Sources Sought Notice SAM SEESAW 8 28 Jun 2024.docx

1. NOTICE TYPE: SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

2. SOLICITATION NO. FA875024RB006

3. RELATED NOTICE: A similar solicitation is being released simultaneously through sam.gov and General Services Administration (GSA) Alliant 2 Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC).

4. TITLE: System Engineering and Evaluation, Systems Analysis Worldwide VIII (SEESAW VIII)

5. RESPONSE DATE Month: 07 Day: 14 Year: 2024

6. INACTIVE POLICY : 15 days after the response date.

7. IS THIS A RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT ACTION? NO

8. ALLOW VENDORS TO ADD/REMOVE FROM INTERESTED VENDORS? YES

9. ALLOW VENDORS TO VIEW INTERESTED VENDORS LIST? YES

Vendors will be allowed to view the list of interested vendors.

10. SET-ASIDE STATUS.

NOT APPLICABLE – LEAVE BLANK

11. PRODUCT SERVICE CODE: R425

12. NAICS CODE: 541512. The small business standard is average annual receipts of $34.0M.

13. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE LOCATION: Various and Extensive contiguous United States (CONUS) and outside the continental United States (OCONUS) locations to include, but not limited to Australia, Germany, and South Korea

14. DESCRIPTION: Capable sources are sought to perform lifecycle management and technical support, systems analysis and engineering Operations and Maintenance (O&M) for programs and efforts within the RIE cross domain, cloud storage, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (AI/ML) and data and information handling portfolio. Technical support for the capabilities and associated programs require personnel with specific knowledge, expertise and experiences in the Intelligence and Command and Control (C2) Community. This effort will utilize the Software (SW) engineering lifecycle process to implement and integrate a cohesive approach for the development, maintenance and deployment of cross domain, cloud storage, hybrid multi-cloud architecture and infrastructure, AI/ML, and other data and information handling program requirements and capabilities. The work includes: providing studies, analyses, designs, development, recommendations, enhancements, upgrades, integration management, configuration management, testing and evaluation of existing systems, new systems and their transition into the operational environment, prototyping, functional evaluations of installed systems, sustaining advanced technologies and capabilities, following DevSecOps processes including Continuous Integration/Continuous Development (CI/CD) for secure software development, data normalization, data and infrastructure standardization, Hardware (HW) and Software (SW) installation, system and network administration and operation.

Design, develop, and implement lifecycle systems engineering for the information and intelligence requirements of Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Department of Defense Intelligence Information System (DoDIIS) and intelligence community. Include user requirements, refinements, concept development, prototype, demonstrate, and technology evaluation. Lifecycle Management and Technical Support includes the following Programs: Cross Domain Collaboration Technology (CCOLT) SecureView (SV), Advanced Battle Management Systems (ABMS) DeviceOne SecureView (ADSV), Information Support Server Environment (ISSE), X-Domain Agile Rules Based Information Transfer Orchestrator (XARBITOR), Open Architecture Distributed Common Ground System (OA DCGS), and other Data and Information Handling programs.

Review, investigate, and analyze the Government’s functional requirements. Document further breakout and detail the requirements. Develop, compare and evaluate concepts or alternatives to meet or exceed requirements. Develop and implement prototypes and demonstrations to test or show the validity of the concept and recommend concepts or alternatives to the Government. Analysis activities support AFRL, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Air Combat Command (ACC) and other Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC) customers.

For more details regarding the technical requirements refer to the attached draft Performance Work Statement (PWS).

Anticipated Contract Structure:

The contract type is anticipated to be Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) Term. Interested parties are encouraged to recommend alternate contract types with supporting justification. A technical period of performance of sixty (60) months is anticipated.

Additional Information:

Anticipated deliverables include: technical engineering throughout all aspects of the system and software lifecycle; technical, programmatic and gap analysis; prototype development; system and program administration; site support; and security engineering as well as computer software, documentation, engineering and security reports, installations analysis and support, and operations, maintenance, and system administration services.

The Contractor will support AF efforts to provide other organizations with required CD Command & Control Intelligence Surveillance & Reconnaissance (C2ISR) information when and where needed. R&D, O&M, and PROC appropriations from multiple DoD Agencies, Intelligence Community entities and United States Government agencies are anticipated.

Contractor employees must be US Citizens and may need to obtain Common Access Cards (CACs). Performance will require access up to and including Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI).

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) country sources must contact the Contracting Officer within 15 calendar days from the date of this synopsis to receive a copy of the solicitation package at the time it is initially issued. Issuance of the solicitation will not be delayed to review requests from MOU country sources received after the 15 calendar day time period or from non-MOU country sources.

Foreign participation is anticipated to be excluded at the prime contractor level.

Responses to this sources sought are requested from small businesses and will be used for market research purposes and possible set-aside. Should the determination be made to select this as a small business set-aside, another notice will be posted reflecting such. Request large businesses also respond to express their interest in submitting a proposal, should this acquisition not be a small business set-aside. Respondents to this announcement should indicate whether they are a small business, 8(a) concern, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, or women-owned small business. As discussed at FAR 19.502-2(b)(1) and (2), in making small business set-asides, there must be a reasonable expectation that offers will be obtained from at least two responsible small business concerns and, for R&D work, a reasonable expectation of obtaining from small businesses the best scientific and technological sources consistent with the demands of the proposed acquisition for the best mix of cost, performances, and schedules.

In addition please note that FAR 19.505(b)(1) states that a small business concern is subject to the limitations on subcontracting, regardless of dollar value for 8(a), HUBZone, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, and women-owned small business, and is required to comply as follows:

For a contract or order assigned a North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for services (except construction ), it will not pay more than 50 percent of the amount paid by the Government for contract performance to subcontractors that are not similarly situated entities. Any work that a similarly situated entity further subcontracts will count towards the concern’s 50 percent subcontract amount that cannot be exceeded. Other direct costs may be excluded to the extent they are not the principal purpose of the acquisition and small business concerns do not provide the service, such as airline travel, cloud computing services, or mass media purchases according to 13 CFR §125.6. When a contract includes both services and supplies, the 50 percent limitation shall apply only to the service portion of the contract. See FAR 19.505(b) for complete details.

For a contract or order assigned a NAICS code for supplies or products (other than a procurement from a nonmanufacturer of such supplies or products), the concern will not pay more than 50 percent of the amount paid by the Government for contract performance, excluding the cost of materials, to subcontractors that are not similarly situated entities. Any work that a similarly situated entity further subcontracts will count towards the concern's 50 percent subcontract amount that cannot be exceeded. When a contract includes both supplies and services, the 50 percent limitation shall apply only to the supply portion of the contract.

A similarly situated entity is defined as a small business subcontractor that is a participant of the same small business program as the prime contractor and is small for the NAICS code assigned by the prime contractor to the subcontract. Only a first-tier subcontractor, however, can be counted as a similarly situated entity.

The period of time used to calculate compliance with the limitations on subcontracting will be the base term and then each subsequent option period. For task orders issued under total or partial set-aside contracts, the contracting officer can also require the firm to comply with the limitations on subcontracting for each order. For task orders set aside for small business under full-and-open contracts, the agency will use the period of performance for each order to determine compliance.

The 50 percent participation for supplies and services can be achieved by small businesses using a joint venture as long as the joint venture agrees that their combined effort meets the 50 percent requirement. If the joint venture involves a small business protégé and its mentor approved by the SBA, the small business protégé must perform at least 40 percent of the work performed by the joint venture. This work must be more than administrative functions. See FAR 52.219-14(g) for complete details.

15. Submission Instructions:

A. Respondents must reference the solicitation number, and the respondent's company name, company address, point of contact, telephone number, e-mail address, Commercial And Government Entity (CAGE) code and size of the organization (i.e. large business, small business) used as the basis for the response.

B. The successful contractor may receive technical data subject to export control in the performance of the contract. Therefore, prospective offerors must provide a completed and approved DD Form 2345 which certifies the offeror is on the Certified Contractors Access List (CCAL) or the offeror is seeking application to CCAL. The successful offeror must have a completed and approved DD Form 2345 prior to award. For further information on CCAL, contact the Defense Logistic Information Service at 1-877-352-2255 or on the web at http://www.dlis.dla.mil/jcp/. Describe your organization’s ability to meet the technical requirements described in this sources sought notice. Please do not simply restate the technical requirements in your response. Be sure to:

(a) Describe the type, quantity, experience, and qualifications of personnel/labor categories and other organizational resources that would be used to meet the technical requirements. For this sources sought notice, assume approximately 50-60 Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) would be required initially, with the potential to increase over the period of 5 years.

(b) Address the availability of personnel with security clearances. Approximately 50% of employees must be TS/SCI cleared, the remaining 50% must be Secret/Collateral cleared and must be US Citizens. Describe the experience and knowledge of these personnel with respect to classified CD requirements, processes, and certifications supporting all phases of the system and software lifecycle.

(c) Identify any technical or business areas which likely would require subcontracting or a teaming arrangement. Discuss if your organization would need to expend greater than 50% of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel on subcontractor personnel.

(d) Include a brief (i.e. no more than 1 page total) description of your organization’s quality control, risk management, and safety practices as they would be applied to this effort.

(e) Confirm whether your organization’s business systems currently are approved for performing a cost-type contract/task order.

(f) Describe how your organization could meet a fluctuating workload driven by factors such as budget variations; emergent technology interest areas; demonstration and transition opportunities; and operational feedback.

C. Identify at least three (3) previous or ongoing contracts / programs / efforts with Government, commercial, academic, or other customers performed within the last five (5) years which are relevant to the technical aspects of this advance notice, especially in support of highly complex, lifecycle management and systems analysis with an emphasis on Cross Domain Solutions and other data handling solutions. Include a brief description of the work, an explanation of its relevance to the technical requirements, and the performance period, value, and current customer points of contact.

D. Indicate whether the company's accounting system is approved by Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) or Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). If not, indicate how the company will financially administer a cost-reimbursement type contract.

E. Indicate how many people the company employs. Indicate whether additional personnel will have to be hired to perform this effort. For a company leveraging personnel within the organization or outside hires or teammates, indicate how many TS/SCI and Secret cleared personnel are currently available against the expressed need; provide a break-out by security level and available qualifications and experience level and explain how the company proposes to fulfill the remainder of the required number of the TS/SCI and Secret positions. Indicate whether the company is a foreign-owned/foreign-controlled firm and whether the company contemplates the use of foreign national employees on this effort.

F. List any other factors concerning the company's ability to perform the upcoming effort that the Air Force should consider.

G. Indicate if your organization intends to submit a proposal in the event that a RFP is issued for the attached technical requirements.

H. Responses should identify any current or potential future regulatory and / or security concerns which could impact your company’s ability to perform on the upcoming effort.

I. Indicate if your organization belongs to any GWACs. If so, please list them. If your organization is in the process or planning on proposing under any GWACs, please list those as well.

J. Address how your organization would meet the requirement of FAR 52.219-14 “Limitations on Subcontracting,” whereby at least 50% of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel must be expended for employees of the prime Contractor and similarly situated first-tier subcontractors.

K. Both large and small business organizations are invited to respond by email in a document not exceeding 30 pages. Microsoft Word or PDF files are preferred. If the file size exceeds 10MB, please utilize the Department of Defense Safe Access File Exchange (SAFE) site at https://safe.apps.mil/ and follow up with an email stating a submission has been sent.

L. OMBUDSMAN. In accordance with AFFARS 5301.91, an Ombudsman has been appointed to hear and facilitate the resolution of concerns from offerors, potential offerors, and others for this acquisition. Before consulting with an Ombudsman, interested parties must first address their concerns, issues, disagreements, and/or recommendations to the Contracting Officer, Adam J. Hoogheem, (315) 330-4707, adam.hoogheem@us.af.mil, for resolution. AFFARS Clause 5352.201-9101 Ombudsman, will be incorporated into the resultant contract. When requested, the Ombudsman will maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The existence of the Ombudsman does not affect the authority of the program manager, contracting officer, or source selection official. Further, the Ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals, the source selection process, or the adjudication of protests or formal contract disputes. The Ombudsman may refer the party to another official who can resolve the concern. Consulting an Ombudsman does not alter or postpone the timelines for any other processes (e.g., agency level bid protests, GAO bid protests, requests for debriefings, employee-employer actions, contests of OMB Circular A-76 competition performance decisions). If resolution cannot be made by the Contracting Officer, concerned parties may contact the following AFRL Ombudsman: AFRL/PK Director, Alternate Ombudsman AFRL/PK Deputy Director, 1864 4th Street, WPAFB OH 45433; FAX (937) 656-7321; COM (937) 904-9700, afrl.pk.workflow@us.af.mil. Concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations that cannot be resolved at the AFRL level, may be brought by the concerned party for further consideration to the Air Force Ombudsman, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary (ADAS) (Contracting), SAF/AQC, 1060 Air Force Pentagon, Washington DC 20330-1060, phone number (571) 256-2395, facsimile number (571) 256-2431. The Ombudsman has no authority to render a decision that binds the agency. Do not contact the Ombudsman to request copies of the solicitation, verify offer due date, or clarify technical requirements. Such inquiries shall be directed to the Contracting Officer.

M. SPECIAL NOTICE: This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) or an indication that a contractual commitment will exist for this requirement. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this sources sought notice. No funds are available to fund the information requested.

N. ATTACHMENTS: Draft PWS.

O. PRIMARY CONTRACTING POINT OF CONTACT: Adam J. Hoogheem, Contracting Officer, AFRL/RIKE, adam.hoogheem@us.af.mil

P. SECONDARY CONTRACTING POINT OF CONTACT: Katie Cope, Contract Specialist, AFRL/RIKE, katie.cope@us.af.mil

Q. TECHNICAL POINT OF CONTACT: DeAnna Hornyak, Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), AFRL/RIEBA, deanna.hornyak.1@us.af.mil