RFI_CVR_Lab_Rack_Upgrade.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) Laboratory Rack Upgrade

1.0 Description

1.1 The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Acquisition and Lease Management Division is seeking information on how an interested party could provide a laboratory rack upgrade.

1.2 THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes – it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, the NTSB is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals.

Respondees are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Contracting Opportunities webpage of the System for Award Management (ww.sam.gov). It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

1.3 NTSB is conducting market research through this RFI to capture information from the vendor community on the marketplace of potential solutions. This RFI seeks input regarding:

a. Industry’s general comments on the NTSB’s business needs and possible solutions including proposals of alternate methods of meeting business needs;

b. Industry’s capability to perform the work (including perceived risks and level of customization required);

c. Industry’s estimate of the approximate cost to acquire and implement the proposed solution;

d. Industry’s ability to demonstrate a proposed solution; and,

e. Industry’s ability to propose innovative strategies for meeting NTSB’s needs, including multi-vendor collaborative solutions, solutions that leverage open source tools, and enhancements that will bring value.

The desired outcomes of this RFI are for NTSB to:

a. Learn more about what needs can and cannot be met with existing market offerings;

b. Determine the approximate cost of acquiring, implementing, and maintaining the solution(s);

c. Learn about the technology and staff resources that may be required to implement and support the solution; and,

d. Inform future budget planning.

2.0 Statement of Objectives

The contractor shall provide equipment, both software and hardware, and other items including non-personal services necessary to design, construct and maintain a laboratory-grade rack-based electronic system for downloading and reconstructing cockpit voice recorder (CVR) information directly from undamaged CVR’s and recovered memory modules in support of accident investigations. The final integrated solution shall provide:

• Capability to interface directly with electronic cockpit voice recorder units of any vintage still operating in the fleet;

• Support for the GUI based control and production of specialized control signals to recorders and associated equipment to support the downloading and analysis of recorded information;

• Ability to read out data as a digital data stream using standard legacy and current interfaces (RS-422, RS-232, USB, Ethernet, etc.), non-standard interfaces (hardware & software to be provided as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) and analog line-level monaural audio;

• Capability to efficiently and cleanly (with maximal fidelity and minimal distortion, crosstalk, & interference) route line-level monaural audio from the download CVR to local computers as well as multiple (up to 3) listening rooms configured for playback and transcription (both manual and computer-based) of the audio contents.;

• Capability to route and play back multi-channel (up to four channels simultaneously) audio to multiple listeners using standard PC-Based GFE software;

• Preserve the options to extending capabilities to the downloading and routing of recorded video information as a potential follow-on development effort depending on how future crash-recorder regulations evolve;

• Provide NTSB laboratory personnel with appropriate operational training and options for contracting continuing maintenance services and tech support to support the NTSB mission of 24/7/365 CVR download capability in the event of major high priority accident investigations.

• Certain manufacturer proprietary hardware and software may be supplied to the contractor as (GFE) or Government Furnished Property (GFP), as is necessary and advantageous to the US Government.

3.0 Responses

3.1 Interested parties are requested to respond to this RFI.

3.2 Written responses in a PDF compatible format are due no later than April 14, 2023 at 4:00 PM/Eastern Time(ET). Responses shall be submitted via e-mail only to bryan.moy@ntsb.gov. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

3.3. Section 1 of the response shall provide administrative information, and shall include the following as a minimum:

3.3.1. Organization Name, mailing address, physical address (if different from mailing address), phone number, fax number, and e-mail of designated point of contact.

3.3.2. Tailored capability statements addressing the particulars of this effort, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of organizational and staff capability. If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated in order to deliver technical capability, organizations should address the administrative and management structure of such arrangements.

3.3.3. Business type (large business, small business, small disadvantaged business, 8(a)-certified small disadvantaged business, HUBZone small business, woman-owned small business, very small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business) based upon North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument mailto:bryan.moy@ntsb.gov

Manufacturing. Please refer to Federal Acquisition Regulation FAR 19 for additional detailed information on Small Business Size Standards.

3.3.4. SAM Registration. There is no requirement to be registered in SAM to submit a response to this RFI. However, to be considered for any future award, the successful contractor must be registered in SAM prior to award.

The number of pages in Section 1 of the response shall not be included in the 3-page limitation, the 3-page limitation applies only to Section 2 of the response.

3.4 Section 2 of the response shall answer the question below and shall be limited to 3 pages:

a. Within the Section 2.0 Statement of Objectives, is there any information that is not clear, or could otherwise be improved upon in order to perform the requirements of the contract to industry standards?

4.0 Questions

Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to the Contract Specialist at bryan.moy@ntsb.gov. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted.

Questions will be answered by posting answers to the selected government point of entry; accordingly, questions shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information.

The Government does not guarantee that questions received after March 29, 2023, at 4:00 PM/ET will be answered.

5.0 Summary

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY to identify parties that can provide tools for the direct download of memory boards recovered from flight data and cockpit voice recorders. The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. NTSB has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought.

All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

http://www.arnet.gov/far/current/html/FARTOCP19.html mailto:bryan.moy@ntsb.gov