RFI INDO-PACOM Japan - 47QSCC24R0021.pdf

Federal Acquisition Service General Supplies and Services

Supply Chain Management

Global Supply OCONUS Logistics Operations Support Solutions in United States Indo-Pacific Command - JAPAN

Request for Information (RFI)

Sources Sought Notice

47QSCC24R0021

1800 F Street, NW

Washington, D.C. 20405

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.

ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN THIS DOCUMENT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND IS PROVIDED ONLY TO GIVE VENDORS AN ADEQUATE UNDERSTANDING OF THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION’S

REQUIREMENT. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD INFORMATION BE DISCLOSED TO ANY

OUTSIDE PARTY.

1.0 Description

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), General Supplies and Services (GSS) Portfolio, Office of Supply Chain Management (SCM), Internal Acquisitions Branch (QSCBB) is seeking information related to how interested contractors could provide Global Supply OCONUS Logistics Operations Solutions Support within United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) Japan. Currently, GSA is the supplier of choice for both Federal civilian and military consumers of office supplies, tools and hardware, housewares, furniture, and cleaning products. GSA presently purchases these items in the United States for export to military units stationed or deployed to Japan. In cooperation with the Department of Defense (DoD), the purpose of this potential requirement would be to support overseas customers utilizing a more expeditious solution to supply items to the customer. Ideally, in accordance with required regulations, the Contractor would be responsible for sourcing and delivering products within 3 business days after receipt of order. The “Ship To” location could either be military and non-military facilities in the INDO-PACOM area of Japan.

Additionally, the primary warehouse operations will be established in Japan. The contractor would need to have the capability to support surge requirements during contingency operations, natural disaster, and war.

To achieve the aforementioned end goal in an economically viable way, GSA is issuing this RFI to engage our vendor partners in garnering their experience, capability, recommendations and interest.

This RFI is meant to achieve the following goals:

1. Determine whether a small business can perform the work in this RFI under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 493190.

2. Better understand how the industry would achieve optimal performance and efficiency to include ramp-up requirements from the date of contract award.

3. Identify concerns and potential barriers to full implementation of this concept.

4. Explain the contractor’s plan for a “bearer pick-up option” at the contractor's warehouse for next day pick-up for in-stock items.

5. How many warehouses are needed to fulfill the requirement in Japan including deliveries to

Okinawa.

6. Can this warehouse in Japan also service within 7-15 business days the following locations:

Australia, British Indian Ocean Territory, Marshall Islands, Singapore, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Kiribati, Armed Forces Pacific, New Zealand, Palau, Philippines. and Burma?

7. Identify the manner in which the vendor will meet customs requirements from the different countries and estimate days to clear customs per country.

8. Identify the manner in which the vendors would meet the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) requirements.

9. Identify the manner in which the vendor will comply with AbilityOne requirements.

10. Better understand how industry would achieve compliance with the Berry Amendment Act.

11. Understand how the industry would comply with Mil-Std 129, 2D barcode, and Mil-Std 2073.

12. Identify the manner in which industry would react during a state of war and contingency operations surge requirements. Explain plan to implement and support the Multiple Domain Battlefield Concept.

13. Identify the manner in which the vendor will comply with local Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) requirements.

The potential scope and description are identified below. Specific business rules will be established if a solicitation is developed pursuant to this RFI. As detailed in the questions for industry, GSA is seeking industry feedback on this scope and other aspects of the potential services.

The services identified as potential requirements include:

● Purchase and delivery of consumer products, as needed by GSA and its customers, from manufacturers or distributors located in Japan, and other countries in close proximity to Japan. Use of Trade Agreements Act (TAA) countries is encouraged as per Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 25.4. A list of countries with Trade Agreements is located at: https://ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements.

● Certification to international standards and regulations for hazardous materials/dangerous goods.

● Booking/arranging for onward movement within the identified timelines to meet delivery dates using the most appropriate mode of transportation.

● Responding to discrepancies issued by the government to include any data identifying the vendor, contract, type of discrepancy, etc.

● The Contractor will be responsible for the creation and application of supply and shipping documentation, shipping labels, and package markings meeting customer requirements. GSA and DoD will ensure that all goods received are conforming to applicable regulations as well as agency requirements related to documentation, packaging, packing, marking and labeling to include 2D barcoding.

● Meeting a delivery standard of 3 business days to locations in Indo-Pacom theater of operations to Japan.

● Interface with GSA order processing systems in order to receive and process customer orders and support shipment and billing of orders.

Note: Not included in the potential requirements, but for which comments would be welcome include:

● Other candidate items within the general categories of office supplies, tools and hardware, housewares, furniture, and cleaning products. GSA is especially interested in alternate items if a particular item group has a robust local supply source.

https://ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements https://ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements

2.0 Requested Information: Industry

2.1 Questions for Industry: Proposed Services

a) Does your company have any feedback on the draft logistics supplies and services as stated?

above? Please provide a response containing any concerns as well as any proposed changes to the scope.

b) Describe in general how these logistics services are accomplished worldwide.

c) Describe in general the processes involved in executing these services.

d) Describe in general the facility, personnel, systems and other requirements based on volumes and requirements.

e) What is the standard commercial delivery time frame for supply items in Japan after receipt of purchase order?

2.2 Questions for Industry: Vendor Pricing Methodology

a) What are your commercial pricing methodology structures for similar services?

2.3 Questions for Industry: Potential Service Offerings/Capability Statement

Please provide a brief indication of services your company would like to offer in a proposed follow-on solicitation, if one is to occur, to include, but not limited to your ability to execute the following:

a) Locate and identify products that meet customer requirements from any country (to include those aforementioned TAA countries).

b) Locate and provide AbilityOne products.

c) Fill large and small volume orders (i.e. small parcels to larger truckloads of supplies).

d) Utilize Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) to process Defense Logistics Management System

(DLMS) compliant transactions.

e) Create detailed shipping labels and documentation. Please also discuss familiarity with U.S.

DoD shipping documentation. The following references are germane:

a. Defense Logistics Manual (DLM) 4000.25-1, Military Standard Requisitioning and Issue

Procedures (MILSTRIP).

b. MIL-STD-129, Department of Defense Standard Practice, Military Marking for Shipment and Storage.

c. MIL-STD-2073, Department of Defense Standard Practice for Military Packaging

Requirements.

f) Execute shipments directly to Indo-Pacom Theater of operations Japan to include the capability to meet national and international standards for hazardous/flammable materials and other goods.

g) Provide a portal with up to date stock levels and to provide status on order shipment and delivery.

h) Please provide how you will keep the supply chain current during natural disasters.

h) Maintain quality assurance surveillance.

i) Identify ability to match commercially available products to product numbers (see attached sampling) and explain your approach to establishing effective sourcing relationships with sources in Japan.

j) Obtain and deliver material on a timely basis and in good condition (please provide evidence as well as examples of your existing supply chain(s) for these types of material or describe the creation of a supply chain(s), as well as reasonable order receipt to delivery times).

2.4 Questions for Industry: General Information

a) If allowed, does the vendor have the capability to use existing GSA contracts to fulfill supply requirements in Japan? If so, how does this affect your costs (i.e. transportation, warehousing)?

b) For which specific locations can the sourcing work be provided? Are there any other factors that impact the contractor’s ability to effectively deliver within

c) Are there any barriers to complying with the international standards for hazardous materials and dangerous goods?

d) Do standards for manufacturing and quality for Japan or by a multinational body such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)apply to these products? Are there any recommendations as to how GSA might leverage these existing standards in resulting contracts?

e) Does your company have any other general feedback about the potential services?

g) Are there any significant efficiencies or cost economies that have not been addressed?

2.5 Questions for Industry: General Company Information

a) Provide a brief introduction of your company.

b) Provide the primary NAICS code that your company utilizes for these types of services.

c) Identify any other government contract vehicle which your company currently holds an award.

3.0 Responses

3.1 Responses to this RFI are due by 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Monday, October 7, 2024 and can be emailed to Contracting Officers Valeriya Orlova (valeriya.orlova@gsa.gov) and Dominic Lackey (dominic.lackey@gsa.gov).

3.2 All responses to the RFI must be submitted electronically. Each response must be single-spaced and typewritten in 12-point Times New Roman font and in the English language. Each response must be in .doc or .docx format with every page of the response separately numbered. Also, each response must be no more than fifteen (15) 8½” by 11” pages in total (excluding applicable diagrams and charts) and all pages must be combined as one attachment.

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

3.3.1. Name, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address of designated point of contact.

3.3.2. Business type (large business, small business, etc.) based upon the NAICS code(s) you identify in this RFI. Please refer to FAR Part 19 for additional information on Small Business Size mailto:valeriya.orlova@gsa.gov mailto:dominic.lackey@gsa.gov

Standards.

4.0 Questions

Questions regarding this RFI shall be submitted, no later than, 10:00 AM EDT on September 19, 2024.

Please submit questions in the following link: https://forms.gle/iPzoFdYVzfFsN5Bo6

Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Questions will be answered by posting answers to the website where the RFI has been posted; accordingly, questions shall NOT contain proprietary information.

5.0 Vendor Meetings

Upon receipt of responses, the government may or may not schedule informal informational sessions with vendors. Meetings may be held in-person or via teleconference.

6.0 Summary

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY related to providing Global Supply OCONUS Logistics Operations Support Solutions in Japan in support of export operations. This announcement is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a Request for Quote (RFQ). The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding to the government. GSA has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and respondents 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.

All submissions become government property and will not be returned. This RFI does not constitute a solicitation for bids, proposals or quote and is not to be construed as a commitment by the government to issue a request for proposal/quote or award of a contract as a result of this request.

Furthermore, GSA is not seeking proposals at this time and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. It is the responsibility of potential offerors to monitor the solicitation website(s) such as Sam.gov, where a potential solicitation of a future requirement may be published.

Any document submitted in response to this RFI that contains confidential information must be marked on the outside as containing confidential information. Each page upon which confidential information appears must be marked as containing confidential information. The confidential information must be clearly identifiable to the reader wherever it appears. All other information will not be treated as confidential.

All information marked confidential in RFI responses is only for the government’s planning use.

https://forms.gle/iPzoFdYVzfFsN5Bo6

Confidential information may be reviewed by contractors; subject to a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) including, but not limited to, commercial or financial data obtained by the respondent’s submitted documents. Otherwise, no information marked confidential included in this document or in conversations connected to it may be disclosed to any other party outside of the government.

7.0 Clauses

FAR 52-215(3)--Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (Oct 1997)

(a) The government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this solicitation or to otherwise pay for the information solicited except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in subsection 31.205-18, Bid and proposal costs, of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

(b) Although “proposal” and “offeror” are used in this Request for Information, your response will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal.

(c) This solicitation is issued for the purpose of obtaining information from vendors on its ability to source and deliver products within 3 business days after receipt of order.