Aviation Weather Radar (AWR) Request for Information (RFI)

This announcement is to conduct a Market Survey/Request for Information for the purpose of soliciting statements of interest and capabilities from potential vendors. This Market Survey/Request for Information announcement is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) of any kind. This survey is for informational and planning purposes only. No solicitation exists currently; the FAA is not seeking or accepting unsolicited proposals. This notice should not be construed as a commitment of any type by the Government to take or not to take any action. Since this is a Market Survey, no evaluation letters or results will be issued to respondents. The Government will not reimburse any costs incurred by vendors in responding to this notice. The responses to this Market Survey will be used for information purposes only and will not be released, except as required under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); proprietary information that is appropriately marked will be protected in accordance with the FOIA. The Government will not pay for any information received in response to this Market Survey/Request for Information.

This announcement does not guarantee that a solicitation or procurement of any kind will be issued and this announcement will not be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract. *** If the FAA decides to conduct a competition, it may limit the competition to only those vendors who respond to this Market Survey and the Screening Information Request (SIR)/RFP may be made under a separate announcement.***

The FAA's ATO, Aviation Weather Sensors program office is conducting a Market Survey/Request for Information to ascertain current market conditions and vendor capabilities to perform the requirements outlined in the attached Draft AWR Requirements document for the new AWR contract. This Market Survey/Request for Information will be used for determining the level of competition for and giving consideration to the number of vendors who possess the capability to provide a turnkey solution consisting of the ability to manufacture and provide the equipment, project management, configuration management, engineering services, installation services, technical support services, test evaluation, logistics support, training, and quality control similar in scope to the Draft AWR Requirements document.

This Market Survey/Request for Information is conducted, in part, in an effort to obtain the information necessary to determine whether adequate competition exists among small businesses. With that said, this Market Survey/Request for Information is intended to seek information from interested vendors of all sizes and types. The acquisition strategy and the nature of this procurement has yet to be determined. The FAA may decide to solicit unrestricted competition or go with a full or partial set-aside with a business type identified above.

The FAA requires Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) AWR. This approach provides the FAA with the most efficient approach to acquire AWR. The AWR will be a stand-alone weather radar to replace the current Weather Systems Processor (WSP) that is currently in place at airports throughout the National Airspace System (NAS), located at 37 sites throughout the U.S. and its Territories.

A Draft AWR Requirements document is attached to this Market Survey outlining requirements with more detail for interested vendors. Vendors are highly encouraged to read the attachments for the best understanding of the FAA's requirements. The requirement is anticipated to be a five (5) year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) type contract, consisting of a one (1) year base period and four (4) one-year option periods, with installation completed at all 37 sites within 3-years of installation at first site. The anticipated period of performance is subject to change at the FAA’s discretion.

Also attached are an Appendix A, Appendix B, and the Capability Statement, Responses and Submission Format; vendors are encouraged to direct their attention to these documents for details in how to respond to this Market Survey/Request for Information.

If you have questions or need additional information, etc. regarding this Market Survey/Request for Information, email Dana D. Brooks at  dana.d.brooks@faa.gov.

Respondents are encouraged to review all attachments. This Market Survey/Request for Information and attachments are available at https://sam.gov.

Note: The FAR references cited in SAM.gov are not applicable to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as the FAA has its own policies and guidance referenced in the Acquisition Management System (AMS).

Please contact the Contracting Officer, Dana Brooks, at dana.d.brooks@faa.gov for any questions related to this Market Survey/Request for Information.