25E Industry Day QAs_FINAL.pdf

NIXIE An/SLQ-25E Industry Day – October 23, 2024

Q&A after Presentation and from One-on-One Meetings:

o Is this a Build-to-Print for Production? Therefore, no need for contractor required re-design?

A. Correct, it will be Build-to-Print.

o When will the Request for Information (RFI)/Sources

Sought Notice be posted?

A. The RFI/Sources Sought Notice will be posted late November 2024/early December 2024; Request for Proposal

(RFP) scheduled for February 2025.

o How many days will the RFP be open?

A. The RFP will be open a minimum of 30 days. Could extend to 45 days based on questions that are received.

o When will technical documentation (TDP) be available to review?

A. The TDP will be posted with the RFI/Sources Sought Notice on SAM.gov. We expect to post this late November/early

December 2024. Prior to award there will be an update to the TDP to include First Article (FA) changes.

o Software will not be part of this requirement, correct?

A. Correct.

o Will the Delivery Orders be for individual items or systems?

A. Individual items.

o Will this be the first production of the 25E system?

A. The 25E system is currently being produced by the incumbent, so this will not be the first production of the 25E system.

o When will the TDP be posted for opportunity to ask questions? What about red lines?

A. The Government will need to manage as we go; FA certification will be in 2026, there will be redlines for the first six (6) months. This will be a part of the

Engineering & Technical (E&T) Services CLIN and will be used to work the redlines.

o Confirming that this contract will maintain the 25C winch or is the 25E a different winch?

A. The 25C winch is the 25E base winch; 25E is the 25C winch with the top hat. The base winch (dual drum winch) is the same winch GDIT is building now.

o Will Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) be required?

A. Yes, FAT will be required, FA testing will not.

o Is there a Small Business requirement?

A. Yes. The specific percentage is not yet known.

o Is there to be just one follow on contract, not a separate contract for winches?

A. Correct.

o Will change orders be allowed? If there is a change required, will it be a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) or Cost-plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) change?

A. Changes would initially be CPFF under the E&T Services CLIN. Once changes implemented, may require negotiation to revise cost of ELIN cost table, then the cost is covered under the FFP CLIN.

o Can we use Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs)?

A. We have been using Request for Variance (RFV) as changes come through.

o How to handle schedule delays?

A. Program Office will send contract office letter notifying of scheduling issues.

o Confirming that this contract will be ordering components, and not a full system. Economies of scale could be gained by ordering more items at a time. Is this something that could be built into the proposal?

A. The Government is under funding constraints as to what is allotted. Economies of scale can be built into the proposal.

o How will you rate the contract and what are the factors to assess the proposal?

A. Lowest bidder, highest technical rating, etc.

o Are Foreign Military Sales (FMS) items part of the anticipated quantities shown in presentation?

A. Yes, but the FMS quantities are more volatile and likely to change.

o Will there be any NAVSEA welding requirements?

Certifications?

A. No certifications required. The welding requirements will be on the drawings.

o What kind of Environmental Qualification Testing (EQT) requirements? Will most testing be on the Tow Cable or

Towed Body?

A. EQT is required for all units. All units go under significant EQT.

o Will changes be part of engineering services?

A. Yes.

o Will software be provided by NUWC Newport?

A. Software will be integrated at NUWC Newport and not provided to the contractor.

o Will stepladder pricing be part of the RFP?

A. It will not be a requirement, but it can be included in the proposal.

o Will the funding just be SCN?

A. No, it will be a mix of SCN, OPN, and FMS.

o QorTek is used on current contract, will that be the same on this contract?

o Given how large the TDP will be, confirming the turnaround time for submitting a proposal after the RFP has been posted is 30-45 days?

A. Initial consideration is 30-45 days though open to extending as information comes available. RFI with the

TDP posted late November/early December 2024. Those questions and answers will be rolled into the RFP.

o What is the environmental test perspective and requirements around that testing?

A. Testing is being completed now and updates will be provided to the contractor. The TDP will most likely be updated prior to award incorporating any updates required as a result of the environmental testing.

o Will the TDP list have a list of vendors? When released will the contractor have access to qualified vendor lists and parts list to allow true assessment of cost?

A. The TDP will be provided including the Bill of Materials (BOM). It’s unknown at this time if a qualified vendors list will be provided. If a list of qualified vendors

(built assemblies) is not provided, a new vendor will be required to complete Physical Configuration Audit (PCA) on those units with vendors.

o Can you entertain a foreign company, such as a Canadian company?

A. Contractors and subcontractors interested in submitting a proposal to the RFP will require a Commercial and

Government Entity (CAGE) code and be certified through the Joint Certification Program (JCP). Based on Appendix

AA of DoDI 5510.1, Canadian subcontractors would require

JCP certification to access CUI.

o The towed body is treated as Controlled Unclassified

Information (CUI), is CUI available for Canadians? In the

Trade Agreements Act (TAA)?

A. All units are CUI. As identified in the previous question, all contractors and subcontractors will be required to have a CAGE code and be JCP certified in order to have access to CUI.

o There are CLINs for units. Will there be Program

Management (PM) or long lead item CLINs?

A. No. There will be no PM Services or long lead item CLINs.

o Will this be a multi award contract?

A. This will be one contract, with one prime contractor.

Subcontractors will be allowed, who the prime contractor will oversee.

o Will vendor source-controlled drawings be part of the

TDP?

A. All drawings will be Government-Owned.

o Will FA / environmental testing be complete and be part of the TDP?

A. Yes. The TDP will be updated at award for FA / environmental testing required changes.

o The current contract is Free on Board (FOB) Newport, will that be the same for this follow-on contract?

A. No. FOB will be the In-Service Engineering Agent (ISEA) at Norfolk.

o Will testing requirements be laid out in the TDP?

A. Yes, there will be unit item testing. Test procedures will be provided.

o Will specific asks, taskers be CPFF?

A. Yes, via E&T Services CLIN. E&T Services will be directed from NUWC Newport.

o Will the TDP be updated in Solidworks?

A. Not at solicitation but, will be updated in Solidworks prior to award.

o Confirming quantities shown in the presentation?

A. The quantities shown in the presentation are the Government’s best estimate right now.

o Units will be about 10 sets per year; are spares anticipated?

A. Yes, spares are anticipated. There is one Towed Cable in the INCO Kit; none in the OBRP Kit.

o Would nodes need to be terminated?

o Will nodes spare kits to the fleet be part of this?

A. No, those are part of ISEA contract.

o Confirming that testing will be part of this contract?

A. Yes. Production Acceptance Testing will be required.

o Will the Bulk Cable require a new design – new configuration, fiberoptics, etc.? Cable manufactures, new configurations compared to early designs?

A. Connectors are different, slip rings, etc.… are different. The new cable is being updated and that bulk cable will be what is used moving forward. That bulk cable has a proprietary design. No new design will be required.

o Would lead be allowed in the new design? Will new design have steel strength members?

A. Yes, lead is allowed, however, this will be build-to-print, so materials will need to be what is shown in the

TDP. The bulk cable design is fixed and not part of the solicitation. The bulk cable design is a proprietary design. It does have steel strength members.