RFI_SMRRP_v1.2.pdf

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Strategic Materials

1. Description

1.1 The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Strategic Materials Contracting Directorate, is seeking information to support its acquisition of demilitarization and reclamation services for strategic materials contained within end-of-life and excess-to-need turbine engine components. This Request for Information (RFI) is intended to be read in combination with the draft Performance Work Statement (PWS), included as Attachment 1.

1.2 THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service. Further, DLA Strategic Materials is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals. Responders are advised that DLA Strategic Materials will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor this sites for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

2. Background

2.1 DLA Strategic Materials is the operational agent of the National Defense Stockpile Manager, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (USD-AT&L).

DLA Strategic Materials is charged with implementation of the provisions of the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. Section 98 et. seq., hereinafter referred to as the “Act”). Section 2 (b) of the Act requires the Stockpile Manager to “… provide for the acquisition and retention of stocks of certain strategic and critical materials …, to decrease and to preclude when possible, a dangerous and costly dependence by the United States upon foreign sources or a single point of failure for supplies for such materials in times of national emergency”.

2.2 DLA Strategic Materials may issue an RFP pursuant to the PWS included in Attachment 1 but DLA Strategic Materials reserves the right to issue a modified RFP or no RFP. DLA Strategic Materials intends to offer 20,000 - 40,000 pounds per month of excess-to-need and end-of-life turbine engine components for reclamation.

3. Requested Information

3.1 Questions Related to PWS Clarity:

• PWS Section 2.6 requires that an offeror’s responses provide “a technical approach” and “descriptions and explanations of how requirements will be met”. It is DLA Strategic Materials intent to communicate to potential offerors that responses http://www.fedbizopps.gov/ http://www.fedbizopps.gov/

“parroting-back” statements of requirements will be rejected as unacceptable. DLA Strategic Materials question to vendors responding to this RFI is: Is that your understanding of the requirement of this Section 2.6, and if not, how would you recommend improving this section for clarity?

• PWS Section 3.2.2 indicates that the “Government shall retain title to all Government Furnished Materials in asset lots”. However, DLA Strategic Materials understands that de minimis portions of the material in asset lots may be lots as dust, sweepings, and other unrecoverable waste products. How do you recommend clarifying this requirement such that (1) DLA Strategic Materials retains title to all recoverable materials but (2) this requirement is not excessively burdensome to offerors?

• PWS Section 3.4.5 indicates a series of “reportable discrepancies” that a Contractor must report to DLA Strategic Materials related to theft or inappropriate documentation of materials delivered to the Contractor. DLA Strategic Materials intends to communicate a minimum level of “reportable discrepancies” through this listing, but DLA Strategic Materials expects its Contractor to report other shipping or packaging discrepancies that might indicate theft, tampering, or other inappropriate handling of material during shipment. DLA Strategic Materials requests vendors’ recommendations for clarifying this requirement to meet this combination of minimum reporting requirements via a positive list, simultaneously leaving flexibility for the Contractor and DLA Strategic Materials to investigate other indicators of misuse or inappropriate handling?

• PWS Section 3.5 and Section 3.6 establish procedures for the reclamation of turbine engine components as complete alloys or as elemental (non-precious metal) products.

DLA Strategic Materials intends these Sections to be read in concert with Section 3.1.3;

namely, that the Contracting Officer’s Representative and the Contractor will determine the appropriate reclamation pathway for a given asset lot or portions of an asset lot. DLA Strategic Materials requests that vendors identify what basis would an offeror desire that a given asset lot or constituents of an asset lot (see “Cost and Value Worksheet Submittal” for an alloy sample) be set aside for complete alloy or elemental recovery?

• PWS Section 3.5 and Section 3.6 establish that reclaimed materials must be in a form that meets the certification requirements of aerospace smelters. DLA Strategic Materials also has established a mechanism for certifying compliance with aerospace smelter requirements in Section 4.1.2. DLA Strategic Materials believes that this certification mechanism balances the Government requirement that reclaimed materials are available for aerospace use but recognizes that vendor qualification is controlled on a commercial, business-to-business basis. Do potential offerors believe that this certification requirement is achievable? How would you recommend improving it, or is the requirement sufficient in its current form?

• Further to PWS Section 3.5 and Section 3.6, DLA Strategic Materials requests that potential offerors describe their capabilities to recover VIM-quality alloy products and elemental products derived from VIM-quality scrap, including elemental product form (e.g., specification and MSDS), customers, and other information a potential offeror believes would assist DLA Strategic Materials’ program.

• PWS Section 4.1.1 requires completion of a “Cost and Value Worksheet Submittal”.

For the current draft of the PWS provided as Attachment 1, DLA Strategic Materials anticipates making an award on a best value basis, not a lowest-cost basis. Namely, DLA Strategic Materials anticipates award to the proposal that offers the best technical approach or technical approaches to maximize the reclaimed unit value per unit cost.

DLA Strategic Materials believes that the framework provided in the “Cost and Value Worksheet Submittal” clearly demonstrates how cost and value information will be calculated; however, potential offerors may have alternative or improved frameworks for calculating best value. DLA Strategic Materials requests potential offerors include comments in response to this RFI on the understandability of its current “Submittal” and that potential offerors provide alternative frameworks that meet DLA Strategic Materials’ core requirement to measure reclamation cost and added value per unit cost.

• Further to PWS Section 4.1.1, DLA Strategic Materials requests that potential offerors provide in response to this RFI rough order of magnitude (ROM) estimates of reclamation cost and reclamation value for the current “Submittal”. DLA Strategic Materials intends to review these data in the preparation of its Independent Government Cost Estimate. DLA Strategic Materials reiterates that cost or valuation information provided by a potential offeror in response to this RFI does not constitute an offer and shall have no influence on any evaluation of an offer submitted in response to a final PWS, if issued.

• In the event that there are other sections of the draft PWS that are unclear or contradictory, DLA Strategic Materials invites potential offerors to highlight those sections in responses to this RFI and provide recommendations for improvement.

4. Responses

4.1 Interested parties are requested to respond to this RFI with a white paper with cover material.

White Papers shall be submitted electronically, in Microsoft Word (Office 2010 compatible) format or in PDF, not later than April 19, 2018 12:00 PM (Eastern Daylight Time (14 calendar days after posting). Submissions shall be e-mailed to SMContracting@dla.mil only.

4.2 Proprietary information, if any, MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, interested parties shall segregate proprietary information from non-proprietary information.

Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

4.3 The cover material shall have no page limit and shall include the following at a minimum:

4.3.1 Interested Party Name, mailing address, overnight delivery address (if different from the mailing address), phone number, fax number, and Business type.

4.3.1.1 Business type (large business, small business, small disadvantaged business, 8(a)-certified small disadvantaged business, HUBZone small business, woman-owned small business, very small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business) based upon North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 423930 Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers.

mailto:SMContracting@dla.mil

4.3.1.2 “Small business concern” means a concern, including its affiliates that is independently owned and operated, not dominant in the field of operation in which it is bidding on Government contracts, and qualified as a small business under the criteria and size standards in 13 CFR part 121. A small business concern for the purposes of this RFI is generally defined as a business, including its affiliates, averaging no more than 100 employees. Responders are cautioned, however, that this is a general description only.

Additional standards and conditions apply. Please refer to Federal Acquisition Regulation FAR 19 for additional detailed information on Small Business Size Standards. The FAR is available at http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vffara.htm.

4.3.2 A designated point of contact of the Interested Party, including that contact’s name, title, direct phone number, and e-mail address.

4.3.3 A statement that the responders provide the conditions under which the Government may release proprietary data to Government support contractors assisting with the technical evaluation of this material.

4.4 Section 2 of the white paper shall answer the questions listed in Section 3 of this RFI. DLA

Strategic Materials also will consider respondent-proposed revisions to the PWS if those proposed revisions are included in a separate, “tracked changes” version of the PWS contained in Attachment 1.

5. Industry Discussions

DLA Strategic Materials’ representatives may or may not choose to meet with potential offerors.

Such discussions would only be intended to get further clarification of potential capability to meet the requirements, especially any development and certification risks.

6. Questions

Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to the DLA Strategic Materials Directorate of Contracting Office, email address above. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Questions will be answered by posting answers to the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website (www.fbo.gov); accordingly, questions shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information. The Government does not guarantee that questions received after (10 calendar days after posting) will be answered.

7. Summary

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY to identify sources that can provide turbine engine reclamation services. The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. DLA Strategic Materials has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this RFI should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought.