QAs - 26I5429.pdf

Question Answer

Will the Government provide the applicable drawings, dimensional data, patterns, CAD files, or other technical data required to manufacture the Type I 40-ligne and Type II 27-ligne buttons? The RFI states that the complete MIL-B-20289D specification and applicable Government technical data will govern the requirement.

The Government anticipates providing the applicable Government-furnished technical data necessary to define the Type I 40-ligne and Type II 27-ligne button requirements, subject to applicable distribution, release, and rights restrictions. The final solicitation, if issued, will identify the specific drawings, dimensional requirements, specifications, and other technical-data-package materials that will be available to offerors and the method for obtaining them. Please note that this RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes to assess capabilities existing within the market; it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue a solicitation in the future.

Does the Government possess any existing molds, tooling, dies, masters, or other production tooling that could be made available to a newly qualified source, or should interested sources assume that all new tooling would need to be designed and funded by the contractor?

The Government possesses existing master hubs and dies that may be made available to the successful offeror as Government-Furnished Property (GFP) to facilitate tooling fabrication. However, the contractor shall be fully responsible for all costs associated with designing, fabricating, maintaining, and funding any production tooling derived from these Government-furnished hubs and dies. Specific details regarding the availability, condition, and transfer protocols for these items will be defined in the final solicitation, if issued.

If a new source must develop its own tooling, would tooling/NRE be expected to be priced separately in a future solicitation, or incorporated into the unit price?

While the final contract structure and pricing instructions will be detailed in the solicitation (if issued), the Government currently anticipates that offerors will propose their preferred approach for recovering tooling and Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) costs. To assist the Government in developing the acquisition strategy, interested sources are encouraged to indicate in their RFI responses whether they recommend pricing tooling/NRE as a separate, distinct Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) or incorporating those costs into the individual hardware unit prices.

Does MIL-B-20289D require a specific molding process, such as injection molding, or would another manufacturing process be acceptable if the finished buttons fully satisfy all material, dimensional, appearance, durability, testing, and workmanship requirements?

While MIL-B-20289D specifies injection molding as the standard manufacturing process, the Government is open to evaluating alternative manufacturing processes. Any proposed alternative process must be demonstrated to yield finished buttons that fully satisfy or exceed all material, dimensional, aesthetic, durability, performance testing, and workmanship requirements set forth in the specification. Interested sources proposing alternative manufacturing methods should detail their process, quality control measures, and qualification testing methodology within their RFI response.

Would 3D-printed/additively manufactured engineering or first-article samples be acceptable during qualification or market research if final production would use compliant production tooling and molding?

3D-printed or additively manufactured samples may be acceptable for initial market research, engineering evaluation, or preliminary fit/form/function reviews, provided they accurately represent the proposed final design geometry and are explicitly identified as non-production prototypes. However, formal First Article Testing (FAT) samples must be produced utilizing the exact materials, production tooling, molding processes, quality control procedures, and manufacturing methods intended for full-rate production. 3D-printed or additive parts will not be accepted for formal qualification or First Article approval unless additive manufacturing is the approved, full-rate production method.

Plastic Insignia Buttons - M67854-26-I-5429 - Questions & Answers

The RFI identifies one gross of Type II 27-ligne and one gross of Type I 40-ligne buttons. Are these samples required with the RFI response, or would they only be requested later from selected/qualified sources?

Yes. Offerors are required to submit one gross of Type II 27-ligne buttons and one gross of Type I 40-ligne buttons as part of their RFI response. These samples are critical to supporting the Government’s market research and technical capability assessment. Please note that additional samples, qualification testing, or production-representative First

Articles may be required under a future solicitation and would be addressed separately.

Send tracking information to: kavin.t.reid.civ@usmc.mil Ship samples to:

Marine Corps Systems Command Product Manager, Clothing & Equipment ATTN: Kavin Reid, Certification Analyst

2200 Lester Street Quantico, Virginia 22134-5010

May an interested prime contractor respond using the manufacturing capability, tooling, production capacity, quality system, and relevant experience of a proposed manufacturing subcontractor?

Yes. An interested prime contractor may respond to this RFI leveraging the capabilities, tooling, production capacity, quality systems, and relevant experience of a proposed manufacturing subcontractor. The prime contractor's response must clearly delineate the subcontractor’s intended role, as well as the specific capabilities, assets, and experience they will contribute to the effort. Please note that the prime contractor remains ultimately responsible for overall program management and quality assurance. Any future solicitation, if issued, will establish the formal evaluation criteria and the specific documentation required to demonstrate subcontractor commitment, qualifications, and availability.

If a prime contractor is a new source for this item but its proposed manufacturing subcontractor has relevant experience producing military insignia, molded plastic components, or similar items, may that subcontractor's experience be included in the capability response?

Yes. A prime contractor may include the relevant capabilities and experience of its proposed manufacturing subcontractor, provided the response clearly identifies the subcontractor, its proposed operational role, and the specific experience or resources it will contribute. The prime contractor must also describe its management approach to ensure overall contract performance, quality control, and schedule adherence. All proposed manufacturing processes, materials, and subcontractors must be fully compliant with the Berry Amendment (10 U.S.C. 2533a / DFARS 252.225-

7012). The response must demonstrate how the prime and subcontractor team will ensure that all end items and components are grown, reprocessed, reused, or produced in the United States.

Would a new manufacturer be required to complete any formal source-qualification process, first-article testing, laboratory testing, or Government approval before becoming eligible for production award? If so, can you identify the anticipated qualification requirements?

A new manufacturer is not required to complete a formal source-qualification process before submitting an RFI response. However, respondents must provide the required button samples—one gross of each button type—for

Government evaluation as part of the market-research effort.

Any future production solicitation may include additional requirements, such as first-article testing, laboratory testing, quality-system documentation, production-representative samples, or Government approval before production. The specific qualification and approval requirements will be identified in the future solicitation.

Should respondents assume that the buttons must be manufactured in the United States? If so, are there specific domestic-source, Berry Amendment, Buy American, or other country-of-origin requirements expected to apply to a future procurement?

Yes. The buttons are subject to the Berry Amendment domestic-source requirement. Respondents should plan for the buttons, including applicable materials and components, to be produced in the United States, unless an authorized exception applies. The future solicitation will identify the applicable DFARS clause(s), including DFARS 252.225- 7012, Preference for Certain Domestic Commodities, and any documentation or certification requirements.

If releasable, can the Government provide approximate historical annual usage or anticipated annual demand for the 27-ligne and 40-ligne buttons separately? The RFI currently requests industry information across quantities ranging from 1,000 to 100,000+ units.

To assist industry in assessing production capacity and economies of scale, the Government is providing the approximate historical annual usage for the black United States Marine Corps (USMC) buttons.

The following figures represent the average annual demand based on the past three (3) fiscal years:

27L 220,000 pcs 40L 115,000 pcs

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