Request For Information 15 Feb 2019.doc

Request For Information (RFI) Guide For FAR 6.302-1 Acquisition Efforts

15 Feb 2019

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) TEMPLATE

Shown below is a Market Research – Request For Information template. Special attention should be directed to the capability questions in Part II. You should tailor the questions to meet your particular requirement & not plagiarize a question (in this template) unless it actually has substantial bearing on your requirement. In addition, you do not have to include all subcategories in Part II, but you should have a minimum of two, with one being Commerciality.

If you need assistance in preparing your RFI, contact the Contracting organization.

If your team has questions pertaining to the Market Research process, or requires Market Research training, please contact the ACE Engineering Advisor at, (478) 327-5861, DSN 497-5861. The Small Business Office can provide assistance as well via Randy Miller, (478) 926-5871, DSN 468-5871.

NOTE:

Blue Text – Is reserved for notes and should be removed before RFI submittal.

Red Text – Is boilerplate. Tweaking may be required depending on specific efforts.

Black Text – Should be tailored for specific requirements from this point forward.

NOTE: This, and prior pages are not to be posted on the Federal Business Opportunities site

NOTE: ADD TITLE

HH-60G Integrated Vehicle Health Management System (IVHMS)

Data Transfer Unit (DTU), Remote Data Concentrator (RDC), Control Display Unit (CDU)

CAUTION:

NOTE: While this template uses an example of a repair, the effort could entail, manufacturing, services (engineering, advisory & assistance services), contractor logistic support (not repair, manufacturing), software development and maintenance, and other services.

The Government is conducting market research to identify potential sources that possess the repair data, expertise, capabilities, and experience to meet qualification requirements to repair (See note above) the HH-60G helicopter Integrated Vehicle Health Management System (IVHMS) components. The level of security clearance and amount of foreign participation in this requirement has not been determined.

NOTE: Include the AMSC/AMC, RMSC/RMC, and an explanation of the code for repair, manufacturing, and/or services.

NOTE: Any and all relevant data should be included with the RFI. i.e. T.O.s, part prints, specifications, etc. State the condition of the reference material. i.e. Is it up to date, within the proper configuration control, complete/partial, similar to an item, etc.

The Government does not own or have access to the data for these items. The Government has determined that this system is a commercial item. Commercial item descriptions, commercial vendor catalog or price lists or commercial manuals assigned a technical manual number apply.

NOTE: State whether samples are available for potential supplier to evaluate.

Contractor shall furnish all material, support equipment, tools, test equipment, and services. The contractor is responsible for providing, maintaining, and calibrating all support equipment required at their facility or a subcontractor’s facility. Contractor furnished material or parts used for replacement shall equal or exceed the quality of the original material or parts.

NOTE: State the known sole source contractor for this effort.

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. The government will not reimburse participants for any expenses associated with their participation in this survey.

NOTE: FAR 15 requires certain clauses/language to be included in the RFI. Make sure the PCO adds the information to this section.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. The document(s) below contain a description of the IVHMS requirement and a Contractor Capability Survey. The Survey allows Contractors to provide their company’s capability. NOTE: Attach the SOW, PWS, tech specification, requirements, etc.

2. If, after reviewing these documents, you desire to participate in the market research, you should provide documentation that supports your company’s capability in meeting these 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.)

a. 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.

4. Questions relative to this market survey should be addressed to the PCO.

NOTE: ADD TITLE

HH-60G Integrated Vehicle Health Management System (IVHMS)

Data Transfer Unit (DTU), Remote Data Concentrator (RDC), Control Display Unit (CDU)

PURPOSE/DESCRIPTION

NOTE: While this template uses an example of a repair, the effort could entail, manufacturing, services (engineering, advisory & assistance services), contractor logistic support (not repair, manufacturing), software development and maintenance, and other services.

The Government is conducting market research to identify potential sources that possess the expertise, capabilities, and experience to meet qualification requirements to repair the HH-60G helicopter Integrated Vehicle Health Management System (IVHMS) components listed below:

NOUN

NSN

P/N Data Transfer Unit (DTU)

7025-01-481-7741GC

30192-0201 Remote Data Concentrator (RDC)

680-01-500-6388GC

30201-0501 Control Display Unit (CDU)

1680-01-533-8587GC

10150-024 This requirement is for repair services. Our repair services strategy is a three-year contract (basic plus two option years) and will continue through FY19. The projected quantities will be Best Estimated Quantities (BEQ) of 54 per year.

The Government’s needs for repair services are required in order to support current combat search and rescue operations. The HH-60G aircrew's mission to rescue downed crewmembers in diverse and hostile combat environments as well as adverse, inclement weather conditions is vital. The IVHMS provides monitoring and status updates for rotor track and balance, engine health monitoring, structural usage and fatigue tracking for component lifetime.

The HH-60G IVHMS CDU, a part of the IVHMS located in the Flight Engineer’s Rack (Figure 1) provides the interface between the IVHMS and the aircrew. This allows the aircrew to view aircraft status, along with status messages alerting the aircrew to exceedances that may exist. It also allows the aircrew to initiate tests or respond to message prompts using the selector buttons. The IVHMS Control Display Unit advises the aircrew of IVHMS on-board system status, aircraft component health, and recommended rotor, trim and balance adjustments, and is used to perform system Built-in-Test (BIT). It also allows the aircraft to initiate specific IVHMS data acquisition during flight.

Figure 1 (Location of IVHMS Control Display Unit) The main function of the DTU (Figure 2) is to provide data transfer for the health and usage management system (HUMS) located on-board rotary winged aircraft. The DTU uses industry standard PCMCIA/FLASH memory cards that transfer data between the aircraft on-board system and ground based stations. The DTU operates under the control of the HUMS main processor unit (MPU) to upload data to the HUMS MPU.

The RDC’s function (Figure 3) is to convert aircraft signal information from the junction boxes into a data stream that is sent to the IVHMS via an ARINC-429 bus interface (single line cable). The RDC performs analog-to-digital voltage conversions, determines the state of discrete inputs, measures time between zero crossing for Alternating Current (AC) signals, determines synchronic positions, and measures root means square (RMS) voltage from AC waveforms. It provides integrated health and usage management information that will enhance aircraft safety by identifying and precluding premature component failure.

Figure 3: Remote Data Concentrator Unit

CONTRACTOR CAPABILITY SURVEY

Data Transfer Unit (DTU), NSN 7025-01-481-7741GC, P/N 30192-0201, Remote Data Concentrator (RDC), NSN 1680-01-500-6388GC, P/N 30201-0501 and the Control Display Unit (CDU), NSN 1680-01-533-8587GC, P/N 10150-024 Part I. Business Information

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:

· Phone Number:

· E-mail Address:

· Web Page URL:

Government Proposed North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code: _____ NOTE: For the proper NAICS code, consult with the Buyer/PCO

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

· Small Business

(Yes / No)

· Woman Owned Small Business

(Yes / No)

· Small Disadvantaged Business

· 8(a) Certified

· HUBZone Certified

· Veteran Owned Small Business

(Yes / No)

· Service Disabled Veteran Small Business (Yes / No)

· System for Award Management (SAM) (Yes / No)

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

RFIs are to be posted for 30 days for efforts greater than $3.0M, 45 days for foreign place of performance, otherwise, 15 days.

Responses to the Capability Survey Part I and Part II must be received no later than close of business (enter due date IAW instructions above). Please ensure data is in a readable electronic format that can be received through a firewall. Attachments shall not to exceed 10 MB per email. Multiple emails are acceptable. Responses must be sent via email to the following:

· (Enter the name and email address for the PCO) and

· (Enter the name and email address for the person responsible for reviewing responses) Questions relative to this market research should be addressed to the PCO.

NOTE: Include PCO contact information with RFI.

Part II. Capability Survey Questions A. General Capability Questions:

1. Describe briefly the capabilities of your facility and 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 or Program Manager).

3. Describe your company’s experience in repairing the Part Number/NSNs listed above that make up the Integrated Vehicle Health Management System (IVHMS).

4. Describe your company's capabilities for generating, handling, processing and storing classified material and data.

5. Describe your company's capabilities and experience in generating technical data, engineering drawings and manuals. Identify what software programs are utilized to generate these data products and what formats are available for delivered items.

6. What is your company’s current maximum capacity per month for this particular type of requirement? Provide information on any facility reserves you may possess to increase capacity in the event of an immediate need do to critical operational mission requirements.

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

a. Provide a detailed quality plan implementing AS9100 (or equivalent).

B. Repair Questions:

1. Describe your capabilities and experience in repairing existing systems/equipment (hardware and software) to solve maintenance and support problems in the depot environment.

2. Describe your capabilities and experience in developing/modifying repair or maintenance procedures. Include associated upgrade of technical orders and preparation of new technical orders.

a. State the types of diagnostic and troubleshooting tools utilized for efforts such as this.

3. Demonstrate your ability and experience in repair of the same or similar components, which are currently in use on commercial or military helicopters by providing the following information on the same or similar items:

a) Contract Number

b) Procuring Agency

c) Contract Value

d) Number of assets shipped

4. Provide your commercial manual(s) or Acceptance Test Procedures (ATP) and your rights to these manuals and or ATP used in the depot level repair and functional check of these or similar assets for Government Engineer review.

5. Describe your capabilities and experience in test, evaluation, repair or maintenance procedures.

6. Describe your configuration management processes and how you identify and resolve parts obsolescence and diminishing manufacturing sources problems?

7. Discuss your process for addressing any fit, form, and or function issues that may arise out of this effort.

8. Describe your process for maintaining inventory records and reporting on hand/work-in-process balances and repair status to your customer.

9. Include a detailed listing of facilities and equipment, including quantities, required to satisfy the requirements of this effort.

a. Provide an outline of the proposed process, including inspections.

i. State the type of test procedures are anticipated for this effort.

ii. State the type of inspection processes anticipated for this effort.

1. NDI/T.

2. Destructive testing/inspection.

10. How will your organization address the absence of drawings, specifications, technical data, test procedures, etc.

11. If the item cannot be repaired in total, state what your organization can repair.

12. State any technology insertion ideas for the item that would be suitable for this effort.

13. Discuss any reverse engineering or item replacement opportunities that may be present.

C. Commerciality Questions:

1. Is there established catalog or market prices for our requirement?

2. 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?

3. Is our requirement offered to both under similar terms and conditions? Briefly describe any differences.

4. Describe your standard warranty and return process for goods and services furnished to the government for items similar in nature to this requirement.

D. Manufacturing Questions

1. Describe your capabilities and experience in manufacturing with regard to the requirements of this effort.

2. Describe your capabilities and experience in developing/modifying manufacturing procedures. Include associated upgrade of technical orders and preparation of new technical orders.

3. Demonstrate your ability and experience in the manufacture of the same or similar components, which are currently utilized in the commercial or military environment by providing the following information on the same or similar items:

a) Contract Number

b) Procuring Agency

c) Contract Value

d) Number of assets shipped

4. Provide your commercial manual(s) or Acceptance Test Procedures (ATP) and your rights to these manuals and or ATP used in the manufacture and functional check of these or similar assets for Government Engineer review.

5. Describe your capabilities and experience in test, evaluation, and repair processes/procedures with regard to manufacturing items.

6. Describe your configuration management processes and how you identify and resolve parts obsolescence and diminishing manufacturing sources problems?

7. Discuss your process for addressing any fit, form, and or function issues that may arise out of the requirements of this effort.

8. Describe your process for maintaining inventory records and reporting on hand/work-in-process balance and manufacturing status to your customer.

9. Include a detailed listing of facilities and equipment, including quantities, required to satisfy the requirements of this effort.

a. Provide an outline of the proposed process, including inspections.

i. State the type of test procedures are anticipated for this effort.

ii. State the type of inspection processes anticipated for this effort.

1. NDI/T.

2. Destructive testing/inspection.

10. How will your organization address the absence of drawings, specifications, technical data, test procedures, etc.

11. If the item cannot be manufactured in total, state what your organization can produce.

12. State any technology insertion ideas for the item that would be suitable for this effort.

13. Discuss any reverse engineering or item replacement opportunities that may be present.

E. Engineering Services Questions (Engineering, advisory & assistance services, contractor logistic support, other services not listed)

1. Describe your services capabilities and experience with regard to the requirements of this effort.

2. Describe your capabilities and experience in developing/modifying procedures. Include associated upgrade of technical orders and preparation of new technical orders.

3. Demonstrate your ability and experience for the same or similar services, which are currently provided in the commercial and/or military environment by providing the following information on the same or similar items:

a) Contract Number

b) Procuring Agency

c) Contract Value

d) Services Provided

4. Describe your capabilities and experience in any required test, evaluation, and repair processes/procedures with regard to the required items.

5. Describe how you/your organization will identify and resolve parts obsolescence and diminishing manufacturing sources problems?

6. Discuss your process for addressing any fit, form, and or function issues that may arise out of the requirements of this effort.

7. Describe your process for maintaining inventory records and reporting on hand/work-in-process balance and manufacturing status to your customer as required.

8. How will your organization address the absence of drawings, specifications, technical data, test procedures, etc.

Figure 2: Data Transfer Unit