SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE FOR

US Army, Aviation Center of Excellence (USAACE) Rotary Wing Flight Training

Support Services (RWFTSS)

INTRODUCTION:

This Sources Sought Notice (SSN) is for planning and information purposes only and shall not be construed as a commitment or a promise of a contract by the Government.

This is not a solicitation. This notice does not constitute an Invitation for Bid (IFB), Request for Quote (RFQ) or Request for Proposal (RFP), nor does it restrict the Government regarding the ultimate acquisition approach. The Government will not reimburse respondents for any costs incurred in preparation of a response to this notice.

Only small business firms are invited to submit responses that demonstrate their technical skills and ability to provide the services consistent with this notice. If your company is other than small, please provide a detailed narrative describing your anticipated subcontracting approach. This should include subcontracting percentage and types of work you intend to subcontract and any anticipated challenges to subcontracting goals in any of the small business categories.

PURPOSE:

The Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC) – Fort Eustis, is conducting market research to gain knowledge on interest, technical capability, and financial capacity of potential qualified small business firms with capacity to provide flight training support. Responses to this Source Sought will be used by the Government in making appropriate acquisition decisions to include extent of competition. MICC-Fort Eustis intends to procure contract services to support the Rotary Wing Flight Training Support Services at the United States Army, Aviation Center of Excellence (USAACE), 110th Aviation Brigade, Fort Rucker, Alabama.

ELIGIBILITY:

Responses are sought from firms considered small under North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 611512 – Flight Training, with a small business size standard of $34.0 million.

BACKGROUND:

Fort Rucker is the US Army’s center for excellence in aviation. The RWFTSS - supports the training of US Army 110th Aviation Brigade units and US Air Force (USAF) aircrew and non-aircrew personnel at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Two Core Functions of the U.S.

Army Aviation Center of Excellence (AVCOE), at Ft. Rucker, Alabama, are to provide initial entry rotary wing flight training to newly appointed Commissioned Officers and Warrant Officers and to provide functional training for qualified aviators. Based on past Government studies for determining the most efficient and cost-effective means to provide highly technical and specialized training, Fort Rucker has contracted various aspects of the undergraduate initial entry rotary wing and graduate rotary wing flight training services since 1959. Key aspects are summarized below.

Description of Services/Introduction: Provide rotary wing flight training and flight training support to newly assigned Army officers attending Initial Entry Rotary Wing (IERW) training, Provide Flight Training Support, and Flight Training Service Support for US Army (USA) and US Air Force (USAF) aircrew and non-aircrew personnel at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

REQUIRED CAPABILITIES:

Qualified sources shall provide support to the RWFTSS and provide a workforce possessing the skills, knowledge and training to perform the requirements and training to the standards set forth in the attached draft Performance Work Statement (PWS). In accordance with the draft PWS, the specific task areas include:

1. Training Program Operations (includes Draft PWS 5.1-5.3 and Draft PWS 5.6):

Flight and Academic Instruction (Draft PWS 5.1)

The contractor shall conduct all flight, simulator, and academic instruction in strict compliance with the Program of Instruction/Course Management Plan (POI/CMP), Syllabus of Instruction (SOI), and applicable Flight Training Guides. The primary objective is to ensure students achieve proficiency for their End of Stage (EOS) evaluations or academic Criterion Tests (CT). The contractor is responsible for providing necessary remedial and make-up training for both Army and Air Force students who fail to meet initial standards. Additionally, the contractor must supply current course materials and develop new instructional content conforming to TRADOC Regulation 350-70, subject to Government approval. A key administrative duty is the timely and accurate entry of student performance, instructor data, and resource scheduling into designated Government systems, including RTIMS, CAFRS, ARTS, and the Air Force's GTIMS. Finally, the contractor must actively support training improvements by providing Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to monitor activities, review publications, and recommend courseware enhancements to ensure high-quality, efficient training.

Workload (Draft PWS 5.2)

The contractor must manage a variable student workload, with the Government providing 90 days' notice for workload increases and 15 days' notice for decreases.

The contractor must monitor student flow, reporting missing or unprogrammed students to the COR within three hours. A key duty is reintegrating "setback" students into the training schedule promptly to avoid training breaks. Furthermore, the contractor must ensure 100% completion of the Course Management Plan

(CMP), rescheduling any training lost to weather or maintenance. Finally, the contractor must submit weekly Lost Training Time Reports and immediate

Notifications of Delay in Scheduled Services.

Course evaluations and examinations (Draft PWS 5.3)

The contractor shall execute comprehensive flight and academic evaluations. The contractor normally conducts 100% of within-stage, progress, and reentry assessments, and up to 30% of End of Stage (EOS) evaluations using prioritized personnel. The Government retains the right to conduct any evaluation. The

Government will conduct 100% of Air Force flight evaluations, progression evaluations and reentry into training evaluations. The contractor must manage all

Government-provided academic tests, enforcing minimum passing scores (70%

Army, 85% Air Force) and analyzing results for instruction trends. Finally, the contractor must administer student critiques, submit Student Critique Summary

Reports, and support Air Force Pilot Instructor Training.

Scheduling (Draft PWS 5.6)

The contractor shall schedule all students, instructors, and resources—including classrooms, aircraft, and training devices—using the USAACE-designated resource management system. The contractor must ensure students complete every task in the prescribed POI/SOI sequence. Furthermore, the contractor must coordinate all schedules with applicable USAACE agencies and notify the COR of any aircraft or training device shortages within 24 hours.

2. Instructor Personnel Management and Quality (includes Draft PWS 1.10, Draft PWS 5.4-5.5, and Draft PWS 5.8):

Key Personnel and Other Than Key Personnel (Draft PWS 1.10)

The contractor must obtain written approval to replace designated Key Personnel, though immediate removal for conduct is permitted. The contractor must provide sufficient staff to maintain a strict two-to-one (2:1) student-to-instructor ratio and accommodate an additional "setback" student load. All instructional personnel must meet stringent FAA/ICAO certifications, minimum flight hours, and physical standards, with specific prerequisites for Air Force instructors. Furthermore, the contractor must submit qualification packets for Government approval prior to hiring, enforce professional dress and conduct standards, maintain a random drug testing program, and submit comprehensive monthly staffing reports.

Methods of Instruction (MOI) Training (Draft PWS 5.4)

The contractor shall manage an MOI program to qualify and maintain instructor proficiency. The contractor provides internal MOI, safety, and UH-72 qualification training for flight instructors, while academic instructors must complete the

Government's Foundation Instructor Facilitator Course (FIFC). Training covers military directives, administrative systems (CAFRS), and equipment manuals.

Crucially, all flight instructors must pass a Government-conducted flight evaluation before teaching students. The contractor must manage recurrency and refresher training—reimbursing the Government for refresher expenses if instructors fail standardization evaluations. Finally, the contractor must provide MOI courses to

Government personnel upon request and submit an annual review of flight operations procedures.

Internal Workforce Training and Evaluation: (Draft PWS 5.5)

The contractor must implement an internal training and evaluation program within its

Quality Management System (QMS) to ensure all employees remain trained, certified, and current. Instructors must meet continuation training requirements per applicable Army and Air Force regulations. The program mandates strict annual assessments, including written examinations (requiring an 85% minimum score), flight evaluations for flight instructors, instrument evaluations for device instructors, and classroom evaluations for academic instructors. Finally, the contractor must submit a Flight Hour Program Report detailing the flight hours used for all internal training, transitions, and evaluations.

Decertification/Recertification (Draft PWS 5.8)

The Government reserves the right to decertify contractor instructors based on evaluator observations, valid complaints, or student critiques. Reasons include substandard instructional performance, causing aborted training, mishandling Government property, or endangering personnel. Once notified by the Contracting Officer, a decertified instructor can no longer perform under the contract.

3. Administrative Requirements (Draft PWS 5.7)

The contractor shall execute various administrative duties, including the emergency movement of aircraft, managing approved travel, and processing personnel qualification forms. Key responsibilities include comprehensive records management, safeguarding Government data, and submitting mandatory deliverables like Monthly Cost Reports. The contractor must provide training consulting, participate in quarterly Training System Reviews (TSR), and manage its own Automated Data Processing (ADP) equipment. Strict compliance with DoD, Army, and Air Force information security regulations is required, alongside the submission of a robust contingency plan for abnormal situations or emergencies.

Capability must be demonstrated in all PWS task areas in order to provide the support necessary. Small businesses may use teaming partners; however, small businesses must have capability to provide at least 50% of the effort as a prime contractor.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSIONS:

Responses shall not exceed 10 pages. Additional pages beyond 10 will be discarded.

Cover letters and extraneous materials are NOT desired. Materials, documents, hyperlinks, etc. incorporated by reference in responses will not be accessed by the Government for inclusion. All responses must be self-contained and shall address the following items:

a) Company name, address, CAGE code, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and points of contact with telephone numbers and email addresses.

b) Business size/classification to include socioeconomic designation of the company and all applicable socio-economic categories (i.e., 8(a), HUBZone, Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), etc.).

c) Information to permit the Government to assess personnel capacity to support a procurement of this magnitude. Identify current number of employees and ability to perform upon the start date of contract performance as there is no phase-in planned.

d) Gross Average revenue for the last three (3) years.

e) Submit information to assess financial capacity for a procurement of this magnitude to include a description of financial capacity and growth capability to perform services of this magnitude.

f) Tell the Government why this requirement should not go to a large business in lieu of small business, or further, to a socio-economic set-aside.

It is imperative that businesses responding to this Sources Sought Notice articulate their capabilities clearly and adequately regarding the three (3) areas detailed above.

For each area (1-3 identified above), describe:

• how your firm, or your firm in partnership with another firm, can or has in the past, provided services similar or the same as each identified area.

• your firm's capability to provide the specified support and support services.

Capabilities must be articulated in sufficient detail for the Government to determine if your company possesses the necessary expertise and experience to compete for this acquisition.

Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Requirements

Respondents are advised that the Government anticipates any resulting solicitation for this requirement will include Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) requirements. This acquisition will likely necessitate a Level 2 certification.

In your response, please provide the following information regarding your firm's cybersecurity posture:

1. Current Certification Status: Indicate your current CMMC certification level (if already assessed) or your current NIST SP 800-171 self-assessment score as recorded in the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS).

2. Capability to Comply: If not currently certified at the anticipated level, describe your firm’s plan and timeline to achieve compliance with RFO DFARS 252.204- 7021 prior to contract award.

Industry input is also requested on the DRAFT Performance Work Statement (PWS) that is attached. QUESTIONS AND/OR FEEDBACK RELATED TO THE PWS, COMMERCIALITY, AND/OR CONTRACT STRUCTURE MUST BE SUBMITTED AS

A SEPARATE DOCUMENT.

Respondents are requested to answer the following questions:

1. Are the proposed services currently sold, leased, or licensed to the general public or non-governmental entities? If so, what evidence or examples (e.g., commercial website link, catalog, or commercial customer type) can you provide to demonstrate this commerciality?

2. Can this requirement be successfully executed using a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract structure? If you believe an alternative contract type (e.g., Time & Materials, Labor Hour) is more appropriate, please provide a detailed justification based on commercial marketplace standards.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS:

Responses are due no later than 11:00 AM EDT, 26 May 2026 and shall be submitted electronically to MICC-Fort Eustis, addressed to:

Ms. Jennifer Hayden, Contract Specialist, at jennifer.s.hayden.civ@army.mil Ms. Phoenix Fluker Contract Specialist, at phoenix.m.fluker.civ@army.mil.

Ms. Lindsey Nicolai Contract Officer, at lindsey.c.nicolai.civ@army.mil

(*All submissions received in response to this Sources Sought Notice that are marked or designated as corporate or proprietary will be protected from any release outside the Government.)

ATTACHMENT: Draft Performance Work Statement