FINAL SSS RFI VCS 3 Aug 23.docx

Sources Sought Synopsis

United States Air Force

Air Traffic Control Voice Communications Switch (VCS)

3 Aug 2023

FA8102-23-R-2003

Air Traffic Control

Voice Communications Switch (VCS)

PURPOSE/DESCRIPTION: The Government is conducting market research to identify potential sources that possess the production data, expertise, capabilities, and experience to meet qualification requirements to provide an Air Traffic Control (ATC) Voice Communications Switch (VCS). The United States Air Force (USAF) and Department of Defense (DoD) partners will be replacing the legacy voice switch with a modern and supportable Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) enabled networked, voice communications system. The Government is currently seeking to procure an estimated amount of 200 Air Traffic Control Voice Switches. The scope of the effort would include system procurement and installation services.

The VCS will:

· enable air traffic control to establish a network-based communications system,

· provide improved aircraft flow capacity,

· use open systems standards and/or commercial Non-Developmental Item (NDI) equipment,

· reduce equipment inventories,

· improve equipment availability/supportability,

· enable flexible allocation of access to communications resources to meet both strategic and tactical demands,

· enable flexible user access profile definitions to assure secure access to the system and enable defined roles to be performed,

· provide scalability for x-small/tactical to large capacity system, and

· provide a fault-tolerant system.

NAICS: 334290 - Other Communications Equipment Manufacturing

Size Standard: 750 Employees

PSC/FSC: 7G21/7G IT AND TELECOM - NETWORK: DIGITAL NETWORK PRODUCTS (HARDWARE AND PERPETUAL LICENSE SOFTWARE)

CAUTION:

This market survey is being conducted to identify potential sources that may possess the expertise, capabilities, and experience to meet the requirements for qualification and production of a VCS for use by USAF and Department of Defense (DoD) personnel. The amount of foreign participation in this requirement has not been determined. Contractors/Institutions responding to this market research are placed on notice that participation in this survey may not ensure participation in future solicitations or contract awards as this survey is for planning purposes and may not result in a solicitation or contract. The government will not reimburse participants for any expenses associated with their participation in this survey.

Currently, the program office has drafted an initial Statement of Work (SOW) and System Requirements Document (SRD) for this replacement and is seeking a solution for the requirement. Please note once the requirement is fully realized, it may require access to drawings or Technical Orders that may require a Joint Certification Program (JCP) with a current DD 2345 on file when these documents are available. Excluding the SOW and SRD, these documents are currently not available for this RFI.

FAR 52.215-3 Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes.

Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (Oct 1997)

(a) The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this Request for Information (RFI) or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and proposal costs, of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

(b) Although "proposal" and "offeror" are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal.

(c) This SSS/RFI is issued for the purpose of planning only.

(End of provision)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Please note if you previously responded and provided any of the below information, you need not submit the same information again. We have the documentation submitted and are including it in our Market Research Report. If any of the information has changed since the previous response, please provide updated documents and inform us that the response has changed. We appreciate your participation.

2. If you desire to participate in the market research, you should provide documentation that supports your company’s capability in meeting the above requirements. Failure to provide documentation may result in the government being unable to adequately assess your capabilities. If you lack sufficient experience in a particular area, please provide details explaining how you would overcome the lack of experience/capabilities in order to perform that portion of the requirement (i.e., teaming, subcontracting, etc.) Identify any areas of work that your organization believes should be broken out exclusively for Small Business.

3. Both large and small businesses are encouraged to participate in this Market Research. Joint ventures or teaming arrangements are encouraged. All submissions will be reviewed IAW FAR Part 19 procedures.

4. Questions relative to this market survey should be addressed to Amanda Jones, Contracting Officer, by email amanda.jones.39@us.af.mil. In the subject of the email please include: Voice Communication System Replacement

5. Please provide the following the by close of business 14 Sep 23 via email to Amanda Jones Amanda.Jones.39@us.af.mil. If you need a DoD safe link, send the request 48 hours before the closing date and we will send you a link for a file drop off from DoD Safe.

a. Capability Survey Response

b. Drafted track changes on Statement of Work and/or acceptable/suggested language

c. Previous Commercial Item Determinations (CID) and/or supporting documentation for a CID if any is available

d. Rough Order Magnitude (ROM)

CONTRACTOR CAPABILITY SURVEY

ATC VCS

Part I. Business Information

This information is requesting the same information as the RFI posted on 17 Nov 22. If the response has not changed, please inform us that that response is the same as the previous response. No need to submit it again. Please ensure your company name and CAGE code is on this response to ensure we are tracking your responses correctly. Please provide the following business information for your company/institution and for any teaming or joint venture partners:

· Company/Institute Name:

· Address:

· Point of Contact:

· CAGE Code:

· Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):

· Phone Number:

· E-mail Address:

· Web Page URL:

· Size of business pursuant to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code:

Based on the above NAICS Code, state whether your company is:

· A statement as to whether your company is domestically or foreign owned (if foreign, please indicate the country of ownership)

· Is your company interested in possible subcontracting opportunities? If so, please describe in detail what part or parts of this requirement that your company capable or interested in performing.

· Does your company have an approved DD 2345?

Part II. Capability Survey Questions

A. General Capability Questions:

1. Describe briefly the capabilities of your facilities and the nature of the goods and/or services you provide. Include a description of your staff composition and management structure.

2. Describe your company's past experience on previous projects similar in complexity to this requirement. Include contract numbers, a brief description of the work performed, period of performance, agency/organization supported, and individual point of contact (Contracting Officer and/or Program Manager).

3. What quality assurance processes and test qualification practices does your company employ? Please provide a description of your quality program (ISO 9001, AS9100, etc.)

4. Are there specific requirements in the documentation we provided that would currently preclude your product from being a viable solution to our requirement?

5. Include a detailed listing of facilities and equipment, including quantities, required to satisfy the requirements of this effort. Provide an outline of the proposed process, including site surveys and program inspections.

6. NEW QUESTION: What is your company’s current maximum production capacity per month? Provide information on any facility reserves you may possess to increase production capacity in the event of an immediate need due to critical operational mission requirements.

7. NEW QUESTION: What is your company’s current maximum site survey capacity per month? Provide information on any resources you may possess to increase site survey capacity in the event of an immediate need due to critical operational mission requirements.

8. NEW QUESTION: What is your company’s current maximum installation team capacity per month? Provide information on any resources you may possess to increase installation capacity in the event of an immediate need due to critical operational mission requirements.

9. NEW QUESTION: Describe the expected length of time required to complete an install at each facility size offered (ie. small, medium, and large facility). Explain any plans for minimizing down time during installation. Provide what your company considers small, medium, and large installation facilities.

10. Does your company have experience in commercial packaging to ensure the product is safe and secure? How do you anticipate this requirement being packaged and shipped to multiple delivery locations both CONUS and OCONUS?

11. NEW QUESTION: Does your company have experience exporting/importing equipment worldwide? How do you expect to complete this, as the Governments requirement is FOB Destination? Do you have experience with ITARS? Reference the follow government citations:

1) The Export Administration Act of 1979, as amended (50 U.S.C. App. 2401, et seq.);

2) The Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751, et seq.);

3) The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701, et seq.);

4) The Export Administration Regulations (15 CFR Parts 730-774);

5) The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (22 CFR Parts 120-130); and

6) Executive Order 13222, as extended.

12. Please provide any examples of systems/kits that are same/ similar that your company has recently passed a successful physical configuration audit (PCA) or something similar to packaging quality control to include a parts checklist.

13. NEW QUESTION: Does your company have a “IAT Level 1” certification IAW DoDI 8570? If not, can your company obtain this? How long would you expect it to take to obtain?

14. NEW QUESTION: Are your company’s system/applications currently certified for use within a Department of Defense Information Network (DODIN) boundary? Please provide supporting information.

15. NEW QUESTION: Is the system you are proposing, in the configuration you are offering to the government, currently operating in the NAS or other nation’s ATC facility? If so, how long has this configuration been in service at any of these facilities? Please provide supporting information.

16. NEW QUESTION: Describe how your proposed system integrates with existing networks (ie. VPN or Cloud).

17. NEW QUESTION: Does your company meet the basic requirements of DFARS 252.204-7020 NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment Requirements?

B. Hardware and Production Questions:

1. Describe your capabilities and experiences in manufacturing/fabrication of ATC VCS.

2. UPDATED QUESTION: Describe your capabilities and experience in modifying existing systems/ equipment (hardware and software) to solve maintenance and support problems in the depot environment. Include experience integrating your product with other voice communications equipment/systems.

3. Describe your configuration management processes and how you identify and resolve parts obsolescence and diminishing manufacturing sources problems? Do you anticipate any of these issues/concerns with your proposed product?

4. Are there any known supply chain issues with your proposed product? How is this being resolved? Please provide recommendations if applicable.

5. Are there any aspects of your proposed product that contain long lead items that would delay delivery?

6. NEW QUESTION: At a minimum, does your company anticipate marketing and supporting this product line for the next 10 years? What future advancements or changes do you anticipate and when?

7. NEW QUESTION: Describe your proposed system capability for scalability. Provide details to include your proposed system capability to meet the range of requirements from a x-small/tactical, deployable system to a multi-positioned, large fixed based system.

8. NEW QUESTION: Do you suggest a separate First Article Test (FAT) for each proposed size offering? Describe the reasons for your suggestion.

9. NEW QUESTION: Describe how your proposed system will transfer/accept control of radios/phones from a geographically separated airfield. Are there limitations? Will only certain types/brands work? Please expand on possible limitations.

10. NEW QUESTION: Describe how your proposed system intends to meet the requirements of a primary and secondary crash phone.

11. NEW QUESTION: Describe how your proposed system interfaces with analog radios/phones and VOIP radios/phones that may be collocated within the operating facility.

12. NEW QUESTION: Describe the anticipated field level maintenance that will be required for your proposed system. Include explanation of maintenance type, depth, and recurring intervals. Does your proposed system provide capability to remotely access maintenance features from a local maintenance workstation?

13. NEW QUESTION: What is the expected time to return your proposed system to full mission capability after a critical hardware failure? After a processor failure or complete system shutdown, what is the expected time for restoration of the system to normal operations? (ie. Recovery Time Objective (RTO) Recovery Point Objective (RPO))

14. NEW QUESTION: Redundancy: At base/site locations that will be consolidated (two (2) existing systems to one (1) operating system), explain the operational impact and remaining capabilities when connection between sites is interrupted.

15. NEW QUESTION: Does the proposed system include any software that requires one-time or annual licensing? If so, provide details to include software name and estimated licensing costs. Does the license have to be procured through your company or directly from another source?

C. Commerciality Questions:

FAR 2.101 defines a commercial produce as follows:

Commercial product means—

(1) A product, other than real property, that is of a type customarily used by the general public or by nongovernmental entities for purposes other than governmental purposes, and–

(i) Has been sold, leased, or licensed to the general public; or

(ii) Has been offered for sale, lease, or license to the general public;

(2) A product that evolved from a product described in paragraph (1) of this definition through advances in technology or performance and that is not yet available in the commercial marketplace, but will be available in the commercial marketplace in time to satisfy the delivery requirements under a Government solicitation;

(3) A product that would satisfy a criterion expressed in paragraph (1) or (2) of this definition, except for-

(i) Modifications of a type customarily available in the commercial marketplace; or

(ii) Minor modifications of a type not customarily available in the commercial marketplace made to meet Federal Government requirements. “Minor modifications” means modifications that do not significantly alter the nongovernmental function or essential physical characteristics of an item or component, or change the purpose of a process. Factors to be considered in determining whether a modification is minor include the value and size of the modification and the comparative value and size of the final product. Dollar values and percentages may be used as guideposts, but are not conclusive evidence that a modification is minor;

(4) Any combination of products meeting the requirements of paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of this definition that are of a type customarily combined and sold in combination to the general public;

(5) A product, or combination of products, referred to in paragraphs (1) through (4) of this definition, even though the product, or combination of products, is transferred between or among separate divisions, subsidiaries, or affiliates of a contractor; or

(6) A nondevelopmental item, if the procuring agency determines the product was developed exclusively at private expense and sold in substantial quantities, on a competitive basis, to multiple State and local governments or to multiple foreign governments.

1. Does your company consider this requirement to be a commercial requirement? If yes, please review the definition of a commercial product above and provide a clear statement about which part of the definition is applicable and please provide supporting evidence to support a commercial item determination. See the below link for more information on Commercial Item Determinations. https://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/dars/pgi/docs/DoD_Guidebook_PartA_Commercial_Item_Determination_07_10_19.pdf

2. If commercial, are there established catalog or market prices for our requirement? If you offer this product and/or service to both U.S. Government and commercial sources, is the same workforce used for both the U.S. Government and general public? Is our requirement offered to both under similar terms and conditions? Briefly describe any differences.

3. UPDATED QUESTION: Describe your standard warranty and return process for goods and services furnished to the government for items similar in nature to this requirement. Is there a required acceptance period that documents delivery to begin the warranty timeframe?

4. Are there known standard financing terms and or payment plans common in the industry for this requirement?

5. Do you have a draft statement of work or language that would be incorporated into a statement of work for our team to review and consider? Please use track changes on the provided SOW to make any recommendations. If necessary, include an explanation of the benefit for incorporating the change.

D. Contract Strategy Development:

1. UPDATED QUESTION: The USAF is anticipating an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract vehicle to meet this requirement due to the unknown nature of the installation quantity per year. To complete the requirement, the USAF is anticipating a 10 year requirement that will include a base period of 5 years, and one option period for 5 years.

2. UPDATED QUESTION: The Air Force is anticipating a mix of Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) Contract Line-Item Numbers (CLINs) and Time and Materials (T&M) CLIN types for the installation of voice switches at each location. Specifically, FFP will be for site surveys at each location to determine the scope of the install and material required to complete the installation. Then T&M for the actual installation. It is anticipated that T&M will be modified to reduce the Government’s cost risk by including proposed NTE overhead rates and NTE Joint Travel Regulation Per Diem Rates. From your company’s experiences, can you provide your company’s understanding of this strategy to include a preference of rates that should be established or a different strategy if you think one exists? Please note, if the system is commercial, we are limited to contract types described in FAR 12.207.

3. NEW QUESTION: In order to help support the use of T&M, provide sufficient facts and rationale to justify that FFP contract type is not suitable for this requirement or provide a statement confirming FFP is appropriate.

4. There will be a first article requirement and the delivery will be 120 days after contract award and the production units will be required to be ready for install 120 days after first article approval. The delivery will be FOB Destination. From your company’s experiences, can you provide your company’s understanding of this strategy to include a preference of a different strategy if you think one exists? Is this enough time to deliver? If not suggest a reasonable time expectation.

5. Do you have a recommended Source Selection Procedure for this requirement? Please review DoD Source Selection Procedures, dated 20 Aug 2022, and provided justification for your recommendation.

6. NEW QUESTION: Does your company have suggested evaluation criteria for award? Are there known evaluation factors that could provide the best value for Government determination.

7. Please provide a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) for your proposed system, site survey, and installation plans. Please include sufficient detail to show significant cost drivers and make recommendations for cost savings, if possible.

8. UPDATED QUESTION: If an extended warranty or interim contractor support (ICS) was required could either be procured and how much would that cost? Please provide the kind of warranty item that could be covered under an extended warranty and suggested terms that are industry standard. Could ICS be broken down by specific parts needed if necessary or as the USAF stands up an organic supply chain and depot? What would your company recommend?

9. Do you foresee any future concerns, issues or increased risk with this requirement?

10. Are there any special FAR/DFARS/DAFFARS clauses or custom clauses that would be considered an industry standard? Please provide this with any needed justification.

11. Does your company have Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) compliant finance and/or accounting systems or other approved systems?

12. NEW QUESTION: Is there a GSA Contract Vehicle that your company is included within that could meet this requirement? Does your company have available scope on any other known contract vehicle to meeting this requirement.

13. NEW QUESTION: Would your company require the use of an Economic Price Adjustment clause to price out the requirement in full? If so, please provide the cost drivers that could fluctuate that requires the use of such clause and the appropriate index to tie the clause to. What percent of the dollar value of the contract do you estimate this clause being tied too?

14. NEW QUESTION: Please provide recommended fill ins for FAR 52.216-19 Ordering Limitations

a. Minimum order for the ID/IQ

b. (1) Maximum order for a single item, (2) combination of items, and (3) a series of orders.

15. NEW QUESTION: Please provided recommended fill ins for FAR 52.217-9(a) Option to Extend the Term of the Contract.

16. NEW QUESTION: Is there known Hazardous Material that shall be disclosed in FAR 52.223-3.

17. NEW QUESTION: Are there known Buy American restrictions or known Trade Agreements in place?

18. NEW QUESTION: What type of data rights should the Government expect to procure?

19. NEW QUESTION: Does your company expect to request Performance Based Payments? Provide the anticipate milestones that would be requested.

20. NEW QUESTION: Please provide the recommended fill ins for FAR 52.243-7 Notification of Changes

21. NEW QUESTION: Please provided the recommended fill ins for FAR 52.246-18 Warranty of Supplies of a Complex Nature

22. NEW QUESTION: Please provided recommendations IAW FAR 52.207-4 Economic Purchase Quantity—Supplies

23. NEW QUESTION: Are there any known base access issues?

24. NEW QUESTION: Does your company have any employees with a security clearance? At what level? If not, how long do you anticipate a minimum of security clearance could take to process?

25. NEW QUESTION: Does your company have any contracts that have Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) Coverage? If yes, is it full or modified coverage? If no, is an exemption listed at FAR 9903.201-1(b) applicable.

26. NEW QUESTION: Does your company anticipate needing Government Furnished Property (GFP) or Government Furnished Information (GFI) to complete this requirement? If yes, please provide what would be expected and justification for needing it.