Sources Sought Survey_NSN 5180-00-596-1509_PSTK MAY 2026.docx

Sources Sought Notice

DESCRIPTION OF INTENT

This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE/MARKET RESEARCH SURVEY to request information for Government planning purposes only. The Army Contracting Command – Detroit Arsenal (ACC-DTA) is seeking to gain knowledge of interest, capabilities and qualifications of various members of the community, to include both small and large businesses, for production of the item identified below. Responses to this Sources Sought Notice/Market Research Survey will assist ACC-DTA in planning its acquisition strategy for potential future acquisition. The Government will not award a contract based on this notice, nor will it pay for information provided by respondents.

ESTIMATED QUANTITY

END ITEM

Army Contracting Command-Detroit Arsenal (DTA) The Government is conducting market research to identify potential sources capable of manufacturing and assembling the Tool Kit, Pipefitter Supplemental (PSTK) (NSN 5180-00-596-1509, P/N 0684A0000:59678).

This requirement is a comprehensive, portable Set, Kit, and Outfit (SKO) consisting of specialized hand tools—such as cutters, reamers, threaders, and heavy-duty wrenches—necessary for the installation, modification, and repair of piping systems.

END ITEM: The end item is a portable, ruggedized Pipefitter's Supplemental Tool Kit (NSN 5180-00-596-1509), specifically designed to support field-level maintenance and construction of critical infrastructure piping. This kit provides Department of War (DoW) engineer units with the tactical capability to cut, thread, and join pipes up to 4 inches in diameter, enabling the establishment of essential water, fuel, and steam distribution networks in austere environments.

TECHNICAL DATA

PACKAGE

There is a technical data package (TDP) associated with this procurement. It is distribution statement “D”, which limits access to Department of War (DoW) and U.S. DoW contractors, and is located under the Attachments/Links section of the associated SAM posting.

To view/obtain this TDP, the vendor must have a current DD 2345, Militarily Critical Technical Data Agreement, on file with the Defense Logistics Information Service.

If the vendor has a current certification, they are required to submit a TDP access request via SAM.gov:

a. Navigate to https://www.SAM.gov

b. Search for the sources sought title NSN 5180-00-596-1509: Toolkit, Pipefitter Supplemental

c. Click on the attachments

d. Request access to this document

e. Send your approved DD Form 2345 via e-mail to the following personnel:

Meika Cole

CONTRACT SPECIALIST, ACC-DTA

Email: meika.j.cole.civ@army.mil

Access will be granted, pending verification of the contractor’s active certification. NOTE: The contractor POC that requested TDP access via SAM must be listed as the primary or alternate data custodian on the DD Form 2345 to be granted access.

If the vendor does not have a current certification, they must submit a DD Form 2345 to the United States/Canada Joint Certification Office, along with copies of all supporting documentation. DD Form 2345 and instructions can be found on the Joint Certification Program website at: http://www.dla.mil/HQ/InformationOperations/Offers/Products/LogisticsApplications/JCP.aspx. Processing time is estimated at six (6) to ten (10) weeks after receipt. Upon receipt of certification, the vendor may request access to the TDP as described herein.

Upon completion of the purposes for which Government technical data has been provided, the offeror, and all subcontractors, vendors, and sub-vendors of the offeror, are required to destroy all documents, including all reproductions, duplications, or copies thereof as may have been further distributed. Destruction of this technical data shall be accomplished by shredding, pulping, burning, or melting any physical copies of the TDP and/or deletion or removal of downloaded TDP files from computer drives and electronic devices, and any copies of those files.

FIRST ARTICLE TESTING/

INITIAL PRODUCT INSPECTION

Yes, it is required

NOTE: All survey input is voluntary, and no compensation will be made for your firm’s participation. Since this is a Sources Sought Notice, and not a solicitation for receipt of proposals or quotations, the Government does not encourage questions concerning this market research. Furthermore, the Government is not obligated to issue a solicitation or award a contract as a result of this announcement.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE SURVEY

1. You may respond in total, or in part, to this survey. However, all responses must be received no later than 5:00PM EST 09 JUN 2026

2. All completed surveys shall be sent via e-mail to:

Meika Cole Contract Specialist, ACC-DTA E-mail: meika.j.cole.civ@army.mil

Subject Line: NSN 5180-00-596-1509: Toolkit, Pipefitter Supplemental

Relevant sales media and product manuals may be included as attachments with your submission. Please clearly mark all proprietary information. The front page of your response package should state "PROPIETARY INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN" (all caps), if applicable. Also, please provide a release statement indicating that the proprietary information may be distributed to Army personnel involved with this survey.

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION & LABELING

The Government acknowledges its obligations under 18 USC §1905 to protect information qualifying as confidential. Pursuant to this statute, the Government is willing to accept any trade secret or confidential restrictions placed on qualifying data forwarded in response to the survey questions, and to protect it from unauthorized disclosure subject to the following:

1. Clearly and conspicuously mark qualifying data as trade secret or confidential with the restrictive legend “CONFIDENTIAL” (all caps), including any explanatory text, so that the Government is clearly notified of what data needs to be protected.

2. In marking such data, please take care to mark only those portions of the data or materials that are truly trade secret or confidential (overbreadth in marking inappropriate data as “CONFIDENTIAL” may diminish or eliminate the usefulness of your response). Use circling, underscoring, highlighting, or any other appropriate means to indicate those portions of a single page that need to be protected.

3. The Government is not obligated to protect unmarked data. Additionally, marked data that is already in the public domain or in the possession of the Government or third parties, or afterward placed into the public domain by the owner or another party through no fault of the Government will not be protected once in the public domain. Data in the Government’s possession will be protected in accordance with the Government’s data rights.

4. Confidential data transmitted electronically, whether by physical media or not, whether by the respondent or by the Government, shall contain any restrictive legend, with any explanatory text, on both the cover of the transmittal e-mail and at the beginning of the file itself. Where appropriate for portions only of an electronic file, use the restrictive legends “CONFIDENTIAL DATA BEGINS:” and “CONFIDENTIAL PORTION ENDS”.

5. In any reproductions of technical data or any portions thereof subject to asserted restrictions, the Government shall also reproduce the asserted restriction legend and any explanatory text.

6. The Government sometimes uses support contractors in evaluating responses. Consequently, responses that contain confidential information may receive only limited or no consideration since the respondent’s marking of data as “CONFIDENTIAL” will preclude disclosure of same outside the Government and therefore will preclude disclosure to support contractors assisting with the evaluation effort.

QUESTIONNAIRE / SURVEY

A) Vendor Profile. Please complete the yellow-highlighted fields below:

1.

COMPANY NAME:

MAILING ADDRESS:

CAGE CODE:

POC NAME / TITLE:

PHONE NUMBER:

E-MAIL ADDRESS:

WEBSITE:

2. Business type for NAICS 332216 Saw, Blade & Handtool Manufacturing (Please check all that apply.)

8(a)

Small Disadvantaged

HUBZone

Women-owned

Large Business

None of the Above. Please Explain: ________________

Service-disabled Veteran-owned

Small Business

*If claiming small business status, the information must be verifiable in SAM.gov

3. Please indicate if the NAICS code selected is appropriate, if not, please explain why.

4. Nonmanufacturer Rule. To qualify as a small business concern for set-aside or sole source supply contracts, a small business must meet at least one of the qualifications listed below. Please indicate which qualification, if any, applies to your firm:

Manufacture the product itself; or

Supply a product manufactured by another small business if it is a nonmanufacturer; or

Supply the product of any sized manufacturer if the Small Business Administration has granted a waiver to the nonmanufacturer rule.

5. A current DD 2345, Military Critical Technical Data Agreement, must be on file with the Defense Logistics Information Service (DLIS) to access and view the TDP associated with this procurement. Does your firm have a current DD 2345 on file with DLIS?

Yes

No

Approval Pending. Application submitted on: [MM/DD/YYYY]

B) Requirement-specific Information. Please complete the following:

A. Capability & Experience

1. Prior Government Experience: Has your firm manufactured or assembled this specific Pipefitter's Tool Kit (NSN 5180-00-596-1509) for a U.S. Government agency in the past? If so, please list the contract number(s) and agency name(s).

2. Technical Kitting Capability: Is your firm currently capable of assembling and supplying this item in accordance with the listed NSN and its governing technical document, Supply Catalog SC 5180-90-CL-N42? Your statement of expertise should reference relevant contracts performed, including a description of the scope, the complexity of the kit, and a customer point of contact.

3. Place of Performance: If your firm were awarded a contract for this item, where would the primary inspection, final assembly, and kitting take place (City, State)?

4. Contract Structure: Are there any challenges to proposing a one-year contract with a possible one-year option period?

B. Technical & Quality Assurance

6. Quality Management System (QMS): Please identify your firm’s current quality management system (e.g., ISO 9001:2015). Also, is your firm independently certified in that system?

7. Component Verification: What quality assurance measures do you implement to verify that each individual tool (e.g., pipe dies, wrenches, cutters) complies with the "Brand Name or Equal" requirements and dimensional specifications detailed in the Supply Catalog?

8. Ruggedized Packaging & Stowage: What materials and manufacturing processes would you utilize for the kit’s ruggedized carrying case and internal shock-absorbent storage (e.g., custom foam inserts) to protect the hand tools in a tactical field environment?

9. Initial Production Inspection (IPI) Experience: This requirement includes strict IPI protocols (FCDD-ACE-QP 367) requiring the contractor to halt full production until a DCMA Quality Assurance Representative (QAR) physically selects and witnesses the inspection of a 3-unit sample lot, including the verification of "actual measurements" and material certifications.

a. Does your firm have experience executing this specific IPI clause or similar DCMA witness-hold points?

b. How do you factor the 15-day DCMA notification window and the required measurement documentation into your Production Lead Time (PLT)?

C. Subcontracting for Small Businesses

10. Limitations on Subcontracting: If you are a small business, please confirm your method of fulfilling the contract would comply with the limitations on subcontracting clause in FAR 52.219-14 (i.e., the prime contractor must perform at least 50% of the cost of manufacturing/assembly).

11. Subcontractor Management: Do you intend to utilize subcontractors for specific elements of this requirement (e.g., custom foam cutting, chest manufacturing, tool etching)? If so, how will your firm manage these subcontractors to ensure quality and compliance?

D. Pricing and Delivery

12. Production Capacity & Lead Times: What is your anticipated lead time for a First Article Test (FAT) sample? Following FAT approval, what is your lead time for the first production lot and your maximum monthly production capacity for this Pipefitter's Tool Kit?

13. Pricing Methodology & Volatility: What pricing model do you typically use for kitting contracts (e.g., Firm-Fixed-Price)? Are there any factors, such as material price volatility for steel or specialty hand tools, that may affect pricing?

14. Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM): While this is not a formal quote, what is your firm’s current Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) price per kit? Please describe your pricing structure, including any potential discounts.

E. Additional Information

15. Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Availability: Is this item, or a functionally equivalent multi-component pipefitter's kit, available in the commercial marketplace as a Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) item? If yes, please provide a summary of the item’s commercial availability and describe any differences between the commercial version and the one described in the requirement.

16. Market Differentiation: Who do you consider to be your main competitor in the market for portable diagnostic and chemical testing kits? What differentiates your product, capabilities, or company from theirs (e.g., quality, manufacturing process, specific innovations, past performance)?

17. Technical & Market Feedback: Based on your review, are there any ambiguities in the requirement or market challenges (e.g., obsolete tools, long-lead items) that the Government should be aware of to ensure a successful procurement?

18. Supplemental Market Data: Is there any other pertinent information that your firm would like to disclose to aid our market research?