SBX DEV RFI_11 September 24.docx

Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Ground Sensors Directorate (SN) Request for Information

1. Background and Description:

The Missile Defense Agency’s Ground Sensors directorate (MDA/SN) is conducting market research to determine industry interest and capability to meet follow-on requirements for Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX) capability and software development.

The SBX is an advanced X-band Radar mounted on a mobile, ocean-going, semi-submersible platform and is the principle midcourse sensor for the Missile Defense System. The radar acquires, tracks, and discriminates flight characteristics of ballistic missiles, providing precision discrimination and hit assessment. The SBX provides an advanced radar capability to the Missile Defense System, increasing MDA’s ability to support Combatant Commands and defensive operations and to conduct advanced missile defense testing. When combined with other radars, overlapping sensor coverage expands the Missile Defense System battle space and complicates an adversary’s ability to penetrate the Missile Defense System.

The image below provides a depiction of SBX capability and integration into the Missile Defense System mission:

2. Request for Information (RFI) This RFI is issued for planning purposes only as part of the overall market research activity to collect, organize, maintain, analyze, and present data in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) Part 210. This RFI does not commit the MDA to establish a contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, the MDA is not seeking proposals nor will it accept proposals. The information provided may be used in developing an Acquisition Strategy, Statement of Work, Statement of Objective, or Performance Work Statement for follow-on or new contracts. Participation in future MDA transactions and procurement opportunities is not contingent upon responding to this RFI.

3. Primary Scope Descriptions:

3.a. X-band Radar (XBR) Development 3.a.(i) XBR software engineering support

· Maintenance of fielded XBR software, primarily developed in ADA language

· Software engineering releases (ER), Formal Release (FR), and maintenance releases (MR) to support integration and test events; and Operational Capability List (OCL) concurrence and fielding

· Subject Matter Expert (SME) support for trouble shooting and corrective action

· Trade study execution and analysis for capability enhancements 3.a.(ii) XBR software development and capability upgrades

· Software capability implementation in accordance with approved Missile Defense Agency Phased Implementation Plan

· Open architecture to accommodate integration of 3rd party algorithms

· Modular design 3.a.(iii) Systems Engineering

· Requirements development, analysis, and verification

· Development of algorithms and new functionality against emerging threats

· Software capabilities performance assessment, qualification, and formal test

· Systems Engineering support to software builds, software databases, and hardware upgrades

· Configuration management

· Support radar integration and test with all stakeholders for ground and flight test planning, execution, and analysis

· Support software and hardware engineering technical reviews

4. Responses:

Responses shall address all scope areas identified in section 3 above, and must adhere to the following guidelines:

a) Limited to no more than (20) twenty 8.5 inch X 11 inch pages using Times New Roman 12pt font (single or double spaced), with 1 inch margins on top, bottom, and sides (11 inch X 17 inch foldouts shall be counted as two pages)

b) Responses shall be in electronic portable document format (.pdf) only with searchable capability (no scanned documents)

Responses must include the following information:

a) Cover page containing: respondent’s profile to include respondent’s name and address, number of employees, annual revenue history, office locations, DUNS number, CAGE code, NAICS code, current business status (large or small), small business category (if applicable), applicable socioeconomic status, primary and one alternate point of contact, and telephone numbers and email addresses.

b) Respondents should submit a Capability Briefing with detailed explanation, including experience relevant to all areas identified in section 3 above, that supports why they (and any potential subcontractors or teaming partners) should be considered a responsible source capable of meeting all of the requirements identified.

c) Responses shall describe what (if any) Government furnished technical data, software, software documentation, programmatic or operational information is necessary to perform the requirements in section 3 above.

· SBX Development Technical Data Package is available with the exception of a couple discrimination algorithms to which the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) asserted limited/restricted rights.

d) If you will have potential subcontractors, address past experience in managing subcontractors on similar requirements.

e) Recommendations for requirement areas that could be set-aside for small business or broken out for competition.

f) Provide existing Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) or other Government-Wide Best in Class contract vehicles that could be used to procure this requirement to be evaluated as a possible acquisition strategy.

Business teaming arrangements to meet the requirements listed above should articulate the portions of work that the prime contractor intends to perform, as well as articulate the portions that potential subcontractors or teaming partners (if applicable) will perform. Responses should include business size and business socio-economic category of all potential subcontractors or teaming partners identified to perform work associated with the NAICS for this RFI.

4. Marking:

Proprietary information is neither sought nor desired by the MDA. If proprietary information is submitted, it must clearly be marked "proprietary" on every sheet containing such information and the proprietary information must be segregated to the maximum extent practicable from other portions of the response (e.g., paragraph markings, image markings, or use an attachment or exhibit). Respondents are responsible for adequately marking proprietary information contained in their response. Do not send any classified information.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and its amendments have resulted in an increasing number of requests from outside the Government for copies of contract qualifications and proposals submitted to federal agencies. If a respondent’s submissions contain information that he/she believes should be withheld from such requestors under FOIA on the grounds that they contain “trade secrets and commercial or financial information” [5 USC§552(b)(4)], the respondent should mark its submissions in the following manner:

The following notice should be placed on the title page: “Some parts of this document, as identified on individual pages, are considered by the respondent to be privileged or confidential trade secrets or commercial or financial information not subject to mandatory disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Material considered privileged or confidential on such grounds is contained on page(s) [enter page number(s)].”

Each individual item considered privileged or confidential under FOIA should be marked with the following notice: “The data or information is considered by the submitter to be confidential or privileged, and is not subject to mandatory disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.”

5. Response Submissions:

Packages shall be submitted electronically to the Contracting Officer in electronic portable document format (.pdf) only with searchable capability (no scanned documents) at the following address: john.michael@mda.mil. All responses to this announcement must be received by 5:00 PM CDT on 11 October 2024. Submitted information will not be returned to the interested party. The MDA may not acknowledge receipt of responses to this RFI. If a receipt is desired, potential sources should submit statements electronically and select "read receipt request" from electronic mail options. Communications with the MDA with regard to this RFI will be permitted only electronically to the Contracting Officer during the RFI response period.

6. Response Review:

The MDA intends to use third party, non-government (i.e., contractor) support personnel as subject matter experts in the review of responses received, including the review of any marked or unmarked proprietary information provided. Appropriate nondisclosure agreements will be executed between the third party, non-government support personnel and the MDA.

Submission of a response under this RFI constitutes a grant of authority by the respondent to the MDA to allow access to Federal personnel and these third party individuals to any content of the submission that may constitute material within the ambit of the Trade Secrets Act, 18 U.S.C. 1905.

Respondents will not be notified of the results of any review of this RFI; however, the Contracting Officer may request clarification of submissions.

7. Compensation:

Participation in this effort is voluntary with no cost or obligation to be incurred by the MDA. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the respondent’s expense. No funds have been authorized, appropriated, or received for this contemplated effort.

8. Security Clearance:

The highest level of personnel and facility security classifications for this effort will be TOP SECRET.

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