CENTCOM_RFI_Follow-On.docx

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ANNOUNCEMENT

Defense Logistics Agency - Aviation, Richmond, VA

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

DLA-Aviation, Richmond is seeking information in an attempt to determine strategic support options for the industrial gas support program, which aims to provide industrial compressed and liquefied gases to support U.S. Military forces conducting operations in United States Central Command (CENTCOM). DLA-Aviation’s intention is to leverage the commercial industry’s best practices and implement a solution which assures readiness, safety, and efficiency. Ultimately, the goal is to effectively reduce lead-times, reduce material and administrative costs, and improve our support to our customer, the warfighter.

Scope of Project

This initiative contains DLA-Aviation managed National Stock Numbers (NSNs) in Federal Supply Class (FSC) 6830.

· 6830 – Gases: Compressed and Liquefied

· See Attachment 1for a projected list of 6830 NSNs

· Attachment 1 indicates NSNs associated with full cylinders. A full cylinder is defined as a cylinder complete with valve and filled to a standard capacity with a specified product

· Attachment 1 also indicates NSNs associated with exchange cylinders. An exchange cylinder is defined as swapping a full cylinder for an empty cylinder at the time of delivery.

· Additions and deletions may occur Anticipated Scope

· Supplying various types and grades of compressed and liquefied gases in a variety of cylinder sizes to various customer requesting facilities and other Government designated locations throughout CENTCOM.

· Areas of CENTCOM with known historical demand include: Afghanistan (via transshipment), Bahrain (to include Navy ships offshore), Iraq (via transshipment), Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Djibouti.

· Additional regions of CENTCOM with potential demand: Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.

· Delivering filled cylinders to the customer’s site or Government designated locations.

· Picking up empty cylinders from the customer’s site, ports or other Government designated locations, as required.

· Maintaining and securing a pool of U.S. Government furnished empty cylinders at the vendor’s site.

· Performing maintenance on empty cylinders, as required.

· Collaboration with DLA on projected and anticipated demands.

· Disposing of unserviceable cylinders, as required.

· Palletizing, packing, marking, labeling of excess cylinders for shipment to the US or other location as required.

· The government expects a variety of options for the government to consider including pros, cons, and risks.

Request for Information (RFI) Questions: (Please answer in detail) Please provide you CAGE, Company name, address, and point of contact information:

1. Does your company have the capability to deliver and recover the product in the CENTCOM region for which we have historical demand? If your company is not able to provide support to all regions for which we have historical demand, which regions could you support?

2. If demand materializes in the countries for which we do not have historical demand, would your company have the capability to support the demand? If so, how? Would your company be able to support these additional sales via direct delivery or would your company require support via military transshipment?

3. If your company does not have the capability to support demand in potential CENTCOM countries, what are the limiting factors?

4. Would you consider partnering if you could not provide service throughout the CENTCOM region?

5. Indicate your firm’s business size.

6. Which small business sub-category does your company qualify under? (8A, HubZone, Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, Woman-Owned Small Business etc.)

7. Can your company comply with all military product marking requirements and packaging e.g. RFID, commercial packaging, MIL STD packing?

8. What, if any, higher level inspection system does your firm utilize? (ISO 9000 or higher)

9. What is the optimum length of a contract to reduce costs and improve availability?

10. What is the maximum firm fixed price period length?

11. What level of economic price adjustment would be required on a long-term contract?

12. What do you envision as the major risk areas of this effort and how would you mitigate those risks?

13. Please indicate if your firm is a manufacturer, non-manufacturer, dealer/distributor, or other (explain).

14. What type of FSC 6830 items do you currently supply?

15. What percentage of your product line is manufactured by your company?

16. How do you recommend managing First Article Test (FAT) items, Product Verification Testing (PVT) items, or Production Lot Testing (PLT) items in a long term agreement?

General Business Information:

17. Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA) may apply if the procurement reaches $700,000.00. Certified Cost or Pricing data may be required in accordance with FAR 15.403-4, 15.403-5, and 15.406-2. If requested, this information will be required in a timely manner. How long would it take your firm to return the required data?

18. Cost Accounting Standards may be required. Can your current system handle the requirement?

19. If requested, provide an estimated time frame for returning “other than cost or pricing data.”

20. The Contracting Officer may insert DLAD provision 52.215-9023, Reverse Auction, in a solicitation with anticipated competition. Would there be any reason your business would not participate?

21. To the extent applicable, how can we leverage commercial market practices most efficiently?

22. Please provide any additional information you believe is relevant to this initiative.

Summary Information:

Any other materials, suggestions, and discussions you deem appropriate are encouraged and appreciated. Submit information outlining acquisition recommendations/strategies as requested above no later than 6/21/2013.

Please send your responses to the RFI questions to the following point of contact by hardcopy to:

OR by email to: Jason.Elliott@dla.mil Secondary Point of Contact:

DLA-Aviation

OR by email to: Susan.Wallace@dla.mil

Disclaimer:

In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the government to form a binding contract.

This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. The government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for information received in response to this RFI.

All information received in response to this RFI that is marked proprietary will be handled accordingly.

Responses to the RFI will not be returned.

Information provided in response to this RFI will used to assess tradeoffs and alternatives available for determine how to proceed in the acquisition process.

Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.

Primary Point of Contact:

Jason Elliott DLA Aviation, Acquisition Specialist

Request for Information – CENTCOM CYLINDER & GAS SUPPORT

ATTACHMENT 1