WBI QPL Announcement FBO April 28 2008.pdf

Whole Body Imager (WBI)

HSTS04-08-R-CT2056

I. ANNOUNCEMENT

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is seeking sources for Whole Body Imager (WBI) systems for screening of passengers to be used in our Nation’s airports.

The TSA will examine each Offeror’s response to this announcement to determine those vendors who have satisfactorily met the minimum requirements as specified in the white paper requirements section of this announcement. The TSA intends to establish a Qualified Product List (QPL) based on the overall performance of each Offeror’s WBI against TSA specifications and reasonableness of price. Only Offerors who respond to this announcement and demonstrate compliance to TSA’s requirements, as specified in the TSA WBI Procurement Specification, dated May 2008, will be eligible for placement onto the QPL. This will be an open QPL, meaning that the Offeror will be able to submit white papers to the contracting officer at any time, although testing will only occur at the discretion of the TSA. If initial testing finds that the product fails to meet the basic requirements, a vendor will not be permitted to retest sooner than 30 business days after the failure, unless it is determined to be in the best interest of the Government. If the product fails a second test, the product will be locked out of future testing for six months, unless the Government determines it is in TSA’s best interest to allow further testing.

Only Offerors who successfully complete testing will be placed on the QPL and be considered for a contract award.

Requirements for the WBI system have been broken into four tiers with progressively increasing levels of requirements. The vendor has the choice to meet the requirements of the different tiers. To be added to the QPL, each vendor must meet all Tier I requirements. A higher-level system must meet all the requirements of the tiers below it.

For example, a Tier III system must meet all Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III requirements.

Potential examples of Tier I requirements include Security Technology Interface Program (STIP), privacy filters, and the ability to scan an individual in the 95th percentile for height. The tier structure primarily reflects progressively increased requirements for performance to potentially include multiplexing and explosives detection.

II. INSTRUCTIONS

There are 8 steps in this WBI QPL procurement process:

Step-1 Industry sources interested in participating in this procurement must respond to this announcement. This procurement action will be restricted to those companies that have been determined by the Government, based on information provided in their response to this announcement, to have satisfactorily met the requirements as specified in the white paper requirements section of this announcement. Failure to provide complete and accurate data or not being able to meet any of the requirements of Step 1-8 of this announcement and/or failure to meet all the technical requirements may result in the vendor being disqualified from the WBI QPL process. Offerors who desire to submit multiple models for evaluation must comply with the entire

QPL announcement process for each system. Each system submitted for evaluation must have clear design or functional differences.

Step-2 TSA will analyze the white-papers upon submission. The TSA will evaluate and down-select each vendor against the requirements, documented under the white paper requirements section of this announcement. Offerors will be notified in writing of eligibility within 30 business days after submission of the white paper and estimated unit prices. Vendors who are down-selected based on white paper submission will be allowed access to the WBI Procurement Specification (May 2008) and Request for Proposal (RFP) at www.fedteds.gov. A security check will be performed on each selected company prior to the determination of eligibility and the release of the Draft Procurement Specification and Request for Proposal. The Government reserves the right to adjust the Procurement Specification and Request for Proposal distribution date. All interested parties must provide a signed copy of the Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) before the procurement specification is provided.

Step-3 TSA will hold an Industry Day to answer any of the Offerors’ questions on the WBI Procurement Specification (including allowing appropriately-cleared vendors to view the classified portion of the requirements), the RFP, Qualification Management Plan (QMP) and procurement process. The Offerors are encouraged to submit any questions on the Procurement Specification and RFP prior to and following Industry Day, and these questions and answers will be available for all bidders. Specific details regarding Industry Day will be released to the vendors deemed eligible. Additional Industry Days may be held at the government’s discretion.

Step-4 Offerors wishing to participate after review of the Procurement Specification and RFP must submit a Qualification Data Package (QDP) providing evidence of conformance to the requirements in the Qualification Management Plan (QMP) for WBI Qualification Test and Evaluation. The Transportation Security Laboratory (TSL) is expected to provide a set of test articles to Offerors wishing to submit a QDP. Test results from analysis of these test articles must be submitted as part of the QDP.

Step-5 Once the QDP is deemed acceptable by the test team, the vendor will be required to submit two units to the TSL, conforming to the Procurement Specification (at no cost to the TSA) for the Qualification testing. The units must be available to ship to the TSL no later than one (1) week after the TSL has accepted the QDP. Qualification Testing is expected to take between two (2) weeks and two (2) months, depending on the tier requirements the vendor is proposing. Each potential vendor will be required to enter into a Bailment Agreement that will address the responsibilities and liabilities of the parties for the equipment while in the custody of the TSA during the QPL process. See a sample Bailment Agreement on www.fedteds.gov.

Step-6 Before and after qualification testing, a baseline configuration audit of the system will be conducted. The Offeror will submit a drawing tree, the system Bill of Materials (BOM), and associated engineering drawings to depict the physical existence of installed parts in advance of the scheduled configuration audit date.

http://www.fedteds.gov/

The Offeror will perform a preliminary selection of Configuration Items (CIs) based on major components/critical items list. During the Pre-Audit Meeting the TSA Configuration Management (CM) Team, the Technical Lead, and the Offeror will reach consensus on those items that will accurately represent the system. CIs are selected based on function, performance, safety, and serviceability.

During the Physical Configuration Audit, part numbers will be compared to production drawings and drawing revisions will be examined against change notices for accuracy.

Actual machine components will be verified on the machine. Part numbers, name plates, and serial numbers will be physically verified (i.e., inspected CIs will exhibit appropriate labeling of parts nomenclature) against associated documentation. Part numbers which are verified, validated, and physically identified will be recorded and comments annotated under discrepancies and recommendations.

Step-7 TSA will conduct an Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) for Offerors who successfully complete the TSL Qualification testing and configuration audit. The OT&E will be conducted at multiple airports for approximately thirty (30) to sixty (60) calendar days, not including one (1) week of training and unit burn-in time. The Offeror will support and maintain the WBI units during the OT&E. The number of units to be supplied at no cost to the Government for OT&E will be up to five (5). The Government reserves the right to adjust the number of units required and the duration of the OT&E.

Step-8 Once OT&E is completed, TSA will assess the results for operational suitability. If the unit passes Qualification Testing and OT&E, TSA will evaluate if the unit should be placed on the QPL. Placement on the QPL does not guarantee a contract award; the contracting officer will notify the vendor of QPL acceptance, and the Offeror will be required to submit a proposal within 15 business days from notification by the Contracting Officer. The Offeror’s proposal will be evaluated in accordance with the basis for award in Section M of the RFP. Placement on the QPL does not guarantee a contract award; however, if the Offeror’s proposal meets the award criteria in Section M of the RFP an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract will be awarded specifying a minimum and maximum number of units the government will purchase over the life of the contract. The Offeror will also receive an initial delivery order for the minimum number of units. Subsequent orders for units will be competed amongst the QPL vendors and the award criteria will include, but not be limited to the ability for the equipment to detect the current or emerging threats, life cycle costs and the Offeror’s performance during OT&E.

Below are the approximate timelines for submission of white papers until establishment of the QPL. The timeline listed below is the best case timeline for vendors meeting the initial target dates; this is an open QPL process so vendors are not required to meet all the testing dates below and still be included on the QPL. The government reserves the right to adjust the time frames of the QPL timeline below.

Step Time Line Date

1. Vendor Draft White Paper Submittal 15 business days from date of this synopsis.

2. Eligible Vendor Notification and Access to

Draft Procurement Specification and initial Request for Proposal

Within 30 business days after submission of the white paper and estimated unit prices

3. TSA Industry Day Within 30 business days of Eligible Vendor Notification

4. Initial Qualification Data Package Submittal As soon as 1 day after Industry Day but no later than 30 business days after Industry Day

5. Final QDP Submittal 60 business days from the date of Industry Day

6. Qualification Testing Variable (14 business day period per vendor)

7. Baseline Configuration Audit Variable (7 business day period per vendor)

8. Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E) Variable (30-60 business day period)

9. OT&E Results Analysis Within 30 business days of Final

OT&E

10. TSA Analysis and Placement on QPL Within 30 business days of Results Analysis

11. Final Proposal Revision Within 30 business days of successful placement on QPL

III. WHITE PAPER REQUIREMENTS

All interested parties must respond to this announcement no later than Tuesday May 20th, 2008 3:00 P.M. EST in the form of a white paper. Offerors must adequately respond to each requirement of the Technical Description provided below. The white paper must provide the following information:

A. Company name, address, size status, and disadvantaged business status, if any, business status, location of production facilities, CCR registration, DUNS number, and Security Classification.

B. Product Model and specifications. Production history of the unit must also be provided, including month/year of initial production and quantity produced in each of the last six (6) months. The vendor shall submit a specification sheet (cut-sheet) which does not count toward the five (5) pages of the white paper.

C. Unit pricing. The Offeror shall provide a commercial price per unit for the WBI screening units. If the units are not presently a commercial product then the Offeror shall provide a price that reflects the rough order of magnitude of cost per unit. When the RFP is released the Offerors will have an opportunity to revise their pricing based on a better understanding of the requirements, quantity discounts, etc.

D. Technical Description: Description of the system addressing its capabilities against the minimum requirements. Describe the basic scientific or technical approach that will be used in each component or subsystem comprising your proposed solution. What is unique about your solution and what advantages might it afford compared to alternate approaches? The Technical description section shall address at a minimum the statements listed below:

1. WBI systems are passenger screening technologies which use imaging technology (such as backscatter X-ray (BS), millimeter-wave (MMW), or Terahertz waves) to detect potential threats that may be hidden on a passenger’s body or within their clothing. The mission of the WBI is to effectively screen passengers at airport checkpoints, while preserving the privacy of passengers.

2. WBI systems shall be designed to integrate into the airport checkpoint with minimal impact on the current configuration.

3. The WBI shall be certified by an OSHA Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) for electrical safety.

4. WBI system shall have a minimum throughput of 60 persons per hour.

5. WBI shall support a 95th percentile male passenger in height.

E. Manufacturing Capabilities: Each vendor must provide the location of manufacturing facilities in which current their product is produced. Descriptions of these facilities must provide; size, number of employees, production capacity for each WBI model, current operating level as a percentage of maximum capacity and the types of manufacturing operations performed in each facility.

Each vendor must also provide historical past performance references (minimum of three references with point of contact information). Each vendor’s past performance must reflect successful manufacturing of the WBI currently available.

IV. RESPONSE FORMAT AND DUE DATE

Responses shall be prepared using 12 pt. font, 1 inch margin and 8.5” x 11” paper, and shall not exceed five (5) pages in length, including all images, data displays, charts, graphs, and tables. Offerors must submit either a hard copy or electronic version. The electronic version must be submitted in PDF format or in read-only Word documents.

All solicitation and specification documents will be available on Fedteds.gov to those vendors who have been down-selected. Down-selected Offerors must submit a non-disclosure statement and be vetted by the contracting office and security office prior to being given access to the documents. Please access https://www.fedteds.gov for instructions on signing up to Fedteds.

This announcement is for information purposes only and shall not be construed as a commitment or a promise of a contract by the Government. This announcement does not https://www.fedteds.gov/ commit the Government to pay any costs incurred in the submission of responses. Only proposals from qualified Offerors will be evaluated for award.

Note: Electronic copies of white papers are preferred. Priority and “express” mail delivery times ( to include FedEx, UPS, DHL, and others) to the TSA are usually 3-4 days longer than standard delivery times for these types of mail. Standard USPS mail generally arrives as fast, if not faster, than all other types of mail. White- papers can be mailed, dropped-off at TSA HQ, or sent electronically. To mail white- papers send them to:

Transportation Security Administration 601 South 12th Street, TSA 25 Attn: Victor Carden Arlington, Virginia 22202