Sources Sought Synopsis for 3GIRS.doc

Sources Sought for Third Generation Infrared Surveillance (3GIRS) Sensor Systems Research and Development General Information

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Contracting Office Address

Department of the Air Force, Air Force Space Command, SMC - Space and Missiles System Center/XRC, 483 North Aviation Blvd, El Segundo, CA, 90245-2808

Description of Desired Capabilities The Department of the Air Force, Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) intends to issue a sole source contract to Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL), a University Affiliated Research Center (UARC), at Utah State University for the research and development of sensor systems. The Government desires this capability to be executed by an organization not bidding on an objective system. The purpose of this contract is two-fold:

· First, to continue developing and advancing the Technology Readiness Level of full-earth Wide-Field-of-View (WFOV) Infrared (IR) systems, related components, and supporting architecture through test and evaluation, software development, and data processing and;

· Second, to consolidate this expertise in one location and contract vehicle. Current work at SDL is contracted in pieces through several separate contracts held by various organizations.

The fundamental application of SDL’s UARC expertise includes the following capabilities required for this Sensor System Research and Development Contract:

1. The ability to design and develop; fabricate, assemble, handle, and integrate; and analyze, test, and evaluate sensor systems and components. This includes the ability to design, manufacture, test, and model cryogenic systems and thermal design;

2. Electronics assembly, including: cable and harness assembly, box and electronics assembly, integration, and inspection.

3. Vibration isolation and jitter control methods;

4. To continue the advance of WFOV IR sensors, sensors must be calibrated, characterized, tested, and evaluated. The Government requires the capability to do both environmental testing and sensor calibration. This includes facilities capable of accomplishing environmental testing such as: thermal-vac, vibration, and EMI/EMC and;

5. Particularly necessary to complete calibration is the ability to perform relative spectral responsivitiy using Fourier transform spectrometry and cryogenic IR sensor calibration equipment. The Offeror will also work with the Government to develop test plans and analyze the test data in detail.

The Government also desires to further software development and data processing efforts already supported by SDL. Capabilities of interest include: data compression/decompression, data visualization, data exploitation, data fusion, data processing, handling, and analysis. Near-term work will focus on generating, implementing, testing, and performance assessment of potential new signal processing algorithms. Much of this support is required on-site in the 3GIRS Program Office.

The Government requires modeling and simulation expertise. Particularly, the government is interested in modeling and simulating the following: optics, structures, thermal characteristics, controls systems, pointing, contamination, orbit propagation, image processing, and scene generation.

To accomplish program objectives and meet near-term program milestones, Offerors must not only be intimately familiar with WFOV IR staring sensors, but also familiar with the current efforts in the 3GIRS portfolio. Offerors must be capable of supporting full environmental testing in January 2009 followed by sensor calibration in the early spring. The Offeror must operate facilities at and employ personnel cleared with Secret, TS and TS/SCI.

Statement of Capabilities

Any interested Offeror that is capable of meeting the Government’s requirements detailed in this notice must submit a Statement of Capabilities and Qualifications Statement to the technical and contracting POCs listed below by 1700 PST on 05 December 2008. Responses are limited to seven (7) pages.

The capability and qualifications statement will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining the offeror’s ability to meet the Government’s needs described above and schedule. Consequently, the Government is primarily interested in as many specific technical details indicating how the offeror can meet the Government’s needs and schedule. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. Responses from small business and small, disadvantaged business firms are highly encouraged. Firms responding should indicate if they are a small business, a socially and economically disadvantaged business, 8(a) firms, historically black colleges or universities, and minority institutions. A determination not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open competition basis based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government.

BE ADVISED: An Ombudsman has been appointed to hear concerns from potential offerors. The purpose of the Ombudsman is to receive and communicate concerns from potential offerors when an offeror prefers not to use established channels to communicate his/her concern during the proposal development phase of this proposed acquisition. The Ombudsman will communicate certain offeror issues, disagreements, and recommendations on this proposed acquisition into the proper channels. The Ombudsman's role is not to diminish the authority of the program director or the contracting officer but to advocate an offeror's concern on a non-attribution basis. The Ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern when requested by the offeror. The Ombudsman will not participate in the evaluation of SOCs for this proposed acquisition. The Ombudsman is Mr. James Gill, phone number (310) 653-1789. Routine questions, such as clarifications, are not considered to be "significant concerns" and should be communicated directly to the POCs listed below.

Points of Contact

Technical:

· Capt Thomas Fulton, SMC/XRF

(310) 653-9817

Thomas.Fulton@us.af.mil

· Lt Rebecca Unruh, SMC/XRF

(310) 653-9992

Rebecca.Unruh@us.af.mil Contracting:

· Mr. Joseph Simonds Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO), SMC/XRC

(310) 653-9072 Joseph.Simonds@losangeles.af.mil

· Mr. George Sullivan Contract Specialist, SMC/XRC

(310) 653-9083

George.Sullivan@losangeles.af.mil