RFI MFAT W5955 09.30.25.pdf

Request For Information (RFI) Guide For FAR 6.302-1 Acquisition Efforts

29 Sep 2025

W5955 Fabric Testing for Advanced Technology Anti-Gravity Suit

(ATAGS)

CAUTION:

The Government is conducting market research to identify potential sources that may possess the expertise, capabilities, and experience to evaluate the material properties of the Elevate Textiles W5955 fabric to produce the Advanced Technology Anti-Gravity Suit (ATAGS) and Legacy G-suits to meet the requirements for the Material Obsolescence Effort of the ATAGS. The formal and technical name for ATAGS are the CSU-22/P and CSU-23/P suits, and the Legacy G-Suit is formally known as (CUS-13 B/P). The objective of these efforts is to evaluate the material properties of the Elevate Textiles W5955 fabric to ensure it has met or exceeded the material specification requirements to produce the ATAGS and Legacy G-Suits. Contractors/Institutions responding to this market research are placed on notice that participation in this survey may not ensure participation in future solicitations or contract awards. The government will not reimburse participants for any expenses associated with their participation in this survey. The level of security clearance and amount of foreign participation in this requirement has not been determined.

Contractor shall furnish all material, support equipment, tools, test equipment, and services. The contractor is responsible for providing, maintaining, and calibrating all support equipment required at their facility or a subcontractor’s facility. Contractor furnished material or parts used for replacement shall equal or exceed the quality of the original material or parts.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Below is a document containing a description of the G-Suit assembly requirements and a Contractor Capability Survey, which allows you to provide your company’s capability.

2. If after reviewing these documents, you desire to participate in the Sources Sought, you should provide documentation that supports your company’s capability in meeting these requirements.

Failure to provide documentation may result in the government being unable to adequately assess your capabilities. If you lack sufficient experience in a particular area, please provide details explaining how you would overcome the lack of experience/capabilities in order to perform that portion of the requirement (i.e., teaming, subcontracting, etc.)

a. Identify any areas of work that your organization believes should be broken out exclusively for Small Business.

b. No set aside decision has been made; however, the Government will determine the final strategy after thorough analysis of the small business responses and other market research available, considering the demonstrated interest and capability. Please ensure that you provide a thorough response to each question. If your company does not currently possess the full capability required to fulfill the entire requirement, what teaming/partnership/joint venture/subcontracting arrangement do you have in place to fulfill the government needs? Providing evidence of this arrangement, e.g. emails, letter, etc. that demonstrates a united response to this RFI is highly encouraged, but not required.

The evidence should state the type of arrangement and the role each member will fulfill.

If you are only interested in being a subcontractor to the future awardee, state the portion of the work that your organization has capability of fulfilling.

3. Both large and small businesses are encouraged to participate in this Market Research. Joint ventures or teaming arrangements are encouraged.

4. Questions relative to this market survey should be addressed to:

Gail Bembry, email: gail.bembry.1@us.af.mil, phone number: 478-222-7406, Shemica Miller, email: shemica.miller@us.af.mil, phone number 478-973-7003, and John Middlebrooks, email: john.middlebrooks@us.af.mil, phone number 478-2926-1384.

5. Questions relative to this market survey should be addressed to PCO:

John Middlebrooks, email: john.middlebrooks@us.af.mil, phone number 478-2926-1384, and Shemica Miller, email: shemica.miller@us.af.mil, phone number 478-973-7003.

W5955 Fabric Testing

PURPOSE/DESCRIPTION

The government is conducting market research to identify potential sources to meet a modification capability for modified ATAGS CSU-22/P (NSN 8475-01-695-4636, 8475-01-695-4640, and 8475-01-695-4644) assemblies (trousers and bladder assembly - Table 1) and Legacy G-Suit CSU13 B/P NSN 8475-00-545-8204, 8475-00-550-7394, and 8475-00-545-8248 assemblies Currently, ROUS has identified obsolescence challenges associated with the Synergy Nomex material. If supplier is unable to find innovative alternative material or source of material to mitigate obsolescence challenges, then the suit will continue to have production disruptions, reduced life extension, increased costs, and readiness issues.

The proposed acquisition strategy is a one-time buy in fiscal year 2026. The anticipated North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) for this requirement is 541380. This Market Research is requesting responses to the following criteria from businesses that can provide the required services under the NAICS Code.

The proposed solution to the issue is to have an approved alternative material to produce the modified ATAGS. Elevate Textiles’ W5955 fabric is going through testing to be used as this alternative material. The material will be tested in accordance with (IAW) several Advancing Standards Transforming Markets (ASTM) International and American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) testing methods.

There are no samples available for potential suppliers to evaluate. If necessary, potential contractors shall furnish all material, support equipment, tools, test equipment, and services needed to fill this order. The contractor is responsible for providing, maintaining, and calibrating all support equipment required at their facility or a subcontractor’s facility.

Perform all requested material testing on Elevate Textiles W5955 fabric.

Setup: The contractor shall procure the necessary quantity of 5-10 yards of Elevate Textiles W5955 fabric to perform the testing. The contractor shall provide a Test Report (CDRL deliverable) which details the results of all material testing performed to verify that the Elevate Textiles W5955 fabric is an acceptable alternative material for the modified ATAGS.

The following table lists all tests that the Contractor is required to complete. All test results must be sent to AFLCMC/ROU.

W5955 Fabric Testing for Advanced Technology Anti-Gravity Suit (ATAGS)

Part I. Business Information Please provide the following business information for your company/institution and for any teaming or joint venture partners:

• Company/Institute Name:

• Address:

• Point of Contact:

• CAGE Code:

• Phone Number:

• E-mail Address:

• Web Page URL:

• Government Proposed North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code: 541380

Based on the Government proposed NAICS Code, state whether your company is:

• Small Business (Yes / No)

• Woman Owned Small Business (Yes / No)

• Small Disadvantaged Business (Yes / No)

• 8(a) Certified (Yes / No)

• HUBZone Certified (Yes / No)

• Veteran Owned Small Business (Yes / No)

• Service Disabled Veteran Small Business (Yes / No)

• System for Award Management (SAM) (Yes / No)

• A statement as to whether your company is domestically or foreign owned (if foreign, please indicate the country of ownership).

Responses to the Capability Survey Part I and Part II must be received no later than close of business 30 Oct 25. Please ensure data is in a readable electronic format that can be received through a firewall. Attachments shall not to exceed 10 MB per email. Multiple emails are acceptable.

Responses must be sent via email to the following:

Please email your response to:

PCO: John Middlebrooks, email: john.middlebrooks@us.af.mil, phone number 478-2926-1384.

Buyer: Shemica Miller, email: shemica.miller@us.af.mil, phone number 478-973-7003.

PM: Gail Bembry, email: gail.bembry.1@us.af.mil, phone number 478-222-7406.

Questions relative to this market research should be addressed to:

PCO: John Middlebrooks, email: john.middlebrooks@us.af.mil, phone number 478-2926-1384.

Buyer: Shemica Miller, email: shemica.miller@us.af.mil, phone number 478-973-7003.

PM: Gail Bembry, email: gail.bembry.1@us.af.mil, phone number 478-222-7406.

Part II. Capability Survey Questions

A. General Capability Questions:

1. Describe briefly the capabilities of your facility and nature of the goods and/or services you provide. Include a description of your staff composition and management structure.

2. Describe your company's past experience on previous projects similar in complexity with performing textile testing, specifically for military/Department of Defense (DoD) requirements? Include contract numbers, a brief description of the work performed, period of performance, agency/organization supported, and individual point of contact (Contracting Officer or Program Manager). Has your company done any work specific to the ATAGS item currently in use, if so, please provide a general description of the completed work and results?

3. Describe your company's capabilities and summary of experience in generating DoD textile specifications (eg. MIL-STD-810, MIL-PRF-44239, MIL-DTL-32235, ASTM standards)?

4. How do you handle calibration and maintenance of test equipment? Are calibration certificates traceable to national standards? Can you handle specialized or composite textiles (e.g., aramid, PBO, carbon fiber-reinforced coated fabrics, laminates)?

5. What quality assurance processes and test qualification practices does your company employ? Provide a description of your quality program (ISO/IEC 17025 9001, AS9100, status etc.).

6. Provide a detailed quality plan implementing ISO 9001 (or equivalent).

7. Describe if your personnel and facilities are able to handle Secret level clearance required for discussions with the Government about items being modified. Provide a description of on-site secure building areas to accomplish modifications (storage of assets) and if access to an on-site Special Access Program Facility (SAPF) is possible.

8. Describe your company’s analysis, design, and laboratories (including tooling) on site capabilities and their relationship to your core business practices.

9. How do you ensure sustainability and security of sensitive or proprietary textile samples?

10. Describe your company’s good standing with records of past performance on United States Government (USG) contracts for items of similar or related nature.

B. Engineering Services Questions:

1. Describe your services capabilities and experience with regard to the requirements of this effort. How would you address endurance test failures?

2. Describe your capabilities and experience in developing/modifying procedures. Include associated upgrade of technical orders and preparation of new technical orders, drawings and a technical data package.

3. Demonstrate your ability and experience for the same or similar services, which are currently provided in the military environment by providing the following information on the same or similar items:

a) Contract Number

b) Procuring Agency

c) Contract Value

d) Services Provider

4. Describe your capabilities and experience in any required test, evaluation, and repair processes/procedures with regard to the required items. Do you have the capability in-house to do any of the following types of testing: endurance testing, leak testing, low pressure leakage testing, secondary restraint testing, and hose bladder strength testing?

5. Describe how you/your organization would handle repairing an item that comes in with one defect but in fact has several other defects discovered during disassembly.

6. Describe how you/your organization will identify and resolve parts obsolescence and diminishing manufacturing sources problems?

7. Does you/your organization have the ability to design tooling (if needed) in house to manufacture obsolete parts that are needed to repair if provided basic drawings from the Government?

8. For time-sensitive or mission-critical programs, what strategies reduce variability due to environmental exposure prior to testing (storage conditions, aging management, in-filed validation support)?

9. Describe your process for maintaining inventory records and reporting hand/work-in-process balance and modification status to your customer as required.

10. How do you track status of items through your organization and what artifacts or summary sheets (or test reports) are provided to customers once items are within standards?

11. How will your organization address the absence of drawings, specifications, technical data, test procedures, etc.

12. What engineering controls minimize sample damage (fixture design, clamping methods, slip control, thermal/humidity control for hygroscopic fabrics, static management)?