DataScience RFI Instructions.docx

Request for Information in support of the F-35 Joint Program Office Data Science as a Service

INTRODUCTION and OVERVIEW

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) NOTICE ONLY. This RFI is for informational and planning purposes only and it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) is requesting information pertaining to Data Science as a Service requirement as it executes its role in providing comprehensive analytics, visualization, process/data automation, and AI capabilities to support functional and Program Management Office (PMO) stakeholders.

BACKGROUND

The F-35 Lightning II Program is a joint, multi-national program among the U.S. Air Force (USAF), U.S. Navy (USN), U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), and seven cooperative international partners and twelve Foreign Military Sales (FMS) countries at the time of this RFI release. The F-35 Program objective is to continue to develop and sustain a three-variant family of strike fighter aircraft that meets the operational needs of the USAF, USN, USMC, and its international partners and FMS countries. The F-35 JPO is the Department of Defense’s (DoD) focal point for developing and delivering an affordable next generation strike aircraft and has the responsibility, authority, and accountability for program execution. The F-35 Lightning II Program is a Department of Defense Acquisition Category (ACAT) 1D Program.

PURPOSE

The F-35 JPO, in conjunction with the Naval Air Systems Command is releasing an RFI to gather information to assist the F-35 JPO in identifying potential companies that are interested and may be able to meet the requirements of the Data Science requirements as detailed in the draft Performance Work Statement (PWS).

The NAICS code for this potential effort is 541511, Custom Computer Programming Services. The acquisition strategy has not yet been determined. Market research results will assist the government in determining whether this requirement will be a full and open or a small business set-aside acquisition. Registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) will be mandatory for this contract; see the SAM website at www.sam.gov.

RFI RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

All interested parties shall submit a capabilities package which demonstrates capabilities and expertise related to this effort. Foreign Contractor participation is not permitted.

Responses to this RFI are limited to twenty (20) pages with one-inch margins using standard letter-size 8 ½” x 11” paper. The page count includes the cover letter. Font must be Times New Roman, 12-point or larger.

The information shall be submitted as UNCLASSIFIED.

There is no requirement to respond to the RFI to be eligible to propose on the planned RFP. However, the Government places great value on the information received and may utilize it to finalize its acquisition strategy. Respondents shall fully use this opportunity to describe proven capabilities in performing services similar to those described in the tasks.

RESPONSE TOPICS

The Government as part of this RFI is interested in gathering information in the questionnaire below.

The Government would like specific feedback on the following:

The responses should include a cover letter that included the company Information: Name, address, POC, Cage, UEI, Business concern, Business size under NAICS code 541511, Custom Computer Programming Services.

Name of Company

Name of Business Unit Responding to the RFI (if applicable)

UEI

CAGE Code

Corporate Address

Total Number of Full Time Employees

Number of Full-Time Consultants

Date of Establishment

Website URL

□ Small □ Large

Indicate whether your company is a current SBA 8(a) BD Program participant.

Additional Type of Small Business, if Applicable (e.g. Woman-Owned, Service Disabled Veteran Owned, HUBZone)

One Point of Contact Name (Name, phone number and email address)

Please provide a capabilities statement and address the following questions as part of your response to this request for information:

1. Introduction & Purpose

The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), Directorate of Enterprise Services Acquisition, is issuing this Sources Sought Notice as market research to identify capable, qualified, and interested business sources (both large and small) to provide integrated, self-sufficient, and cross-functional contractor support for the F-35 JPO Enterprise Data Science and Analytics Support requirement.

This is NOT a solicitation for proposals or a contract award. The purpose of this notice is to conduct market research to determine the availability of qualified industry partners and to assist in determining the acquisition and set-aside strategy.

2. Scope of Services

The contractor will be required to provide technical expertise across three (3) mutually reinforcing task areas:

Task Area 1 — Enterprise Data Science, Advanced Machine Learning, and Optimization: Formulate, develop, validate, and deploy production-ready algorithms and machine learning solutions (e.g., predictive maintenance, readiness forecasting, supply-chain optimization). Package capabilities in security-hardened Docker containers and deploy via Kubernetes/OpenShift inside government environments.

Task Area 2 — Cloud Data Architecture, Modeling, and DataOps Governance: Design, implement, and sustain secure cloud data architectures (AWS GovCloud, Microsoft Azure Government, Snowflake Government). Design, test, and optimize ETL/ELT pipelines, ensuring a minimum of 98% data completeness, accuracy, and consistency.

Task Area 3 — Business Intelligence, Analytics, and Executive Data Storytelling: Design, build, and maintain interactive dashboards (Tableau, Power BI, Looker) with standard views loading under 5 seconds. Translate complex data into executive briefings, memoranda, and data storytelling products for senior leadership.

3. Security & Place of Performance Constraints To support this requirement, interested sources must meet the following baseline criteria:

Security Clearance: Personnel performing under this requirement must possess active TOP SECRET clearances.

Ownership: The company must be U.S.-owned and headquartered in the United States.

Place of Performance: Performance will be a hybrid arrangement utilizing contractor facilities and authorized Government/JPO locations primarily in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Period of Performance: Anticipated as one (1) 12-month base period with four (4) 12-month option periods.

4. Capability Statement Instructions Interested firms are requested to submit a Capability Statement (not to exceed 5 pages) that includes the following information:

Company Profile: Name, address, UEI, CAGE code, primary point of contact, and business size status under NAICS 541511 (Custom Computer Programming Services).

Technical Capabilities: A brief summary of your company's technical capability to perform the three task areas outlined above, specifically highlighting experience with secure DoD/government cloud architectures (AWS/Azure GovCloud), machine learning engineering, and BI reporting.

Past Performance: Examples of similar services (scope, complexity, and magnitude) performed within the last three years.

Clearance Verification: Confirmation that the company can provide a team with active Top Secret clearances.

DISCLAIMER

There is no guarantee that any submission in response to this RFI will result in a Government contract. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation.

Responders to this RFI will have no competitive advantage in receiving any awards related to the submitted topic area. The information submitted in response to this RFI may be used to help the Government further define its requirements. If the Government develops a program that addresses any submitted or similar topic, the resulting procurement will address technology and business specific requirements as defined by the Government to achieve the required objectives.

Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. Responses to this RFI will not be returned. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the review. Respondents are solely responsible for properly marking and clearly identifying any proprietary information or trade secrets contained within their response. The Government will not be liable for or suffer any consequential damages for any proprietary information not properly marked and clearly identified. Proprietary information received in response to this source sought will be safeguarded and handled in accordance with applicable Government regulations.

All questions and responses should be submitted to the Contract Specialist (CS), Tom Baldauff at thomas.baldauff@jsf.mil or the Contracting Officer (CO), John Meyers at John.Meyers@jsf.mil. Any requests for clarification must be received no later than seven (7) business days prior to the close of the RFI in order to receive a timely response. Responses to the RFI must be received no later than 5:00 PM EST on 10 November 2026.

NO FORMAL SOLICITATION EXISTS AT THIS TIME

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