47QFLA20D0022 2023 Annual Market Research Sources Sought Notice.pdf

This is an annual Market Research Sources Sought Notice (SSN).

Procurement Instrument Identifier (PIID): 47QFLA24N0001

CONTRACTING OFFICE ADDRESS:

General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Assisted Acquisition Services (AAS) Apex 4 1734 Corporate Crossing Suite 2 O’Fallon, Illinois 62269

INTRODUCTION:

The GSA FAS AAS Apex 4 Division is conducting market research in support of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) to determine the availability and technical capability of vendors, both large and small businesses (including the following subsets, Small Disadvantaged Businesses, HUBZone Firms; Certified 8(a), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, and Woman Owned Small Business), to provide the required products and services identified below and excerpted from the current Performance Work Statement (PWS).

The products and services are currently being provided by Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) on a single award indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract that was awarded as a sole source in accordance with FAR 6.302-1, Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. As required by the sole source justification approving authority, the Government is conducting an annual market research by issuing an SSN to gather insight into current capabilities of interested parties that are capable of providing the required products and services. Responses to this SSN will be reviewed and used to determine whether or not there have been any significant changes to the industry that would alter the need to continue in a sole source environment.

REQUIRED CAPABILITIES:

GSA is seeking information on potential sources that can provide the production ready equipment and respective, ancillary services listed in the below excerpt of the current PWS. If a vendor does not provide the specific equipment listed but is capable of supplying a like-item, they are requested to indicate such and include detailed technical specifications of the item they are proposing for the respective listed item. Vendors interested and capable of performing under the current PWS shall provide detailed responses on their ability to deliver the PWS requirements in accordance with the submission details listed herein.

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE AND

SIZE STANDARD: 511210 Software Publishers $41.5M, current award; replaced by 513210 Software Publishers $47.0M.

PRODUCT SUPPLY CODE: 7030 current award; replaced by 7B20 It And Telecom - High Performance Compute (Hardware And Perpetual License Software)

The below information is excepted from the current PWS and provides the objective and required tasks currently being performed:

1.2 Objective

The objective of this contract is to provide Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) Tactical Radio Application eXtension (TRAX) software, systems, platforms, and engineering services support.

Products are listed in Section 2.4. Specific support requirements include the following:

• TRAX Software and Upgrades

• Software Assurance and Help Desk Support

• Field Service Support

• Engineering Services and Support

• TRAX-Enabled Platforms and Systems

• JITC/JS J6 Collaboration

1.3 Scope

The JS J6 has been tasked with the mission to identify, demonstrate, and facilitate cutting-edge revolutionary technologies to fill critical technology gaps identified by warfighters at the tactical level worldwide. The scope of this effort is to enable and sustain operationally relevant communications to, from, and within an aircraft, the presentation of information used for threat avoidance, as well as the identification and location of airborne and friendly ground forces. It is anticipated that the products and services will be integrated across all mission elements of the Joint Tactical enterprises enabling full command and control interoperability and critical data transfer.

The capabilities included in the scope of this contract utilize the TRAX software. SNC TRAX is a light-weight cross-platform software solution that is currently fielded on Android, Windows, and Linux Operating Systems. The SNC TRAX software enables the rapid platform integration of new technology while maintaining backwards compatibility with fielded systems. The SNC TRAX software provides message translation needed to bridge disparate tactical data link networks.

This procurement includes SNC TRAX enabled systems, platforms, and engineering services support.

1.4 Background

Deployed military forces have identified shortfalls in current data-link software technology while supporting tactical operations. The issues consisted primarily of incompatibility of data-links being utilized by U.S. forces as well as the inability for tactical level users to operate the complicated software while still focusing on their primary function. Deployed military forces seek software to combine utilized data-links and provide a graphical user interface that enables operators with little or no data-link knowledge to utilize them effectively. TRAX has been identified as the software program that addresses these shortfalls.

The systems, platforms, and engineering services support in this contract will greatly enhance the US Government’s efforts to rapidly address the shortfalls in the current data-link software technology by migrating to a tactical network environment (applications, devices, gateways, and network transport) that will enable communications in disconnected, intermittent, and limited bandwidth environments. Additionally, it will present information critical for connecting disparate networks and translating the message between languages, thus enabling disparate systems to communicate, conduct threat avoidance, as well as the identification and location of air and ground forces.

2.4 Specific Requirements

2.4.1 TRAX Software and Upgrades:

2.4.1.1 TRAX Software: The Contractor shall provide SNC TRAX and TRAX Android (ATRAX) in the version compatible with the required operating software. SNC TRAX is a light-weight cross-platform software solution that is currently fielded on Android, Windows, and Linux Operating Systems. The SNC TRAX/ATRAX software enables the rapid platform integration of new technology while maintaining backwards compatibility with fielded systems. The SNC TRAX/ATRAX software provides message translation needed to bridge disparate tactical data link networks. The license is perpetual.

2.4.1.2 Software Upgrades: The Contractor shall provide the ability for users to upgrade to the latest version. Upgrades include both version upgrades and individual module upgrades that contain enhanced functionality that improves and/or enhances TRAX/ATRAX software products.

2.4.1.3 Software Modules: The Contractor shall provide software modules which are installed in addition to SNC TRAX/ATRAX and provide a specific capability upgrade that is not included in the base TRAX/ATRAX Software.

2.4.2 Software Assurance and Annual Support:

2.4.2.1 Software Assurance: The Contractor shall track, research, and validate all reported bugs and required compatibility revisions within the purchased version and module. Bugs and compatibility revisions to be tracked include, but are not limited to application access, navigation, functionality, inputs, and outputs.

2.4.2.2 Help Desk Support: The Contractor shall provide help desk phone support Monday to Friday from 0900-1700ET and email support 24/7. Help desk phone and email inquiries shall receive a response within 24 hours. The Help Desk technician shall provide support via phone and email to resolve user issues and ensure users can easily access the most up-to-date software documentation and updates. Additionally, the Help Desk shall provide end-users with support for configuration issues, troubleshooting, and software installations, troubleshooting, database, network, and integration infrastructure.

2.4.3 Field Service Support: The Contractor shall provide field service support to provide integration, demonstration support, exercise support, training, and configuration management to end users.

2.4.3.1 Field service support shall include integration of SNC TRAX software with customer specific hardware via network interfacing. As needed, the contractor shall troubleshoot technical problems and issues, determine technical solutions in accordance with product and customer specifications, and recommend actions to end user for product solution.

2.4.3.2 Field service support shall include the setup and test of the planned network against the latest builds/platforms to ensure network feasibility.

2.4.3.3 Field service support shall include training to end users. Training includes preparing and presenting TRAX & ATRAX training curriculum in trainings, exercises, or course events to tactical users and integrators. Each training event shall be tailored to audience expertise levels as well as individual radios and computing systems.

2.4.3.4 Field service support shall include assistance with configuration control and maintenance on devices at every echelon to ensure functionality matches the baseline and syncing between systems. Field service support shall be provided in Continental United States (CONUS) and Outside Continental United States (OCONUS) locations as required.

2.4.3.5 Field service support can be purchased in one of the commercially Available Service and Support Packages.

2.4.4 Engineering Services and Support:

2.4.4.1 Engineering Services: The Contractor shall provide engineering services to support end user solutions to meet the stated objectives and/or requirements defined at the task order level.

Engineering services includes program management, planning, software development, system engineering, risk reduction testing, demonstration, and integration support. All engineering services will develop a new capability or enhance an existing capability.

2.4.4.2 Engineering Support: The Contractor shall provide engineering support to develop, integrate, and deliver TRAX-Enabled platforms and systems to meet the demands of the customer specific requirements that are defined at the task order level. Engineering support shall include new and existing hardware- centric systems and platforms that utilize TRAX.

2.4.5 TRAX-Enabled Platforms and Systems

2.4.5.1 The Contractor shall provide applicable TRAX-Enabled Platforms and Systems as Commercial-Off-The-Shelf products for purchase. Any additional engineering or integration support required for the TRAX-Enabled Platforms and Systems can be purchased through the Field Service and Engineering Services and Support scope above.

2.4.6 Government Testing/ Joint Staff J6 (JS J6) Collaboration: The Contractor shall collaborate with JS J6 as necessary to support MIL-STD Conformance certification. The Contractor shall work with JS J6 to establish test criteria and plans, perform tests, and review test results. Support will vary in duration and complexity by platform and shall be defined at the order level.

2.4.7 Technical Documentation: The Contractor shall provide technical documentation to include installation & troubleshooting manuals, training materials, diagrams, workflows, and miscellaneous technical documentation, as required.

SUBMISSION DETAILS

Responses should be no more than 5 pages in length and include:

1) Business name and address;

a. Name of company representative and their business title;

b. Type of Business (Small/Large);

c. Cage Code & Unique Entity ID (UEI) number

d. Existing GSA contract number, if applicable

2) Copy of existing price list highlighting required equipment, or like proposed product

3) The contractor shall specifically identify and demonstrate their experience performing tasks similar to those described in the PWS.

4) A statement confirming that your firm has reviewed and can comply with the description summary included with this announcement.

Interested parties who wish to respond to this SSN should send responses via email no later than 1700 Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 20 November 2023, to Allison Crews at allison.crews@gsa.gov and Cody Seelhoefer at cody.seelhoefer@gsa.gov

DISCLAIMERS

1. This sources sought is for informational purposes only. This is not a request for proposal.

It does not constitute a solicitation and shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government. Responses in any form are not offers and the Government is under no obligation to award a contract as a result of this announcement. No funds are available to pay for preparation of responses to this announcement. Any information submitted by respondents to this technical description is strictly voluntary.

2. Proprietary information and trade secrets, if any, must be clearly marked on all materials.

All information received that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

All government and contractor personnel reviewing SSN responses will have signed non-disclosure agreements and understand their responsibility for proper use and protection from unauthorized disclosure of proprietary information as described 41 USC 423. The Government shall not be held liable for any damages incurred if proprietary information is not properly identified.