EU RFI 05_09_23.docx

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ANNOUNCEMENT

Defense Logistics Agency - Aviation, Richmond, VA

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

DLA-Aviation, Richmond is seeking information in an attempt to determine strategic support options for the industrial gas support program, which aims to provide industrial compressed and liquefied gases to support U.S. Military forces conducting operations in the European Theatre. DLA-Aviation’s intention is to leverage the commercial industry’s best practices and implement a solution which assures readiness, safety, and efficiency. The goal is to effectively reduce lead-times, reduce material and administrative costs, and improve our support to our customer, the warfighter.

Scope of Project

This initiative contains DLA-Aviation managed National Stock Numbers (NSNs) in Federal Supply Classes (FSC) 6830 and 8120.

· 6830 – Gases: Compressed and Liquefied

· 8120 – Commercial and Industrial Gas Cylinders

· See Attachment 1 for a projected list of 6830 and 8120 NSNs

· Additions and deletions may occur during the course of a proposed contract.

Anticipated Scope

· Supplying various types and grades of compressed and liquefied gases in a variety of cylinder sizes to various customer requesting facilities and other government designated locations throughout European locations and Foreign Military Sales (FMS).

· Delivering filled cylinders to the customer’s site or Government designated locations.

· Picking up empty cylinders from the customer’s site, ports or other Government-designated locations as required.

· Maintaining and securing a pool of Government furnished property at the vendor’s site.

· Performing maintenance on empty cylinders as required.

· Collaboration with DLA and customers on projected and anticipated demands.

· Disposing of unserviceable cylinders as required.

· Palletizing, packing, marking, labeling of excess cylinders for shipment to other location as required.

· The government anticipates feedback from industry including pros, cons, and risks.

Request for Information (RFI) Questions: (Please answer in detail)

Please provide your CAGE code, Company name, address, and point of contact information:

1. Please indicate your firm’s status (manufacturer, dealer/distributor, or other).

2. Briefly describe your firm’s experience supporting European compressed gases and cylinder customers to include order fulfillment, supplying compressed gases, transportation, shipment tracking, managing cylinder returns, cylinder refurbishment, and cylinder disposal.

3. Describe your firm’s ability to support 100% of the compressed gases shown in the attached NSN list on a European basis.

4. If working with subcontractors, how would the work be divided? What percentage of work would the subcontractors be doing?

5. Describe your firm’s ability to comply with all EU regulations for shipping and storing compressed gases and cylinders.

6. Describe your firm’s ability to comply with all US military product marking requirements (i.e. RFID, commercial, & MILSTD) for compressed gases.

7. Describe the higher-level inspection system your firm utilizes (i.e. applicable ISO standard or other system).

8. What is the optimum contract length to reduce overall costs and improve product availability?

9. What is the maximum length of time your firm would be willing to price active products at Firm Fixed Prices (FFP)?

10. Describe the commercial terms and conditions that your firm utilizes in its commercial compressed gas contracts (i.e. pricing, incentive provisions, risk mitigation, etc.)

11. Based on the price volatility in the compressed gas market, what level of Economic Price Adjustment (EPA) would your firm envision on this contract?

12. Describe the major risk areas that your firm envisions in supporting the Government’s requirement and how your firm might mitigate those risks.

13. Describe your firm’s ability to provide Certified Cost and Pricing Data (in accordance with FAR 15-403 and 15-406) should the Government’s requirement exceed the Truth in Negotiations (TINA) threshold.

14. If your firm is capable of providing Certified Cost and Pricing Data, how many days would it take for your firm to provide this data?

15. Should the Government Contracting Officer insert DLAD provision 52.215-9023, Reverse Auction, in the solicitation, would there be any reason your firm would not participate in the competition?

16. Describe how the Government could leverage commercial market place practices most efficiently?

17. Describe any new technologies in the compressed gas market place that could be leveraged in the execution of this follow-on requirement.

18. Describe your firm’s ability to meet Time Definite Delivery (TDD) standards for high-priority or emergent compressed gas requirements.

19. Describe how your firm encourages timely returns of gas cylinders in your commercial business.

Summary Information:

Submission of materials, suggestions, and discussions are encouraged and will be appreciated. Please submit your response to the above questions no later than 6 September 2023.

RFI responses are preferred to be received by email. Hardcopies are also acceptable. Please send your responses to the RFI questions to the following:

Primary Point of Contact:

DLA-Aviation Attention: Jason Perry 6090 Strathmore Road, 31L Richmond, VA 23297 Email: Jason.Perry@dla.mil

Secondary Point of Contact:

DLA-Aviation

Email: William.Koeditz@dla.mil

Disclaimer:

In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the government to form a binding contract.

This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. The government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for information received in response to this RFI.

All information received in response to this RFI that is marked proprietary will be handled accordingly.

Responses to the RFI will not be returned.

Information provided in response to this RFI will used by the government to assess tradeoffs and alternatives in order to determine how to proceed in the acquisition process.

Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.