Request for Information (RFI) - DOMICE.pdf

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REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Domestic Icebreaking (DOMICE): Icebreaking Capable Vessels or Vessel Designs that are Ready for Construction

1.0 DESCRIPTION

This notice is a Request for Information (RFI) only. This RFI is issued by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for information and planning purposes, pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10, Market Research. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. Participants are advised that the Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs that result from responding to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be at the interested party’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued.

2.0 PURPOSE

The purpose of this RFI is to increase the USCG’s understanding of the level of maturity of the U.S. and allied nation maritime industrial base vessel designs that pertain to existing or production-ready icebreaking capable vessels. This RFI also requests information from the U.S. maritime industrial base to produce existing or production-ready icebreaking capable vessels.

Specifically, the USCG seeks to understand what existing vessels or production-ready vessel designs satisfy or closely satisfy the below preliminary capability parameters to accomplish either DOMICE- Medium (DOMICE-M) or DOMICE-Light (DOMICE-L) missions. Additionally, the USCG would like to gain insight on recently proven execution and build strategies as well as the current capability, capacity, and availability of domestic shipyards to support the construction and subsequent launch of an existing icebreaking-capable vessel design within TWENTY-FOUR (24) months of a potential contract award.

VESSEL PRELIMINARY CAPABILITY PARAMETERS

Parameter DOMICE-M DOMICE-L

Length 140ft or less 65ft or less

Draft 13ft or less (Due to operational area and homeport water depth restrictions) 6ft or less

Icebreaking

Vessel shall be capable of independently breaking through ice with a thickness of 22 inches at a continuous speed of 3 knots.

Vessel shall be capable of independently breaking through ice with a thickness of 12 inches at a continuous speed of 3 knots.

Range 3,360 nautical miles at 10 knots 750 nautical miles at 10 knots Endurance 7 days 3 days

Mission Equipment (Crane) N/A Lifting capacity: 4,500lbs

Reach: 10ft beyond deck edge

Air Draft N/A Vessel shall be able to reduce its air draft to 15ft for bridge transits.

Minimum Working Deck Space N/A 225ft2

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3.0 REQUESTED INFORMATION

In response to this RFI, the USCG requests the following information:

1) Vendor type – interested parties should confirm their role within the maritime industrial base (e.g., Design / Engineering firm, Vessel Owner / Operator, Maritime Services Company, Vessel Construction Manager, Shipyard, U.S. based or based in an allied nation, etc.).

2) Placemat or “one-pager” detailing the general design characteristics and capabilities of an existing vessel or a production-ready / mature vessel design(s) that satisfies or closely satisfies either or both sets of parameters outlined in Section 2.0 (DOMICE-M, DOMICE-L, please specify). See attached placemat template in Appendix A as an example.

3) If a response will describe a vessel design, identify when the vessel design was last produced at a shipyard. If the vessel design has not been produced at a shipyard, please describe the current level of maturity of the vessel design (e.g., concept, preliminary, functional, detailed, production-ready, etc.).

4) For interested parties other than U.S.-based (domestic) shipyards, do you have an established partnership or previous production experience with a U.S. based shipyard(s)? If so, which shipyard(s) and when?

5) For interested domestic shipyards, please confirm and demonstrate (with supporting documentation) how your facility or facilities have the availability, capacity, and capability to build and launch a vessel designed per either or both set of parameters outlined in Section 2.0 (DOMICE-M, DOMICE-L, please specify) within TWENTY-FOUR (24) months of a potential contract award.

a. In addition to answering the above, please complete the Shipyard Assessment Form provided in Appendix B.

6) White paper or informational brief detailing a holistic execution strategy that would enable the start of construction within TWELVE (12) months and the launching of a vessel within TWENTY-FOUR (24) months from a potential contract award.

a. Highlight any risks or concerns associated with the procurement of long lead equipment and/or materials that could challenge the ability to execute within the requested timeline.

7) Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost to purchase the following, as relevant to the response:

a. Production-ready or mature vessel design(s) that satisfies or closely satisfies either or both sets of parameters (DOMICE-M, DOMICE-L, please specify) outlined in Section 2.0.

b. The engineering, procurement, and construction of up to SEVEN (7) DOMICE-L vessels.

c. The engineering, procurement, and construction of up to ELEVEN (11) DOMICE-M vessels.

d. The purchase or lease of an existing vessel that satisfies or closely satisfies either or both sets of parameters (DOMICE-M, DOMICE-L, please specify) outlined in Section 2.0.

4.0 RESPONSES

Interested parties should respond to this RFI no later than 5:00 PM, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), on May 22, 2025. All RFI responses shall address the applicable information detailed in Section 3.0.

Responses shall be submitted electronically via email to:

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• Christopher A. Wellons – christopher.a.wellons@uscg.mil (primary)

• Kayode A. Adewole – kayode.a.adewole@uscg.mil (alternate)

The subject line must read one of the following depending on whether the response is specific to DOMICE-M or DOMICE-L. Interested parties may provide responses for both DOMICE-M and DOMICE-L; however, responses shall be provided in two different emails to delineate between the two vessel types.

• For DOMICE-M: “DOMICE-M RFI RESPONSE - [Company Name] - RFI

#70Z02325RFIICE001”

• For DOMICE-L: “DOMICE-L RFI RESPONSE - [Company Name] - RFI

#70Z02325RFIICE001”

4.1 Response Format:

All responses shall include the following components and be submitted as searchable PDFs:

1. Collective responses to items (1), (3), and (4) from Section 3.0 shall be limited to 1 page.

2. For item (2): Appendix A – Vessel Placemat (1 page per vessel)

3. Response to item (5) shall also include completion of Appendix B – Shipyard Assessment Form (8 pages maximum)

4. For item (6): Informational Brief or White Paper (8 slides or pages maximum)

5. For item (7): Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) Estimate (2-3 pages, Excel format only)

a. Include assumptions and limitations (e.g., inflation year, labor rates, quantity basis)

b. Note: This ROM is non-binding and for planning purposes only

4.2 Additional Guidance:

Submission of proprietary information is not requested. If proprietary content is submitted voluntarily:

• The information shall be clearly and appropriately marked as proprietary.

• The information shall be provided separately from unrestricted materials as an appendix.

The USCG will not return submissions but will safeguard any proprietary information included in a response to this RFI.

The following type of responses will not be accepted as part of this RFI:

1) Responses submitted as marketing brochures or general capability presentations

2) Responses submitted via telephone or voicemail

3) Responses received after the listed due date mailto:christopher.a.wellons@uscg.mil mailto:kayode.a.adewole@uscg.mil

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APPENDIX A – EXAMPLE VESSEL PLACEMAT TEMPLATE

PROPULSION PLANT

ft [Main Engine Type/Qty] ft [Propulsor Type/Qty] ft [Other Propulson Sytem(s)/Qty]

[Bow Thruster/Qty]

LT ELECTRIC PLANT

LT [List relevant electric systems]

LT

LT/%

AUXILIARY SYSTEMS

kts [List relevant aux systems] ft ft ft hp TANKAGE hp Dry ft2 [List relevant tank capacities] DAMAGE STABILITY NM Chill ft2 [e.g., fuel, ballast, potable water, etc.] [List damage stability standard] days Freeze ft2

General Stores ft2

Engineering Stores ft2 MISSION EQUIPMENT/SPACES [Crane Capability (capacity / reach)]

Male Berthing X [Working Deck Space (ft²)] Female Berthing X CLASSIFICATION SHIP'S BOATS [Other] Total X [Class Society], [Ruleset] X [Davit Type]

[Polar Class] X [ Boat Type] MATERIAL Hull Structure [Material]

*Refers to design & construction margins. List actual margins or typical practices Superstructure [Material] **Refers to ahead and astern icebreaking capability in level ice

ACCOMMODATIONS

Full Load EOSL

PROVISIONS & STORES

X X

X

X X X

Margins*

Ridged Ice X

Range @ X knots Endurance

DISPLACEMENT

Length Beam Draft

PERFORMANCE

Lightship Full Load

Distribution Statement A: Approved for public release: distribution unlimited.

X

X X X

Astern IB @ 3 kts**

Installed Power Propulsion Power

[SHIP/DESIGN NAME HERE]

[insert picture here]

X X X

X X X X

XAhead IB @ 3 kts** Speed X

DIMENSIONS

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APPENDIX B – SHIPYARD ASSESSMENT FORM

Design and Production Engineering:

• How many designers does the yard currently employ? What programs and file formats do they use?

• How does the yard manage the start of construction relative to design maturity? What is the yard’s standard practice?

• Please describe the yard’s workflow from design to construction.

• Please describe the yard’s existing capability to automate design to production workflows. Does the yard have planned investments to further automate? If so, when?

• Is an Earned Value Management System employed or something equivalent?

Planning and Production Planning:

Please describe the yard’s build strategy, production drawing output, and work package structure.

Purchasing and Warehousing:

Please describe the yard’s current purchasing, warehousing, and material delivery processes and procedures.

Resource Management:

Please comment on and provide supporting visuals to demonstrate the yard’s current utilization plan / workload and associated allocation of resources (e.g., sand chart) over the next TEN (10) years.

Production Capacity:

• What ships is the yard planning to build in the next THREE (3) years?

• Would the yard need to expand its workforce to support the addition of a USCG DOMICE program in the requested timeline? If so, by how much?

• What infrastructure improvements, if any, would be required to support a potential USCG DOMICE program?

Production Capability:

• How does the yard define efficiency in ship fabrication?

• What percent of production can the yard perform in-house versus what you will need to subcontract?

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• How does the yard integrate and manage subcontractors?

• How many tradespeople does the yard employ?

• What standards are used for welding? What certifications do welders hold?

Facilities Layout and Flow:

• Please describe the yard’s current facilities and workflow, utilization rates, plans for expansion, and suitability for sustainment initiatives.

• Please provide the yard’s shop plans, lay down area utilizations, crane/lift capacities, method of transporting large components (assemblies/engines) and any associated limits that exist.

• Please highlight the shops’ performance (throughput) and any shop weight restrictions (ground).

Part Fabrication and Kitting:

• Please describe what technologies are used and their effectiveness at the piece part fabrication level.

• Please describe the processes and effectiveness of current kitting and temporary storage procedures.

Panel and Subassembly Fabrication:

Please describe the facilities, tooling, equipment, and processes used for small panel and subassembly fabrication and construction.

Unit construction and Pre-outfitting:

• Please describe the facilities, tooling, equipment, and processes used for unit construction and pre-outfitting.

• Please describe the facilities, tooling, and methods used for blast and coat at the unit level.

Unit Erection:

Please describe the facilities, tooling, equipment, and processes used for unit erection and post erection outfitting.

On Blocks/Ways Outfitting:

Please describe the yard’s outfit planning process, work sequencing to mitigate need for late hot work, methods and processes for kitting and loading outfit parts at the unit.

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Vessel Launch and Quayside / Pier-side Work:

Please describe the facilities, equipment, and processes used to support launch and any subsequent quayside or pier-side work.

Testing and Trials:

• Please describe the yard’s processes for the planning and execution of system/equipment commissioning and operational ship testing and trials.

• Please describe your data capture methods during testing and trials. How does the yard validate testing against requirements?

• How does the yard correct discrepancies discovered during testing and trials?

• How does the yard manage testing? E.g., does the yard integrate testing throughout the production process to the maximum extent possible to identify issues early? Or, is testing primarily executed as a post-production activity? How is testing captured within the Integrated Master Schedule?

Quality:

Please describe the yard’s Quality Engagement Plan (QA/QC) for both suppliers and production.

Materials:

• How is steel handled within the shipyard?

• What is the yard’s experience using high strength steels?

Production and Design Software and Interoperability/Sharing:

• What 3D-Model software does the yard use?

Please describe how it is integrated with design and production.

• How is the 3D model software leveraged in managing weight control and cable routing?

Completion Percentage Milestones:

How does the yard manage / track requirements to justify a completion milestone?