Laughlin AFB Commercial Solutions Opening v4 (A00001).docx

Laughlin AFB Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO)

Federal Agency: Air Force Contracting Office: 47th Contracting Squadron (47 CONS) CSO Title: Sun Shade Hail Screens CSO Type: Two-Step Open CSO CSO Number: FA3099-24-S-0001-A00001 CSO Date: 11 January 2024 (closes 11 Feb 2025)

Amendment Summary:

· Updated to reflect DoD Class Deviation 2022-O0007.

· Updated to reflect 47th Contracting Squadron (47 CONS).

· Updated to state 47 CONS intent to award in Fiscal Year 2025.

1.0 Overview

The 47th Contracting Squadron (47 CONS) is conducting a Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) authorized by Department of Defense Class Deviation 2022‐O0007. Under a CSO, the Air Force may competitively award proposals received in response to a general solicitation, similar to a broad agency announcement, to acquire innovative commercial items, technologies, and services based on a review of proposals by scientific, technological, or other subject‐matter experts within the Air Force. Under this CSO, all items, technologies, and services shall be treated as commercial items.

The Air Force intends to obtain “innovative” solutions or potential new capabilities that fulfil requirements, close capability gaps, or provide potential technology advancements. Solutions may include existing technologies or procedures that are not currently in use by units on or supported by Air Education and Training Command (AETC) bases, that would enhance or streamline their mission capabilities. “Innovative” is defined as any new technology, process or method that is new as of the date of submission of a proposal. It may include an application of an existing technology, method, or process that is not currently in use by AETC or its supported units.

This CSO contains a broadly defined Area of Interest (AOI). While this AOI is geared toward meeting requirements at locations listed therein, the Government reserves the right to award contracts from this CSO to meet Air Force requirements at other locations with similar AOIs and mission requirements. Offerors are encouraged to submit proposals as soon as practicable after reviewing this document.

47 CONS may utilize one of the following processes for evaluation and award:

· A single‐step CSO evaluation process which consists of offerors whose proposed solutions clearly meet the Government’s needs expressed in the AOI receiving an immediate notice that they have been selected for award or selected to provide more information that may subsequently lead to an award; or

· A two‐step process where offerors are invited to make a virtual pitch and/or white paper of their proposal to an evaluation panel which will then select the proposal(s) that best meet the Government’s desire for solutions in its stated AOI. Pitches will be conducted virtually and are anticipated the day following receipt of proposals. The offeror will provide its 60-minute pitch via teleconference or videoconference, followed by Government deliberation. Barring any additional concerns or clarifications, the Government’s intent is to execute an immediate purchase order upon completion of deliberations for acceptable offers.

· The requirements for white papers are described in section 2.0

47 CONS intends to fund successful efforts in Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25). Exceptions may be considered for individual projects based on technological maturity or operational need. Individual contracts are expected to be funded in the range of $150,000-$250,000 over the full period of performance, yet these numbers should not be considered strict limits. Proposals aimed at the higher end of this funding range will only be accepted if they demonstrate the ability to deliver capable, innovative solutions that directly impact the mission and offer cost savings or improved efficiencies in current processes or procedures. The Government reserves the right to fund all, some, one or none of the proposals submitted; may elect to fund only part of a submitted proposal; and may incrementally fund any or all awards under this CSO. All awards are subject to the availability of funds.

2.0 Instructions for preparation and Submission of Proposals

All contracts will be firm‐fixed price. All supplies or services obtained via this CSO are considered commercial items. Because all awards made under this CSO are considered commercial, 47 CONS intends to award FAR part 12 contracts but reserves the right to award other contract vehicles if deemed in its best interest. As with any award, price is always a factor and will be evaluated for fairness and reasonableness so offers are reminded to provide solutions at competitive prices. Submitted documents shall not contain classified data or sensitive information and proprietary information shall be clearly marked.

Proposal Contents:

Cover Letter - Shall not exceed 2 pages in PDF format (8.5 x 11”), and shall include the following:

a. AOI for which proposal is submitted (number and title)

b. Company name, physical address, mailing address, and website URL

c. Proposal validity statement, a minimum of 90 days is required.

d. Authorized representative or point(s) of contact

e. Brief introduction to company and history/expertise with proposed AOI

f. CAGE code, Unique Entity Identifier (EUI), and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement and socioeconomic representation(s) under said NAICS

g. SAM.gov screenshot to confirm current registration

h. Relevant NAICS code and description for AOI proposal

Note: The Government reserves the right to not consider a proposal for award if it omits any of the required information.

White Paper - Shall not exceed 10 pages in PDF format (8.5” x 11”), and shall include the following:

a. Substantive description of the technical solution in sufficient detail to allow 47 CONS to make an assessment of the validity of the proposed solution and the offeror’s capability to support the proposed solution.

b. Convincing evidence the proposed solution will meet the described need. The following examples of convincing evidence are strongly encouraged:

· Authentic company URL or web address.

· Summary of product commercialization currently used in the open market.

· Pictures, diagrams, models or figures to depict the essence of the proposed solution.

c. Respondents shall address the following questions and requests:

· Do you foresee any bottlenecks or limits in your supply chain? What is your company's lead-time for performance?

· The country from where your supplies and suppliers originate.

Note: 47 CONS may elect to use the information provided as part of its continuous market research. All information submitted by offerors will treated as confidential and will not be available for any other vendors.

Pitch Deck – PDF format, no page limit but an offeror will be limited to 60 minutes for their pitch (including Q&A).

a. Name and contact information of the offeror’s authorized representative.

b. Substantive description of the technical solution and proposed application for 47 CONS, including all pertinent development, delivery, support, warranty, and other details.

c. Pricing Details

· Price in whole US Dollar increments, including unit prices as well as quantity ranges as applicable (tiered pricing is acceptable).

· Flexible quantities or pricing options are encouraged to allow 47 CONS to maximize the use of available and limited funding.

· Prices for supplies shall be expressed as inclusive of all shipping charges and Free on Board (FOB) destination.

d. Questions and Answers

· List any questions the offeror has for the Government regarding the AOI

· Reserve an opportunity for both the Government and offeror to ask/answer additional questions as applicable

· Whenever possible, the Government will supply its questions in advance of the VTC Pitch

e. Offerors are cautioned not to simply restate the details of their White Paper. The Pitch Deck will be considered the offeror’s reference quote in the event of award.

SAM Registration

It is critical offerors are registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), https://sam.gov/content/home you will not be eligible for an award if not registered in SAM at the time your proposal is submitted. Additionally, verify that you are registered to receive contracts (not just grants) and that your address matches between your proposal and SAM.

Small Business Concerns

Representation of small business size and status – Please provide the NAICS code you are proposing under and the associated socioeconomic representation(s) under said NAICS.

Offerors shall identify their small business size and socio-economic status, as well as small business size and socio-economic status of any proposed team members or subcontractors under the NAICS identified in this paragraph or the NAICS the offeror believes would be appropriate pursuant to FAR 52.219-1, Small Business Program Representations (September 2023). Socio-economic status refers to status as a small disadvantaged business, 8(a), women-owned, veteran-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, and HUBZone small business concerns, and any related identifications.

Site Visit Opportunities

Site visits will be available upon request only. The frequency and timeline of all visits will be predicated on the number of requests, our availability, and the flying mission. Please contact SSgt Benjamin Sanders at office number (830) 298-4642 / email address benjamin.sanders@us.af.mil, Mr. José Piña at office number (830) 298-5993 or email address jose.pina.3@us.af.mil, or Mr. Charles Frerich at office number (830) 298-5270 or email address charles.frerich@us.af.mil.

Questions

All questions related to this CSO and its AOI may be submitted in writing via email on a rolling basis. Questions and solutions pertinent to this CSO should be email to the individuals named in the above section.

Proposal Submission

This is an “Open CSO,” meaning the CSO will accept White Paper and/or proposal submission at any time within a specified period or at any time during the CSO’s availability. Proposals will be reviewed when they are received. Open CSO will be amended to provide future cutoff dates.

Offerors may submit proposal amendments any time prior to the proposal deadline specified herein, however 47 CONS will ONLY review the final amended proposal that is submitted. Please ensure that your e-mail address listed in your proposal is current and accurate. 47 CONS is not responsible for ensuring notifications are received by firms changing mailing address/e-mail address/company points of contact after proposal submission without proper notification to 47 CONS. Changes of this nature shall be annotated in the solicitation or amendments. A proposal is acceptable if it conforms to all material requirements of the CSO, otherwise it is unacceptable and may be ineligible for award.

**Note: Offerors are responsible for ensuring that all amendments to this solicitation are reviewed carefully prior to submitting a proposal. The members of the CSO team will do their best to post answers to questions received in response to this CSO as they are obtained, but may consolidate answers to a regularly scheduled post to avoid many answers being posted in a single day or to limit the need for many separate amendments.

CSO Provision-Subject to Availability of Funds

Funds are not presently available for this CSO. The Government’s obligation under this CSO is contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds from which payment for CSO purposes can be made. No legal liability on the part of the Government for any payment may arise until funds are made available to the Contracting Officer and until the Contractor receives notice of such availability, to be confirmed in writing by the Contracting Officer. Further funding discussions will be contained the AOI.

Notifications of Award and Protests

Unsuccessful offerors shall receive notification of award and small business status of awardees. Protests may be filed in accordance with FAR Part 33, DFARS Part 233, and AFFARS Part 5333. Protests of small business size or status to the SBA may be filed pursuant to 13 CFR Part 121 and FAR Part 19.

3.0 Procedures and Criteria for Selection Proposals

As stated above, 47 CONS may use either a one or two-step process for evaluation of proposals for award. After receipt of step 1 proposals, 47 CONS will conduct an evaluation based on three factors:

a. Technical merit of the proposed solution to adequately address the need

b. Level of risk in the proposed solution/milestone schedule and its ability to meet the need within a relevant time period

c. Funds availability - price will be considered, and must be fair and reasonable

d. The evaluation process will proceed as follows:

i. Technical Evaluation of the White Paper. The non-price portions of the proposal will be reviewed holistically to make an assessment of the validity of the proposed solution and the offeror’s capability to support the proposed solution.

ii. Risk Assessment: The non-price portions of the proposal will be similarly reviewed to assess the solution's potential to enhance the mission effectiveness of the unit within a timely manner.

iii. Funds Availability: The offeror’s pricing information will be evaluated to determine to what extent funding is available for the solution.

Price shall be considered to the extent appropriate, but at a minimum, to determine that the price is fair and reasonable. 47 CONS must determine the price fair and reasonable prior to award using the procedures at DFARS subpart 212.209. The contracting officer will use market research as the primary method to determine the price fair and reasonable. In rare circumstances, the contracting officer may request other than certified cost and pricing data from the offeror regarding recent purchase prices paid by the government and/or commercial customers for the same or similar commercial items.

At the conclusion of Step 1 and based on the results of the evaluations, 47 CONS will select offerors for immediate award or to participate in Step 2. All offerors will be notified as to the status of their proposals at this time. Offerors that are selected for Step 2 will receive an invitation to pitch to the 47 CONS team, at a proposed date/time (TBD). The evaluation criteria for Step 2 are the same as step 1. During any step of the CSO, 47 CONS may request additional information from offerors that will need to be answered by email or during a Pitch Day presentation. 47 CONS reserves the right to cancel a pitch and immediately make awards or not make a specific award or any awards if it deemed in its best interest. Pitches shall not contain classified data or sensitive information and proprietary information shall be clearly marked. If a cleared contractor wishes to make a classified or sensitive pitch, those will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

A Statement of work (SOW) must be included with the full proposal as part of the Step 2 submission. The SOW should not exceed 5 pages in length and must be a separate and distinct document suitable for incorporation into the procurement instrument. Do not include proprietary data or markings in the SOW. Pages should be numbered and the initial page should have a date (document date) shown under the title.

The proposed SOW must accurately describe the work to be performed. The proposed SOW must also contain a summary description of the technical methodology as well as the task description, but not in so much detail as to make the SOW inflexible.

4.0 Area of Interest (AOI)

Background

Laughlin AFB, TX is located six miles east of Del Rio, TX. Laughlin AFB possess approximately 213 aircraft and are parked on the flight line apron. When significant weather poses risk to Laughlin’s aircraft, they must be towed into aircraft hangars for protection.

Scope

This AOI seeks a white paper and/or pitch deck from all suppliers who believe they can fulfill Laughlin AFB’s need of Sunshade Hail Screens. The contractor is to provide all system engineering, technical, installation and supervision services for the 47 FTW Maintenance Directorate (MX) on designing and installing hail screens for T-6 and T-1 Sunshades, one bay only. (Pictures of each sunshade structure attached to this CSO document.) The Contractor shall furnish all materials, labor, tools, equipment, transportation, and all other incidentals necessary to complete the work outlined in this AOI and to turn over to the Government a complete and useable area.

Minimum Requirements

· The service provider (SP) shall search for commercially available hail screen mesh or other material that meets the Government’s requirements. If none is available, SP shall design, manufacture, and install hail screens onto both sides of a two-aircraft bay of Juliet row sun shade.

· Hail screen mesh shall prevent penetration/pass-through of ¼” to 3 ½” size hail and withstand up to 85 knot winds. Hail screen shall be durable to withstand 120 F degree temperatures and damaging UV rays for 5 years. Whether the hail screen material is designed or acquired commercially already manufactured, the material, if applicable, is preferred to be of a light color as to reduce absorption of heat/UV rays.

· Hail screens will predominantly be stowed in an upright position as to allow aircraft to taxi into and out of the sun shades. The hail screens shall be designed for personnel to easily & expeditiously deploy securely to the apron and to stow back into the upright position. The hail screens shall be operated manually by personnel and not by electrical power.

· The hail screens shall not obstruct the entry and exit points of the sun shades.

· The hail screen shall not exceed structural load specifications of the sun shade structures. The hail screens shall be mounted under the sun shade roof to protect from direct sun light.

· The hail screens shall be designed as to not damage the sun shade structures and aircraft.

· Provide timeline describing repair process and completion date.

· SP shall be required to attend air field driving training.

· SP shall be required to provide a Foreign Object (FO) prevention plan for Government approval prior to beginning installation work.

· SP shall provide bi-weekly updates to the Contracting Officer.

· SP shall abide by all Federal, State, Local, OSHA, laws and Laughlin AFB regulations.

· The SP shall provide one year warranty covering installation/workmanship details.

5.0 Definitions

"Other Transaction” refers to the type of Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) that may be placed as a result of this CSO. This type of OT is authorized by 10 U.S.C. § 2371b for prototype projects directly relevant to enhancing the mission effectiveness of military personnel and the supporting platforms, systems, components, or materials proposed to be acquired or developed by the Department of Defense (DoD), or for the improvement of platforms, systems, components, or materials in use by the armed forces. This type of OTA is treated by DoD as an acquisition instrument, commonly referred to as an "other transaction" for a prototype project or a Section 2371b "other transaction".

“Prototype Project” is defined in the DoD Other Transactions Guide (Version 1, Nov. 2018) issued by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment: https://www.dau.edu/guidebooks/Shared%20Documents/Other%20Transactions%20(OT)%20Guide.pdf. Such project can generally be described as a proof of concept, model, reverse engineering to address obsolescence, pilot, novel application of commercial technologies for defense purposes, agile development activity, creation, design, development, demonstration of technical or operational utility, or combinations of the foregoing. A process, including a business process, may also be the subject of a prototype project. Although assistance terms are generally not appropriate in OT agreements in 10 U.S.C. § 2371b, ancillary work efforts that are necessary for completion of the prototype project, such as test site training or limited logistics support, may be included in prototype projects. A prototype may be physical, virtual, or conceptual in nature. The quantity of prototypes/commercial solutions should generally be limited to that needed to prove technical or manufacturing feasibility or evaluate military utility.

“Small Business Concerns” is defined in the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632) and 13 CFR Part 121.

“Innovative” is defined, consistent with Section 879 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2017, Public Law 114-328, and Class Deviation – Defense Commercial Solutions Opening Pilot Program, DARS Tracking No. 2022-O0007—

(1) any new technology, process, or method, including research and development that is new as of the date of submission of a proposal; or (2) any new application that is new as of the date of submission of a proposal of a technology, process, or method existing as of such date.

Attachments

Atch 1. T-1 Sunshade Picture Atch 2. T-6 Sunshade Picture