B01_SPCA_Presolicitation_Notice_09-18-2024_1.pdf

United States Department of the Interior

INTERIOR BUSINESS CENTER

Washington, DC 20240

140D0425CDOIDFB0 240044 - DHS S&T Secure Shipping Follow-on Presolicitation Notice of Intent to Sole Source

General Information:

The Department of the Interior (DOI), Interior Business Center (IBC), Acquisition Services Directorate (AQD) is responsible for procuring this acquisition on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security Science & Technology Directorate (DHS S&T). This notice is in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 5.2 - Synopses of Proposed Contract Actions. This is a notice of intent to make a sole source award and is not a solicitation or request for competitive quotes.

Background:

The objective of the Department of Homeland Security’s Secure Shipping Project is to develop advanced capabilities to address supply chain security. Part of this work includes combating systemic transnational criminal activity to eliminate the flow of narcotics, crime, and violence into the United States, while intercepting outbound illicit profits. This starts at the land and maritime ports of entry, where DHS is vigilantly inspecting inbound cargo. In-transit supply chain security continues to be a challenge for protecting shipments from the point of stuffing to the point of deconsolidation via U.S. Ports of Entry. By developing and deploying intermodal shipping containers that are secure from origin to destination, preventing the removal or tampering of materials and introduction of threats, the US supply chain will benefit through the reduction or elimination of inspections of containers at ports of entry, provide advance identification of containers which have been tampered with, and ensure the security of sensitive cargo.

DHS requires follow-on work to field test container prototypes using resin material formulas identified and tested under a predecessor contract, and field test those containers in quantities sufficient to meet industry recommendations. The information collected will be used to inform a new industry standard to improve global supply chain security. This acquisition is for the purchase of 39 additional six-sided secure 1AAA secure shipping containers. In addition, the acquisition will provide field trials for the 39 six-sided containers as well as 15 six-sided containers fabricated under the previous contract. The incumbent contract only supports field trials of the 15 six-sided secure composite containers through December 2025. Based on the construction completion date, the field trials of these six-sided containers will be limited. This in turn limits the confidence level which DHS will be able apply towards determining the performance of the six-sided secure composite containers. Increasing the number of containers available for field trials as well as the field trial period of performance is expected to increase the number of container trips for six-sided secure composite containers. Only by increasing the number of containers and period of performance with a new sole source contract to the incumbent contractor will DHS be able to assess the performance of these containers to a high level of confidence. In addition to the improvements in the statistical analysis achievable with the additional containers/extension of trials, an extension of the field trial period of performance would allow for six-sided secure composite containers to see an entire year of temperature variation not possible under the current contract such as by allowing DHS to assess the performance of these six-sided secure composite containers in extreme cold. AQD intends to issue a follow-on sole source contract to acquire these R&D services from Global Secure Shipping Inc. (GSS) located at 122 Penny Rd, Old Town, ME. The resultant contract is anticipated to have a 36-month period of performance and work performed will primarily occur at the contractor’s location. The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1, Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Specifically, FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(ii), provides that services may be deemed to be available only from the original source in the case of a follow-on contract for the continued development or production of highly specialized equipment, including major components thereof, when it is likely that award to any other source would result in substantial duplication of cost to the Government that is not expected to be recovered through competition; or unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency’s requirements. This procurement impacts both substantial duplication of costs and unacceptable delays. The follow-on sole source contract continues and expands on previous research and development conducted under DOI-issued contracts 140D0420C0095 and 140D0423C0096 awarded to GSS. These two contracts also take advantage of work under GSS’s Cooperative Agreement with the Air Force Research Laboratory. Based on this previous effort, the consideration of an alternate vendor to provide the needed containers in a short timeframe and continued testing is estimated to require 6 years and $36,000,000.00.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement is 541715 (Research & Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)) with a small business size standard of 1,000 employees.

The Product and Service Code (PSC) is AJ14 (General Science and Technology R&D Services;

General science and technology; R&D Administrative Expenses). The Government does not intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR part 12. NO solicitation or solicitation package will be issued. This notice is NOT a request for competitive quotations; however, interested vendors may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort electronically via email to Contracting Officer, Serena Davidson at serena_davidson@ibc.doi.gov and Contract Specialist, Denam Perera at denam_perera@ibc.doi.gov not later than October 4, 2024, at 2:00 PM (ET). Late responses will not be accepted. The e-mail subject line shall include: Notice 140D0425CDOIDFB0 240044 DHS Secure Shipping Project. The maximum file size of the submission shall not exceed 20 MB. Paper copies will not be accepted. No phone calls will be accepted. Any submission in response to this notice must show clear and convincing evidence as well as contain sufficient detail to show that the vendor can meet the Government’s need and that competition would be advantageous to the Government. Submissions will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Marketing brochures and/or generic company literature will not be considered. Submissions must:

• Not exceed five (5) pages. Tables, graphs, etc. will count against the total page count.

• Be in a Microsoft Office (i.e., Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.) or Adobe Acrobat compatible format.

• Not contain text smaller than 11-point font. Font size smaller than 11 may be used to label tables and graphs, but may not be smaller than 8-point font.

• Clearly mark proprietary information and trade secrets, if any, on all materials. The Government shall not be held liable for any damages incurred if proprietary information is not properly identified.

Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. In addition, the Government will not reimburse for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this notice; all costs associated with responding to this notice will be solely at the interested parties' expense. A determination by the Government not to compete this acquisition on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. Again, this is NOT a request for competitive quotes. This notice is for informational purposes only. Responses received shall be considered by the agency; however, determination by the Government whether to compete this proposed award upon response to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.