T-53 Simulator Maintenance Sources Sought.pdf

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY.

This RFI is issued solely to determine potential sources for information and planning purposes – it does not constitute a Request for Quote (RFQ) or a promise to issue an RFQ in the future. This RFI should not be construed as a commitment by the Government for any purpose other than to gain the information requested for market research. The Government is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Respondents are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any potential future RFQ. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Contract Opportunities website (sam.gov). It is the responsibility of potential offerors to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

This RFI is to see if there is a small business capable/interested in providing preventative maintenance and product support throughout the year.

The Contractor shall explain how their capabilities meet the requirements stated in this RFI. The Contractor's proposal is expected to meet all requirements.

All requirements stated in this RFI are firm.

The US Air Force Academy (USAFA) has determined a need for a T-53 flight simulator maintenance contract for five years, base year plus four option years. The T-53 is the Air Education and Training Command’s (AETC) version of the Cirrus SR20 aircraft and is used to teach basic flight to USAFA Cadets.

USAFA uses a Frasca T-53 simulator to help solve training challenges for their instructor pilots and cadets. The device was installed in November of 2020 and has been essential part of the training program. Designed to replicate the look, feel and operation of a T-53 aircraft, the simulator has improved pilot training in several areas, including emergency and safety procedures and has helped solve several training challenges for the 557th Flying Training Squadron.

A maintenance contract is required for the vendor to conduct preventative maintenance and product support throughout the year. Lack of this contract will prevent USAFA from making timely repairs and will increase the risk of larger problems that could be alleviated through preventative maintenance. No support contract would also increase the downtime when the simulators need repair. This simulation facility benefits approximately 650 cadets and 80 Instructor Pilots/years in the various T-53 programs operated at the 557th Flying Training Squadron in support of the USAFA Airmenship programs.

1. Warranty Requirements

The warranty requirements, at a minimum, are the following:

• Remote support by email, telephone, and Teams to the contractor for troubleshooting by operators at USAFA.

• Ability to replace or repair defective parts manufactured by FRASCA or other manufacturers.

• Fault fixes for minor software bugs identified by USAFA.

• Annual 2-day visit for maintenance or training. During the visit, the hardware and software will be audited and USAFA comments addressed.

The specific dates for the maintenance to be agreed upon at a later time.