SSC-IA BPC Sources Sought - 20250225.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE

United States Space Force

Space Systems Command

25 February 2025

SSCIA-25-FMS02

MEMORANDUM FOR SAM.GOV CONTRACT OPPORTUNITIES

FROM: Space Systems Command (SSC) International Affairs (IA) Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Division

SUBJECT: Sources Sought for Support Equipment, Spares, Services, and Installation Construction Associated with Commercially Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Mobile Off-Grid Robotic Telescope Observatories

1. Background. This is a Sources Sought notice in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 5.2. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the United States Government (USG) to form a binding contract. The USG is conducting market research to identify, as potential sources and subcontracting opportunities, firms that may possess the expertise, capabilities, experience and necessary data to competently and competitively respond to all requirements to provide support equipment, spares, services, and installation construction associated with commercially off-the-shelf (COTS) mobile off-grid robotic telescope observatories, as described below. The Government is not soliciting proposals at this time. No contract will result from this posting.

The United States Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) International Affairs (IA) Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Division (SSC/IAF), located at Los Angeles Air Force Base, CA (LAAFB), is executing a Title 10 Section 333 Building Partner Capacity (BPC) effort, with funds to be appropriated by US Congress, on behalf of the Space Domain Awareness (SDA) program office (SSC/SZB).

2. Purpose. SSC/IAF anticipates procuring support equipment, spares, and services to facilitate fielding of COTS mobile off-grid robotic telescope observatories. These systems will support BPC and FMS efforts around the globe and aid the US Government in developing partnerships with other nations in their development and utilization of space capabilities. These COTS telescope observatories will align with the SSC/SZB strategy to provide Partner Nations (PNs) with optical SDA observatories with the capability to identify, track, and characterize satellites and space objects across various orbital regimes. All operations and logistics support scope includes providing activities associated with: startup of new and/or conduct or sustainment of existing operations;

procurement of necessary services, equipment and material to meet operational needs;

supply, maintenance, transportation, logistics engineering, training or other logistics activities; and minor military construction supporting operations or logistics efforts.

Performance under this contract shall be both within the Contiguous United States (CONUS) and Outside Continental United States (OCONUS), with the bulk of performance occurring in USSOUTHCOM, USAFRICOM, and other locations that yet to be determined (TBD).

A Statement of Work (SOW) is posted in conjunction with this notice to provide the size, scope, and complexity of this requirement.

3. NAICS Code and Small Business Considerations. The North American Industry

Classification System (NAICS) code considered for this project is 561210 with a size standard of $47 million. Interested parties must be registered under NAICS code 561210 on SAM (System for Award Management) at www.sam.gov.

Participation from a small and small disadvantaged business is highly encouraged.

4. Statement of Capabilities (SOC) Response Content. The SOC response should include general information and technical background describing your firm’s experience in contracts requiring similar efforts to meet the program objectives and be no longer than five (5) pages in length.

Please include the following information about your organization in your SOC response:

a. Name of Organization, Company Cage Code, DUNS, Address, Point(s) of Contact with corresponding telephone number and email address;

b. Size of Business (Small or Large) and any Small Business Status (8(a), HUB Zone, veteran-owned, women-owned, etc.);

c. Please indicate which NAICS code(s) your company usually performs under

Government contracts for this type of requirement;

d. General Services Administration (GSA) schedule holders should identify their GSA schedule information which supports the services described in this inquiry.

Please review the following questions and provide any input you would like considered as we formulate the acquisition. Your continued input is welcome throughout this process.

e. If an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract vehicle is considered, do the requirements capture the work that we anticipate will be required of each ID/IQ and delineate enough between the two to reasonably determine the appropriate vehicle?

f. Does the organization of the SOW make sense? Is more information necessary? If so, what kind of information?

g. Are there program management aspects that are not currently included in the SOW that would be beneficial to include?

h. Are the human resources management requirements appropriate and realistic?

i. Are there any questions regarding travel or material reimbursement?

j. Are there other indirect rates that should be addressed in the PWS?

k. Do the deliverables seem meaningful? Are there too many or too few deliverables?

Are the deliverables properly specified?

l. The minimum guarantee will be for initiating the program management capability.

ID/IQ management will otherwise be a cost of doing business and should be included in the cost elements for each labor category/location/performance year. Does this seem reasonable?

http://www.sam.gov/

m. Property Management requirements are stringent. Should information regarding property management be included in this requirements?

n. Transportation requirements are stringent. Should information regarding transportation be included in this requirement?

o. Are there any publication(s) and form(s) that would apply to these requirements, other than those addressed in the SOW?

p. The Government is contemplating ordering periods of performance up to five (5) years. Is this feasible?

q. The Government is currently projecting ID/IQ performance period up to three (3) years beyond the end of the last ordering period. Is this feasible?

r. Past Performance: Does recency definition allow capturing of enough references to indicate capability to perform similar work? How many references are necessary to capture capability?

s. How many calendar days would you recommend for proposal preparation?

t. The Government is contemplating splitting into 2 competition pools (if market research supports this approach). If substantiated, what would be a reasonable split between large businesses and small businesses (may be different recommendations for each ID/IQ)?

u. Are their specific socio-economic set-asides you would recommend for this requirement, if any?

v. If your entity is a large business, will your teaming arrangement or subcontractor(s) include small or small disadvantaged business(es)? If so, what approximate percentage would correspond for each teaming arrangement or subcontractor?

w. Concerning the replacement of key personnel, what is an appropriate period of time, in terms of calendar days, to have a successful permanent replacement in the position? During the transition period between having an unfilled position to having a filled position, what temporary solution with mitigation efforts should be considered?

5. Submission Details. All communication and question(s) associated with this sources sought shall be submitted in writing to both Government Point(s) of Contact (POCs) listed below. To the maximum extent practicable, responses should be submitted in the following formats: Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF), Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint.

Responses should be electronically submitted no later than (NLT) 25 March 2025 by 12:00 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) to both Government POCs listed below.

NIPR Government POC NIPR Government POC

Mr. Keith Brandner Contracting Officer, PK/IA keith.brandner@spaceforce.mil

Ms. Melina Monroy-Szita Contracting Specialist, PK/IA melina.monroy-szita@spaceforce.mil

6. Classification and Proprietary Information Notification. To the maximum extent practicable, responses should be kept at UNCLASSIFIED and non-confidential.

Proprietary information and trade secrets, if any, must be clearly marked on all materials.

All information received that is marked Proprietary will be handled accordingly. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

All government and contractor personnel reviewing submitted responses will have signed an Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and understand their responsibility for proper use and protection from unauthorized disclosure of proprietary information as described in 41 USC 423. The Government shall not be held liable for any damages incurred if proprietary information is not properly identified.

7. Use of Non-Government Advisors Notification. The Government intends to use

Government personnel to review the responses. The Government reserves the right to use a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), which supports SSC to provide technical and acquisition advisory support. Personnel will be bound by an appropriate NDA to protect proprietary and sensitive information. Additional NDA will not be required, as responses will be considered an implicit acknowledgment and acceptance that non-Government advisors will be assisting the Government in this process.

Enclosed Attachment(s)

1. Statement of Work (SOW)