TWC_FBO_posting.docx

Amendment 3 under Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) W15QKN-18-R-01HZ Part I: Project Announcement: Overview Information A. Project Announcement (PA) Title: Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III – Thin Wall Castings for Aerospace Applications Project

1. Project Announcement Number: #2 under Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) W15QKN-18-R-01HZ

2. Purpose: This announcement is to solicit for production technology White Papers for the Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III Program managed by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and executed with acquisition support provided by the Army Contracting Command-New Jersey (ACC-NJ) and program support provided by the US Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) on behalf of the Program Executive Office Air Anti-Submarine Warfare, Assault & Special Mission Programs (PEO(A)), Patuxent River, MD.

3. Contracting Point of Contact (POC): Mrs. Lauren Scripps, Contract Specialist, US Army Contracting Command-New Jersey-Emerging Technologies Contracting Center - Benet Laboratories; Email: lauren.a.scripps.civ@mail.mil

4. White Paper Due Date and Time: White papers are due no later than close of business (COB) 1600 Eastern Time on 7 December 2018.

NOTE: Any White Paper, modification or revision received after the exact deadline specified for receipt of offers is “late” and will not be considered except at the discretion of the Contracting Officer / Agreements Officer. Early White Paper submission is encouraged.

5. Submission: White Papers will be addressed to the Contracting POC identified in Part I, A.3. above.

B. Solicitation Request: ACC-NJ is soliciting White Papers (technical and cost volumes) using the requirements set forth under Part II of the Broad Agency Agreement (BAA) W15QKN-18-R-01HZ

1. Brief Program Summary: This DPA Title III project is to Sustain, Expand, Modernize or Restore domestic, economically-viable, merchant supplier production capabilities in the manufacturing of Large, Aerospace-Grade, Complex (Multi-core), Sand-cast, Thin-wall, Aluminum / Magnesium Castings and ultimately demonstrate the capability to produce castings that meet Commercial Aerospace standards and both Commercial and DoD production capacity requirements.

2. Estimated Program Cost: Total $16M government share (all awards) plus 50% recipient cost share to the maximum extent practicable (further explanation on Cost Share is provided in in Part II, C3 below).

3. Estimated Program Schedule (90 months or less):

a. Estimated Total Period of Performance (POP) for each award will consist of an estimated Technical Period of Performance (TPOP) that depends on scope of each award and final report development. TPOP 66 months or less (This performance period will be funded with government and recipient cost share):

(1) Estimated TPOP: 36 months (typical project length) - 60 months (for more complex projects); and

(2) Estimated Final Report completion: 6 months.

b. Estimated Monitoring Phase after TPOP: 24 months (This performance period will be funded with recipient cost share).

4. Anticipated Number of Awards: The Government reserves the right to make multiple awards, a single award, or no award based on technical solutions proposed and funding availability.

5. Communication between Prospective Offerors and Government Representatives:

a. All questions will be addressed in writing to the Contracting POC identified in Part I Section A.3.a. above;

b. Discussions with the Contracting POC does not constitute a commitment by the Government to subsequently fund or award any proposed effort. Only Contracting/Agreements Officers are legally authorized to commit the Government.

Part II: Full Text Announcement

A. Program Description: Solicitation of White Papers for the following project: Thin Wall Castings for Aerospace Applications

1. Statement of Objectives: The fundamental objective is to conduct initial and final manufacturing demonstrations to validate the baseline and final capabilities. This DPA Title III project will accomplish this fundamental objective by affecting the following sub-objectives on the domestic Thin Wall Castings industrial base:

a. Sustain – Strengthen an existing manufacturing capability for the subject castings through equipment, process, and quality improvements;

b. Expand – Add to an existing capability or create an entirely new manufacturing capability for the subject castings;

c. Modernize – Implement a completely new industrial process or technique for manufacturing the subject castings; and

d. Restore – Rejuvenate a manufacturing capability that formerly existed and has become dormant.

2. Background: Complex, aerospace-grade, thin-wall, multi-core magnesium and aluminum sand-cast components are critical to support Commercial and DoD rotorcraft fleets as maintenance and replacement parts, retrofits and technological upgrades. All Commercial and U.S. Military rotorcraft vehicles (helicopters and tiltrotors) require numerous sand-cast components for structural and drivetrain components. These sand castings will also support the manufacture of cutting-edge components for next-generation rotorcraft platforms. At present, the most difficult castings are the large castings that comprise the main rotor gearbox housing pieces.

The industrial base for complex, large, multi-core magnesium and aluminum sand-cast components is characterized by high start-up costs, expensive and lengthy qualification processes, and an aging workforce with rapidly-eroding organizational knowledge and skillsets. The number of domestic castings manufacturers that provide products and services to the aerospace industry has dwindled over the last two decades, having experienced a large number of consolidations due to decreases in production orders and intensified global competition. With few remaining viable foundries, many sand-cast rotorcraft parts have been reduced to only a single-source supplier.

3. Scope: This project is to improve domestic industrial capability through the development of production technology for Large, Aerospace-Grade, Complex (Multi-core), Sand-cast, Thin-wall, Aluminum / Magnesium Castings and ultimately demonstrate the capability to produce these castings for dual use applications. The manufacturing parameters for the subject castings are further defined as:

a. Large: Maximum size/weight range: 65 inch diameter up to maximum 750 pounds;

b. Aerospace Grade: Classification per AMS2175 at a minimum of Class 1;

c. Complex: Multiple passages within the casting for lubrication;

d. Sand Cast: Multiple Cores (hundreds);

e. Thin Wall: 0.22 inch minimum thickness;

f. Aluminum and/or Magnesium – Material properties meeting ASTM B80 for Magnesium alloys and AMS-A-21180 for Aluminum alloys. Aluminum casting capabilities will include AMS4288 material;

g. The offeror will show how they are capable of manufacturing the subject castings domestically (US, Canada). Vendors who are not manufacturers themselves but are capable of bringing forward new and innovative techniques to be used in manufacturing the subject castings (see Modernization in A.1.b. above), may also respond; however, teaming with domestic manufacturers of the subject castings in advance is encouraged; and

h. The offeror will show how they can improve their manufacturing capability to support Commercial and DoD Requirements for the subject castings by undertaking one or more of the sub-objectives listed in Section 1 above. Ultimately, the offeror will show how they will be able to meet these objectives by demonstrating the production capability to the Commercial Aerospace standard.

4. Project Objectives:

a. Each offeror will be a domestic castings manufacturer capable of producing the castings specified in Part II, Section A2 above. As noted in Section A2, innovators of modernized manufacturing techniques for the subject castings are encouraged to team with an existing manufacturer in advance.

b. Attention will be paid to enhancing merchant supplier capabilities to effectively serve the broader Commercial and DoD communities.

c. Substantial involvement/collaboration by the Government program official will be required through participation in periodic reviews of project progress, revisions of plans for future efforts, and possibly business matters. See Part II section B: Deliverable Items.

5. Technical Requirements:

a. Provide a baseline, step-wise presentation of the current production process at the vendor’s manufacturing facility as well as the vendor’s current capacity for manufacture of the subject castings for use in Commercial and DoD end items. The baseline should highlight any existing bottlenecks and include report standard manufacturing metrics (e.g., scrap rates) for each major step in the process. Existing Government or Prime Vendor Furnished Equipment as well as any planned/scheduled Prime Vendor investment in equipment in a particular step should be highlighted – use restrictions (e.g., Prime Vendor production only) should be noted.

b. Using the baseline above as a reference, develop and implement a comprehensive plan detailing all necessary engineering, equipment, facility expansion, sub-recipient requirements, materials, labor hours, and processes required to do one or more of the following functions at the vendor’s manufacturing facility: sustain, expand, modernize or restore production capacity for the subject thin wall castings. Each major improvement to a process step should highlight how the improvement will improve production over the baseline for that particular step.

c. Install and commission capabilities and/or improvements to manufacture the subject thin wall castings.

d. Establish product specifications and quality control measures to ensure rework and scrap rate percentages are minimized. Perform Continuous Process Improvements (CPI) throughout the manufacturing process flow. Conduct Root Cause Corrected Actions (RCCAs) on nonconforming material. Allow for necessary adjustments to the manufacturing of the subject castings.

e. Regardless of the manufacturing readiness level (MRL) at the beginning of the Period of Performance, achieve an MRL of at least 8, demonstrate production capability to Commercial Aerospace Standards that meet DoD requirements and demonstrate vendor target capacity for the subject castings by the end of the Technical Period of Performance. (For reference, www.dodmrl.com contains the Industry, Academia and DoD Manufacturing Readiness Level body of knowledge).

B. Deliverable Items:

1. Data Items: The following are examples of standard reporting requirements for a Title III Project:

a. Recipient’s Progress through regular technical update meetings / teleconference calls (i.e., every two weeks or monthly as needed)

(1) Reporting shall include cost, schedule and performance progress.

(2) Report may be submitted via e-mail to the POC identified in Part I Section A3.

b. Strategic Business and Marketing Plan (3 months after receipt of Agreement and semi-annually thereafter until completion of contract)

(1) An outline will be provided by the government as guidance for recommended structure and detail in the report. The report can be tailored to allow the Recipient's format. One copy of the report shall be provided to the POC identified in Part I Section A3.

(2) Report may be submitted via e-mail to the POC identified in Part I Section A3.

(3) Strategic Business and Marketing Plan submissions to the Government are exempt from disclosure requirements of 5 U.S.C. 552 (Freedom of Information Act - Exemption 4 thereunder) for a period of five years from the date the Department receives the information. The Recipient shall mark such information with a legend identifying the documents as being submitted on a confidential basis.

c. Property Control List (see BAA W15QKN-18-R-01HZ Part III, Section B.11.(e) Permanent Equipment)

d. Presentation Material and meeting minutes (As Required)

2. Other Deliverables:

a. A set of castings that validates the implementation and demonstration of the manufacturing process for the subject castings.

b. The Production process data and manufactured article test data from the manufacturing demonstration.

C. Program Management, Administration, and Reporting:

1. Manage and implement the project. Monitor and control the project's cost, schedule, and performance parameters.

2. Establish a cumulative monthly expenditure profile baseline for the government funds. Track the actual monthly expenditures and cost shares if applicable against the baseline and report it to the government each month.

3. Participate on the project's Integrated Product Team (IPT) and interface with Title III project managers and contracting/agreements personnel.

4. Conduct regular technical update meetings/teleconferences calls and Quarterly Program Management Reviews (PMR). Up to two PMRs in any year may be conducted at the offeror's facility, and at least one PMR per year may be conducted at Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR, Patuxent River, MD) or Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC, Huntsville, AL) facilities. Remaining PMRs shall be conducted by conference call. Key sub-recipients and/or subcontractors should actively participate in PMRs.

5. Conduct a Technical Project Kickoff Meeting no later than 60 days following award.

6. Update and provide the Government Equipment Property Control List at the time of quarterly PMRs and as required. In support of the long-term goals of this project, if equipment is procured, prepare for a Monitoring Phase (MP) after the conclusion of the technical effort to demonstrate acceptable utilization and maintenance of the procured equipment.

7. Establish and track Key Performance Parameters (KPPs) with DPA Title III IPT concurrence. Baseline capabilities, Threshold (minimum), and Objective (stretch) targets should be established for at least two KPPs in each of the following four categories: (1) Technology (e.g., Quality parameters for the subject castings); (2) Manufacturing (e.g., Equipment Installation and Functional Test; (3) Overall Production Capacity Metrics); and (4) Financial, and Marketing. Report KPP performance at quarterly PMRs and as required. Conduct initial and final manufacturing demonstrations to validate the baseline and final capabilities. Demonstrations may be conducted concurrently with planned production if feasible.

D. Strategic Business and Marketing Planning:

1. Prepare, submit, and implement a Strategic Business and Marketing Plan that addresses the key aspects of commercial manufacturing capability for the subject thin wall castings for use in Commercial and DoD rotorcraft and other uses.

2. The comprehensive strategic business planning should cover a minimum outlook of 24 months (estimated), including all financial statements, actual and forecasts.

3. The strategic marketing plan should address current and future customer needs (domestic and foreign, civilian and military) for the subject thin wall castings.

E. Other Requirements:

1. Program security classification: Unclassified

2. Export Control:

a. Contractors shall comply with all U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120 through 130, and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730 through 786, in the performance of this contract. In the absence of the available license exemptions/exceptions, the Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining the appropriate licenses or other approvals, if required, for exports of (including deemed exports) hardware, technical data, and software, or for the provision of technical assistance.

b. The Contractor shall be responsible for obtaining export licenses, if required, before utilizing foreign persons (reference 15 CFR Part 772.1) in the performance of this contract, including instances where the work is to be performed onsite at any Government installation (whether in or outside the United States), where the foreign person will have access to export-controlled technologies, including data or software.

c. The Contractor shall be responsible for all regulatory record keeping requirements associated with the use of licenses and license exemptions/exceptions.

d. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that the provisions of this clause (and as required under DFARS Part 225) apply to its subcontractors as applicable or required.

3. Proposed Cost Sharing or Matching:

a. The Government seeks cost sharing in the amount of 50% recipient to the maximum extent practicable. If the white paper does not include a cost share of at least 50%, provide justification which should address, in detail, factors that demonstrate vested self-interest and/or commitment to the success of the project.

b. Types of Cost Share (e.g., Individual Offeror and/or Third Party (e.g., State or Municipal funds, Private investment or Prime Vendor investment)) proposed must be in accordance with 2 CFR 200.306.

Part III: Award Information

A. Anticipated Award Date: 90 days after receipt of proposals.

B. Anticipated funding:

NOTE: This funding profile is an estimate only and not an obligation for funding. All funding is subject to change due to Government discretion and availability of funds. Potential offerors should be aware that due to unanticipated budget fluctuations funding in any or all areas may change with little or no notice.

C. Contractor Support Company:

ByteCubed 2231 Crystal Drive #401 Arlington, Virginia 22202 info@bytecubed.com 571-336-7225

Part IV: White Paper Development and Submission Information

A. Overview: White Papers submitted shall be developed in accordance with Part II (White Paper Content, Preparation and Submission) of BAA W15QKN-18-R-01HZ and other information requests specific to this Project Announcement (see Part IV, Section B below).

Offerors should monitor FedBizOpps (FBO) and Grants.gov for any Project Announcement amendments that may extend the White Paper or Proposal submission date.

As noted in the BAA, only White Papers that receive and evaluation of “Promising” may receive a follow-on request for a full proposal. The White Papers shall be evaluated in accordance with the ratings listed in the BAA, Part II (B) (3). In the event that a White Paper is given an evaluation rating of “Promising”, a request may be made for a full and complete Proposal, with details of technical approach, cost and schedule to meet the requirements above.

NOTE: Unsolicited proposals will not be accepted for this project announcement.

B. White Paper Submission

1. Content and Form - Refer to Part II of BAA W15QKN-18-R-01HZ: White Paper Content, Preparation and Submission

2. Technical/Management - The White Paper shall include a discussion of the nature and scope of the research and the technical approach to meet the requirements in Part II of this Project Announcement. Additional information on prior work in this area, descriptions of available equipment, data and facilities and resumes of personnel who will be participating in this effort should also be included as attachments to the technical white paper.

a. In support of evaluation criterion Manufacturing Capability and Experience, evidence may include, but is not limited to, existing component testing, demonstrations, and/or qualification efforts, existing manufacturing capability, intellectual property, technical specifications for existing components, and dossiers of key personnel.

b. The offeror shall provide test results from an independent laboratory indicating they can meet the above requirements in Part II section A2 and Part II section 4C.

c. In support of evaluation criterion Quality of Technical Approach, evidence may include, but is not limited to: component product/production road maps including product qualification plans, value stream maps, equipment specifications, production flow diagrams, process operation plans, and quality control plans (test and inspection plans).

d. This volume shall include a statement of work (SOW) detailing the technical tasks proposed to be accomplished under the proposed effort and suitable for incorporation into the Agreement.

e. Prior to submission of the White Paper, questions concerning the SOW preparation shall be referred to the Contracting Office POC in Part I Section A.3.