MDC seeks consultant for West Texas Aerospace Corridor

Midland Development Corp. is looking for a consultant to turn the West Texas Aerospace Corridor from a partnership agreement into a working plan.

The development corporation is now soliciting proposals from consulting firms, planning teams and multidisciplinary master consultants to build a West Texas Aerospace Corridor Master Plan. Proposals are due July 31, 2026.

The request for proposals marks a new procurement step for a project that has been moving through local and state approval channels since early May. The corridor effort is a partnership between Midland Development Corp. and El Paso County and is funded through the Texas Space Commission's Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund.

What the corridor covers

The RFP defines West Texas as the area between Midland and El Paso, including both cities. The plan is meant to help explain how that region could function as a connected aerospace corridor rather than as separate local markets.

That geographic frame is central to the project because it links Midland's existing economic development push with El Paso County's role in the broader corridor concept. It also gives the consultant a defined region to study for infrastructure, workforce, industrial capacity and supply-chain opportunities.

What the consultant must deliver

The selected consultant will be expected to assess regional infrastructure, workforce assets, industrial capabilities and aerospace supply-chain opportunities. The work also calls for engagement with industry, government, education and military partners.

Planned deliverables include a regional asset inventory, supply-chain and infrastructure analysis, GIS mapping tools, stakeholder engagement reports, a master plan and an implementation strategy.

Those deliverables suggest the project is intended to go beyond a high-level vision statement. MDC is asking for a practical planning document that can identify assets, map gaps and outline how the corridor could move from concept to execution.

From partnership to procurement

MDC board members approved the partnership with El Paso County on May 4, according to earlier reporting. That reporting said the project was tied to an $800,000 Texas Space Commission grant and that MDC could be reimbursed for up to $655,000 in eligible project costs.

The remaining grant funds were tied to the Borderplex Workforce Alliance, which was part of the broader funding structure around the corridor work. The current consultant search follows that earlier approval and brings the project into the next phase of implementation.

Midland reporting on June 15 also showed the city's wider push into the space economy. That reporting described an aerospace workshop with industry and government stakeholders and framed Midland's space-sector strategy as part of a broader regional growth effort.

Why it matters

The corridor plan could shape how West Texas markets itself to aerospace and defense employers. It could also help identify which suppliers, institutions and infrastructure pieces are already in place and which ones would still need investment.

If the master plan leads to implementation, the project could broaden the region's industrial base and support high-wage jobs linked to aerospace, logistics and advanced manufacturing. The planning work is also likely to affect how local leaders prioritize future investments.

For now, the immediate milestone is the July 31 deadline. MDC is expected to review proposals after that date and select a consultant to produce the master plan and implementation roadmap.

The project remains in its planning phase, and key questions are still open, including which consulting team will win the contract and which corridor priorities will rise to the top once the work begins.