Leader Radio RFI4_W15P7T-25-R-0001.pdf

Updated Draft 2-Channel Leader Radio Request for Information No. W15P7T-25-R-0001

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The U.S. Army Program Executive Office, Command, Control and Communications-Network, Project Manager Tactical Radio (PEO-C3N), Product Manager Handheld, Manpack Small Form Fit (HMS), and the Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG) are seeking information from industry to assist with the follow-on procurement of the 2-Channel Leader Radio. The 2-Channel Leader Radio is the Army’s premier hand-held radio capability allowing simultaneous 2-channel operation, interoperability with legacy systems, and compatibility with End User Devices including Nett Warrior. This Request for Information (RFI) Number W15P7T-25-R-0001 is being issued to continue market research initiated on 14 June 2023, 2024, 24 January 2024 and 23 February 2024 under W15P7T-23-R-0007, W15P7T-24-R-0001, and W15P7T-24-R-0018 respectively, in order to further refine the 2-Channel Leader Radio performance requirements.

The information provided may be used by the Army in developing its acquisition strategy or refining the Performance Work Statement and/or Performance Specification. The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement is 334220 with a Small Business Size Standard of 1250 employees. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided regarding submissions. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response. Information and materials submitted in response to this request will not be returned. Responses must be unclassified:

DO NOT SUBMIT CLASSIFIED MATERIAL.

Certain attachments referenced in this RFI are marked as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) with Limited Dissemination Controls and/or Export Controls. Therefore, only vendors who are current DoD contract holders are eligible to receive Controlled information. The dissemination of Export-Controlled information is restricted by the Arms Export Control Act or the Export Administration Act of 1979. Export-controlled items shall not be disseminated outside the U.S. Government or to U.S. Government contractors without first verifying the recipient’s eligibility and authority to receive export-controlled information by verifying they have a current, valid DD Form 2345. Interested vendors must provide their CAGE Code, DoD contract number, a copy of the DD2345, and their Joint Certification Program (JCP) number to Contracting Officer Jennifer Anderson (jennifer.d.anderson57.civ@army.mil), Contract Specialist Aaliyah Coles (aaliyah.m.coles.civ@army.mil) and Contract Specialist Geoffrey Erhart (geoffrey.r.erhart.civ@army.mil) .

Once the contract number, CAGE Code, and JCP data has been verified, please request access on the RFI posting. The documents will be uploaded as “private,” and the Contracting Officer will grant access once Contractor information has been verified. Additionally, vendors will be required to submit a Data Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA), as well as a CUI NDA, for all personnel requiring access to these documents. A copy of this NDA can be obtained by emailing the Contracting Officer Jennifer Anderson (jennifer.d.anderson57.civ@army.mil), Contract Specialist Aaliyah Coles (aaliyah.m.coles.civ@army.mil) and Contract Specialist Geoffrey Erhart (geoffrey.r.erhart.civ@army.mil). For more information regarding the JCP approval process and the DD Form 2345 click or copy and paste the link below into a web browser https://www.dla.mil/HQ/LogisticsOperations/Services/JCP/SpecificDD2345Instructions.aspx ge

Purpose. This announcement continues market research for the follow-on competitive procurement of 2- Channel Leader Radio Production, Engineering and Sustainment initiated by the Army in June 2023. The responses raised several points of interest the Government would like to explore in more depth for the 2- Channel Leader Radio follow-on procurement. Specific areas of interest for this RFI include:

1. Feedback on the Draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) which can be annotated on the provided comment matrix.

2. Feedback on the Draft Performance Specification (PS) and completion of the Draft PS Compliance

Matrix.

3. The current acquisition strategy under consideration involves formal advertising. Please address the Suitability of PWS and PS to support use of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 14.5, Two-Step Sealed Bidding to include use of Oral Presentations, for the final buy-out of 2- Channel Leader Radio Production, Engineering and Sustainment. In accordance with FAR 14.501, two-step sealed bidding is a combination of competitive procedures designed to obtain the benefits of sealed bidding when adequate specifications are not available. Step one consists of the request for, submission, evaluation, and (if necessary) discussion of a technical proposal. No pricing is involved. The objective is to determine the acceptability of the supplies or services offered. As used in this context, the word "technical" has a broad connotation and includes, among other things, the engineering approach, special manufacturing processes, and special testing techniques. It is the proper step for clarification of questions relating to technical requirements. Conformity to the technical requirements is resolved in this step, but not responsibility as defined in 9.1. Step two involves the submission of sealed priced bids by those who submitted acceptable technical proposals in step one. Bids submitted in step two are evaluated and the awards made in accordance with subparts 14.3 and 14.4.

It is the Governments intent to conduct Step one of the sealed bid through the use of Oral Presentations/Proposals. Oral technical presentation ground rules and procedures will be provided in the Invitation for Bid (IFB). The Government will evaluate the Offeror’s Technical Oral Proposal presented in accordance with the evaluation factors to determine the extent to which the Offeror’s oral presentation conveys an understanding of all instructions and requirements of the technical approach.

4. The Government will consider industry feedback in arriving at final procurement strategies for the Leader Radio. All interested parties are encouraged to ask any necessary clarifying questions and comments through the market research process and to submit appropriate technical documentation as noted. Questions shall be provided on the Question Comment Matrix in the attachments via email to the Procuring Contracting Officer Jennifer Anderson (jennifer.d.anderson57.civ@army.mil), Contract Specialist Aaliyah Coles (aaliyah.m.coles.civ@army.mil) and Contract Specialist Geoffrey Erhart (geoffrey.r.erhart.civ@army.mil) no later than 16 June 2025 16:00 EST.

5. Provide your company’s annual minimum production quantity to maintain a production line.

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-9#FAR_Subpart_9_1 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-14#FAR_Subpart_14_3 https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-14#FAR_Subpart_14_4 ge

6. Provide economic ordering quantities and recommendations for range quantities to obtain most favorable unit pricing.

7. Provide feedback on the Leader Radio CLIN Crosswalk, with a focus on identifying high-failure repair spare parts and components that should be considered for Army procurement but are currently not on the CLIN list.

8. Describe your company’s supporting program schedule that represents a “low risk” approach to meeting the performance requirements outlined in attached documentation.

9. Describe your company’s assessment of the associated risks for this program and respective risk mitigation approaches for the following:

• Providing a level three technical data package for Phase II depot stand up components to include all circuit card assemblies, all sub assembly modules, and all flex assemblies.

• Incorporation of Special Negotiated Data Rights terms and conditions.

• Pricing LR variants on a Firm Fixed Price basis for delivery to designated 5-Eyes and Partner Countries and Non-5-Eyes Countries to satisfy Foreign Military Sales (FMS) requirements.

• Compliance with ASAALT Policy Memorandum dated 20 January 2025 by identifying:

1) materials and components sourced exclusively from China upon which LR production is dependent

2) alternative sources for Chinese materials and components that are available domestically (preferred) or from allied and partner nations

3) alternative approaches and their cost differentials to achieve using materials or components totally sourced from domestic (preferred) or from allied and partner nations

10. Identify Schedule and cost risks anticipated for compliance with the following Statute and Army Policy Memoranda:

• 42 USC § 18741 and Section 888 of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act requirements for the manufacture of advanced battery and cells beginning in Fiscal Year 2026.

• ASAALT Policy Memorandum dated 25 October 2024 requirement for delivery of custom-developed software source code and software artifacts to be stored in a federal controlled code repository. The Government is seeking all rights its entitled to under current law and, at a minimum, rights adequate to sustain fielded systems.

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• ASAALT Policy for vendors to generate and deliver Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) for all covered computer software and for COTS software where an SBOM is commercially available.

Interested parties should submit white paper(s) along with cost estimates addressing the above topics or any other suggestions leading to program cost savings, performance improvements and/or shorter production lead times. White paper submissions are to be single spaced, 12-point type with at least one-inch margins on 8 1/2” X 11” page size and may not exceed 50 pages (excluding the Draft PS Compliance and Comment Matrices). Any feedback provided via the comment matrix, or Rough Order of Magnitudes (ROMs) submitted, will not count toward the page limit.

Please submit interest/responses via email to the Procuring Contracting Officer Jennifer Anderson (jennifer.d.anderson57.civ@army.mil), Contract Specialist Aaliyah Coles (aaliyah.m.coles.civ@army.mil) and Contract Specialist Geoffrey Erhart (geoffrey.r.erhart.civ@army.mil) in Portable Document Format (PDF) no later than 3 July 2025 16:00 EST. Please reference RFI W15P7T-25-R-0001 in the subject line of e-mail transmittal and on all enclosed documents.

One-on-Ones The Army recognizes that some topics and proprietary matters may be best addressed with continued dialog to ensure performance expectations are clear. The Government may afford responders an opportunity to discuss the contents of their White Papers during “one-on-one” session where it is envisioned the parties will engage in an active information exchange and dialogue to aid in the Government’s market research.

Because documents associated with this program are marked Controlled Unclassified Information all requests for copies of the cited attachments or requests to participate in a one-on-one session must be coordinated in advance through the Procuring Contracting Officer. Please note, any such one-on-one discussions will occur at the discretion of the Government, will only be held with parties submitting white papers. Sessions will be limited to 90 minutes.

NOTICE: Prospective respondents are hereby notified that the Government will utilize Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) support contractor services during the review of RFI responses. Non- Disclosure Agreements for SETA contractors have been established. In the event that RFI responses includes proprietary information, respondees are also required to sign and provide a proprietary protection agreement in accordance with FAR 9.505-4(b) with the RFI response to allow support contractor access to the proprietary information. The contractor company and point of contact for establishing the proprietary protection agreement are:

SigmaTech LLC., Peter Eck, peter.eck@Sev1Tech.com Netwerx LLC, Haisheng Wang, WangHS@netwerxinc.com Defense Acquisition Support Services, LLC., Daniel Sullivan, daniel.sullivan4@dasservicesllc.com ge

Attachments:

1. 2-Channel Leader Radio RFI Question/Comment Matrix

2. Draft 2-Channel Leader Radio (LR) Performance Work Statement (PWS)

3. Draft 2-Channel LR Performance Specification (PS)

4. Technical Data Package Worksheet

5. Draft 2-Channel LR PS Compliance Matrix

6. Draft 2-Channel LR Contract Line Item-PWS-PS Cross Walk Document