight into the reality of design in the space sector and challenging you to grow. It is always recommended that you choose a path that best suits you. But do maintain a degree of flexibility!

Final Remarks

Somewhat confused on the whole Prime Contractor/Subcontractor business? Don’t worry! More on the use of Subcontractors in a future article. For now, all you need to understand is that you’ll be a representative of one of these companies throughout the entire competition, answering to the RFP.

Next up, we will explore the ins and outs of a typical company. The structure, the hierarchy, the roles and responsibilities, and access to the only adults allowed in the competition: the volunteers!

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more.

External Links

• Want to get involved in this rapidly growing network of space education enthusiasts? Register your interest to volunteer here: eusdc.org/volunteer-registration
• Want to follow the news and events in the European context? Check out the EUSDC website here: eusdc.org
• Want to find out more about the organising charity? Check out the SSEF website here: ssef.org.uk